Ayça

Izmir Institute of Technology

Department of Architecture

Examine how does fine arts, painting, purism andcubism collaborate with architecture. An example of LeCorbusier’s ‘Villa Stein-de Monzie’ at Garches as anarchitectural collaboration with purism and cubism.

Ayça Arslan

Assignment for AR 520 Historical Changes and Architectural Theory

Ayça

Submitted to: Asst. Prof. Dr. Erdem ERTEN

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. The architectural design concept of ‘Villa Stein de Monzie’.

III. Le Corbusier as a painter.

IV. Connections between Le Corbusier’s paintings and architecture.

V. In which Purist painting and architecture are compared.

VI. An analysis of form, ‘Villa Stein de Monzie’ by Le Corbusier

VII. Conclusion

Ayça

I.Introduction

Villa Stein de Monzie, which is one of Le Corbusier’s dwelling projects, also known as ‘Les Terrasses’, built in 1920’s, is an essential project that indicates an integration of his art works with architecture.

This paper examines architect’s design approach to villa through his form, interior space design and landscape decisionsand searches his art works and paintings. I study Le Corbusier,as an architect and painter, in which ways and styles he collaborate his paintings with his architectural forms.

Study consists of his mathematical analysis of form of the building, known as ‘Golden Section’ and ‘2:1:2:1:2’ rhythms, inhis plan and façade proportions and terrace designs at upper floors. I search, reflections of his cubist paintings like ‘still life’, to his architectural form and the integration of Le Corbusier’s purist and cubist architectural style, through his using, flowing, free spaces, transparency, and strip bands vertically and horizontally in his paintings and their reflections to architectural studies of the architect.

On the other hand, when we examine the paintings of architect of the mid 1920s like ‘Still Life with Numerous Objects’, we see that Corbusier went behind of rigidity of purism with a more complex style by using overlapping contours,

Ayça

curves of reverse with ambiguous transparencies, as Yve explains ;

‘Among these devices are the horizontal or strip windows I havealready mentioned in escaping cone of vision, the strip window deniesthe view imposed by the traditional window. The strip window cutsacross the landscape, fattening it by suppressing transitions betweennear and far. Its excess of light and sight erases the centrality ofspace and powerfully redirects vision to the exterior.’(Yve-AlainBois, Cubistic, Cubic)

Classical symmetry with the explosions of the free plan,frontal façades with turbulent inner events, the ‘machine ahabit’ with the archetypes of Pompeii. He stressed the spiritof Palladio, he knew that modernity only has value if it isrooted in the wisdom of the ancients, and that tradition iskept alive only by constant transformation. (Le Corbusier ideasand forms)

Keywords: Le Corbusier, Painting&Architecture, Purism,Villa Stein de Monzie, Form Analysis, Cubism

II. The Architectural Design Concept of ‘Villa Stein deMonzie’

The Villa Stein de Monzie, which is one of Le Corbusier’smost luxurious and monumental housing projects, between 1926-8which also known as ‘Les Terrasses’ constructed a far point ofcentral Paris because the clients, Steins wanted to get awayfrom noisy central Paris and to move a healthy surrounding.

The Villa Stein de Monzie which has four storey level and aroof level is mainly developed on a mathematical grid systemhorizontally and vertically in a narrow rectangular shapethrough the form of the construction area which is very narrowand rectangular with a garden both at entrance and back façadeof the building.

Ayça

Villa Stein de Monzie which is Le Corbusier’s one of mostmodernist buildings about 1920s he also indicates his puristand cubist attributes on project which used to grow in parallelwith his paintings and artworks. The purist approach of thearchitect can be seen at all parts of the building. Atinteriors by the vertical overlapping of levels, at facades bythe forms of windows as strip bands vertically at the cornersand horizontally strip bands especially at front and backfaçades of the building of which’s side facades are like closedwalls with small windows. So building mainly gets its shapefrom entrance and back facades.

Le Corbusier’s purist and cubist attribute also showsitself on building façade elements like especially at entrancefaçade and at roof level by canopy and balcony designs. Atentrance façade, ground floor there exists two entrance whichare, one for main entrance and one for maids, and at entrancedesign Le Corbusier used purism with machine architecture

Figure.2.1.Entrance side with servant’s entrance on the left.

