I recently took part in a short research task about the Unite D'Habitation, it was a piece of group work and each person tackled a different element of the building. I researched the concept and inspiration for the building, I didn't have chance to discuss everything I wanted to in our presentation as it was only short. So i thought id post a mini essay here:
Le Corbusier planned to build the ideal living environment for people bombed out of their housing in the second world war, he envisaged a mass housing solution that improved the quality of life dramatically for those who reside inside it. He wanted to encourage a sense of community, to inspire healthy living and to surround residents with nature, bright colours and a pleasant environment. Although from the exterior it may appear a cold and unpleasant concrete block of flats the vision for the building and its ethos are quite different to what you might expect. The Unite D’Habitation birthed Corbusier’s famous quote that a house is a “machine for living in” but this can often be misinterpreted, he does not mean to associate cold and emotionless connotations with a home but rather that it is possible to mass produce beautiful homes for the increasing population. Le Corbusier referred to the impressive structure as “The radiant City” this wasn't just a block of flats, but rather a whole city community contained within one building, Corbusier insisted on the inclusion of shops, athletics tracks, roof gardens, streets and even a “hostel” portion where residents could have guests stay for periods of the time. The vision for this building as suggested by its name is to unite the community within and produce a practical living solution for the future. This ideal is representative of the modernism movement as a whole, breaking away from conventional ideas of what a house should be and building for the future, with mass production in mind. The principal inspiration for this building was to create an improved standard of life, improved health, improved community spirit and to build the future. References: >Reason, A (2014) Brutalist buildings: Unite d’habitation by Le Corbusier. Available at:http://www.dezeen.com/2014/09/15/le-corbusier-unite-d-habitation-cite-radieuse-marseille-brutalist-architecture/ (Accessed 19th oct 2016) >ADAGP (1945) Available at: http://www.foundationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx? (accessed 19th oct 2016) >BBC (2013) Le Corbusier,s Unite : Is it a modern classic? Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/story/20130423-design-icon-or-concrete-horror (Accessed 19th oct 2016)
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AuthorWilliam Weston |