Ayça

design as the canopy of main entrance looks like a wing of anairplane, and at rooftop structures as ship deck design and theform of the exterior staircase that reaches only first floor.Also as structural elements, concrete pilotis, slabs and beamswere used, walls and partitions were to be cemented andplastered as to give ‘machine age’ smoothness.

Le Corbusier had used an automobile cerography by usingrectangular and curved spaces giving to a rear terrace andgarden, as he did in ‘Favro Jacot House’ of 1912 and he reusedit at Les Terrasses. The linear, geometrical planes that heused at entrance façade with visual ambiguities as separated inhierarchy concept for maids and main entrance differs also bythe canopy and balcony placement at façade. And the stripwindows stretched from one corner to the other horizontallywhich as he explained looks like a factory glazing design, thedisplacement of axes and compressions of planes forms a closerelationship of an automobile design. This like machine formand acute approach of Le Corbusier indicates his convergence topurism in architecture as his paintings.

The main essential part of the building façades weredesigned by Le Corbusier as unhistorical, innovative approach,the horizontal strip windows indicates modernism.

Figure.2.2.Strip windowsrunning round the corners

of the rear side

Figure2.3.Strip windowsrunning round the corner of

the entrance side

Ayça

At ground floor, there exists two entrances, one mainentrance and at left side there is an entrance for maids useonly. When one enters the house a four piers system meets you,as an entrance hall by rectangular placement of columns. Themain entrance, after passing this column bordered hall at righta sculptural staircase reaches you to the upstairs main livingroom. At left a garage and service area with maid’s entranceexists. The ground plan is divided mainly five zonesfunctionally through building structure as spatial coherence ofwhich three are bigger for living spaces and two narrow bandsserves for entrance spaces. And at ground floor after entrancehall on the left another space exists with no function that iscalled a place without function which Le Corbusier putted itfor architectural composition only.

Figure.2.4.Garden Side with Roof top structures, shipsdeck design

Ayça

The sculpural staircase reaches to the main living area, atfirst floor,consists a kitchen part at left and a free livingspace at right with a terrace at back. The placement of wallsfreely, linear and curved and by two columns at back spacecreates open spaces passing each other.At third floor which issepareted more acutely is desinged for servants living withhard geometrical forms for rooms and service areas like kitchenand bathrooms.And at the last, third floor is arranged again asa free space but divided geometrically for bedroom and bathroomspaces for the clients of the house. The terrace connectionscontinues at all levels especially at back side of the housewhich Le Corbusier indicated transparency metaphor at backfaçade by glass glazing and created a vertically free spacecollabrates with nature and garden as interior/exteriorcontrubition.

Figure.2.5.Ground, entrancefloor plan of the Villa

Figure.2.6.The first floor of Villa Stein de Monzie

Ayça

Through the form of the building two straight narrow closedwalls ensures a vertically strip facades at front andback .Which front facade is designed in order to more machineconcepts with canopies and balconies and back façade which isdesigned as transparent metaphor by vertically strip glassglazing.

Figure.2.7.The second floorof Villa Stein de Monzie

Figure.2.8.The third floor of Villa Stein de Monzie

Ayça

III. Le Corbusier as a painter

Le Corbusier’s ‘Still Life’ Painting

Ozenfant and Jeanneret used to indicate the means of‘perspective’ in a article of 1921 as a very smooth and simpleway of creation the virtual space and in addition; purismacknowledges the first order of that creation with the sense ofdepth that determines the depth of space with non-decoration.

Basically, as Andre Lothe indicated, purist paintings weregenerally a reflection of depth, space and volume, all togetherconnected to the invention of perspective.

At Le Corbusier’s painting around 1920s, Still Life withStack of Plates and Book, it is very open that every object inthe painting contributes to the relative homogeneity of spaceand their models placed in the center of the composition, anaxonometric effect as a result of that composition withflatness of backgrounds and as a result zones bordering thepainting which remains equivocal.

Figure.2.9.The front and back facades of the Villa Stein deMonzie

Ayça

At the same time, the passing from single focus to multiplecentered compositions, of Jeanneret’s paintings in 1922, can beseen at Three Glasses, Pipe and Bottles on a Light backgroundwhich is now at Kunstmuseum, Basel and The Orange Wine Bottleor at Pale Still Life with Lantern. Commonly all of thesepaintings indicate a double focus scheme with centers mirroringeach other in relation to the axis of the painting and as apivot of each composition a fluted, stemmed wineglass isplaced. On the left is a hybrid shape of guitar case and glasscarafe and on the right is a half full bottle of Bordeaux thatscreens a milk bottle, which also screens another bottle.

Simultaneously, in Le Corbusier’s Still Life with NumerousObjects painting (1923), mostly pictorial metaphors aredeveloped with no sense of naturalism in order to suggest thetransparency of glass. And similarly , the secret lives of diceand small pipes are displayed on the royal blue silhouette of aglass liter dimension which in its turn, gives a gray tint tothe red jug that shows through it. (Cubistic, cubic and cubistby Yve Alain Bois)

Figure.3.1. Charles-EdouardJeanneret (Le Corbusier.StillLife with Stack of Plates and

Book,1920.Oil oncanvas,81/100cm, Kunstsammlung

Basel.

Ayça

Figure.3.2.Charles-Edouard Jeanneret(Le Corbusier)(1887-1965). Vermillion Guitar,1922.Oil on canvas.Spesier Collection,Basel.

Figure.3.3. Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier)(1887-1965) Still Life with Numerous Objects, 1923,O,l on canvas, 114/146cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris.

IV. Connections Between Le Corbusier’s Paintings and Architecture

The Villa Stein-de Monzie

Le Corbusier’s Villa Stein de Monzie, by the preliminaryplans in July 1926, is a striking example of architect’s.Instead of using the garden on the South side, Le Corbusier’searly proposals indicate a ‘garden terrace’ with vastdimensions just next to house. In order to the degree ofspatial definition and various windows like openings indicatesan interior like with no walls or ceilings sense perhaps likean open salon.

Basically, it is illustrated by Yve Alain Bois, that thefluidity from un bordered side of the garden leads to the openconcept salon. And from inside the visitor is able to see thesection viewed from interior to exterior and landscape beyondthe villa becomes visible and by two openings in the North

Ayça

wall. And described in perspective, the roof plunges down in tothe unboxed space of the salon which applied one long internalsurfaces of the garden terrace, twice crossing there’s holdbetween interior and exterior. In orderly, first traverse comeswhen the promenade passes from garden to the steps on the axisof the space and the second one, straight ahead but more higherwhen the promenade ascends the staircase in the large openingof the north wall.

As a result by the way of promenade, one experiences ,the interior and exterior, horizontal and vertical sections of the garden terrace, the volume of spaces and as a whole the variousand constant compositions of the architectural object.

At the same time, at the final proposal of the Villa Steinde Monzie , this promenade dwindled and completely disappeared.The difference can be seen on the stairway ramp leading frompark to the covered garden which is no longer juxtaposed to thehouse which is more articulated than the ‘garden terrace’.

Consequently, Le Corbusier was determining the effects ofspatial interference by using ambiguity and overlapping, forwhich later Rowe and Slutzky proposed as a term ‘phenomenaltransparency’. And Yve Alain Bois indicated this compositionapproach as;

Figure.4.1.Le Corbusier’s Villa Stein-de Monzie , Garches, axonometric, 1927.Black and bluepencil on gelatin silver print

Ayça

‘‘In poetics, enjambment means the breaking of congruence betweensyntax and meter, which occurs when the end of a phrase or part of aphrase does not coincide with the end of a line (rhymed or not).Transposed into architecture, emjambment seems to describe perfectlythe overflow of one space into another or, again, the breaking of thecongruence between functional space and structural space. Thisconstitutes a defiance of the ‘paralyzed plan’ of traditionalarchitecture because the modern plan of a house, born of reinforcedconcrete allows us to escape from the square cellular form of roomshere to fore. One wall of one room is the wall of another room. I amno longer in the ‘pink’ or the ‘blue room’. I am moving on anarchitectural site that reveals itself beneath my feet. In anarchitectural situation where spatial enjambment reigns supreme,opening the way to multiple readings of the work, a linear promenadewould from now on be a contradiction in terms.’’(Yve Alain Bois-Cubistic, Cubic and Cubist)

V. In Which Purist Painting and Architecture Are Compared

In fact, ‘Purism’ as high lightened by Guades A. (1988) isthe least known modern movement which is developed throughlater ‘International Style’ by Le Corbusier’s work. Also therewas a strong relationship between painting and early modernarchitecture and almost all of earl modernist architects werein a close relationship and friends with painters. In earlymodern architecture, at that times such styles like De Stijl,Constructivism, Cubism and Purism were very influential andcreative for modern architecture.

In addition, Guades A.(1988) describes Purism in hisarticle as an avant-garde movement which is idealistic andrestorative also glorified basic principles like; order, logic,technological process and culture together. And makes thedifference between styles as;

Ayça

‘Purism was seen by its founders as the successor to both Cubismand Dadaism. They claimed to be constructive where Dada was justnegative and vigorously intellectual where Cubism had becomedecorative. The Purist claimed that a work of art should provoke asensation of mathematical order and the means by which this order isachieved should be sought in universal means.’

Indeed, it was about 1918 when Le Corbusier and Ozanfantmet at Andernos and work together at Ozenfant’s studio whichwas designed by Le Corbusier which was the combination of theirpurist paintings with architectural equivalents, and isdescribed by Guades as;

‘The house is also a swallow box containing various levels,volumes and simple geometrical elements within the frame of itsboundary walls. The whole of the composition converges on the ‘cube oflight’ of the studio, which is the architectural equivalent of thecube in ‘Le bol rouge’ of 1919.The two spiral stairs, one internal,one external ,are like the up-right of cylindrical bottle inpaintings.’

Basically, the Maison Ozenfant’s composition was, adouble leveled studio with a garage at ground level anddomestic functions on first level. Site ensured both eastand north views and this permitted big glazing both sides.As other dwelling projects, Le Corbusier’s urbanismconcerns indicated here as light, greenery and space wasthe central. The wall planes and apertures were detailedand mullions were varied through sizes and thickness toactivate surfaces and to dramatize the contribution of twolarge glass surfaces at corner. Also the light beingfiltered into painter’s work space by a smoked glassceiling. The entrance up to studio a spiraling concretestair placed with a thin curling plane. This luminousinterior space with tubular steel ladders continued‘promenade architecturale’ to first floor which oneresembles a bridge of ship. These mechanical resembling and

Ayça

abstract geometry indicates the strategy of Purist paintingbut with actual objects in three dimensions. (Paris,Purism,‘L’Esprit Nouveau)

Figure.5.1.Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, Le bol rouge (The red Bowl),1919,oil on

Figure.5.2.Maison Ozenfant,Paris, 1923

Figure5.3.Ozenfant’s Studiolooking North over avenue

Reille towards the reservoir.

Ayça

On the other hand, if we examine ‘Le bol rouge’ (RedBowl,1919) as an earliest purist painting, The scaling ofbowl, dimensions and formal shapes of the bowl, pipe, cube androll of paper are very clear and intelligible as anything instill life. The antiperspectival denaturalization effect wasadded by Le Corbusier and the objects represented by a complexsystem of internal geometrical rules, by parallelism of rule ofpaper, pipe and cast shadow of bowl.

And then, two purist began to create their works togetherand their influences were generally determined by very simpleand industrial objects like bottles, glasses, pipes and musicalinstruments like guitar for which they indicate standardizedpurity by their simple forms and shapes and this puristpaintings became aspirations for pure industrial art.( GuadesA. (1988)

And as indicated by architect’s own idea was about parallelism between purist painting and architecture was like;

‘‘To explode the form of ‘Les Terrasses’ into an axonometricdrawing is quickly to grasp how one level differs from another, andhow real and illusionistic planes are compressed together with curvedobjects to make an equivalent to a Purist still life inhabitable.’’(LeCorbusier, ideas and forms)

At first side, maybe the comparison of architecturalcomposition of Le Corbusier with his paintings could be seen involume and well-defined spaces which unified by ‘picturesquemeandering’ instead of naturalism, promenades like that of theVilla La Roche and the condensation of volumes and spaces likeof Villa Stein de Monzie were seen as an equivalent of LeCorbusier’s evolution as a painter. In the space composition ofeach Villa, the similar design approaches can be seen likeambiguous spaces, polycentric and compressed compositions of

Ayça

Vermillion Guitar (1922) and Still Life with Numerous Objects(1923).

Conventionally, this parallelism between architecturalobjects and paintings of the architect can be demonstrated bysome arguments of the Villa Stein de Monzie which Le Corbusierdescribes as a difficult type of composition because itconsists of organs within rigidly envelope and absolutely pure.The development of the villa’s plans indicates us the work isthe flexibility of a modern plan which is born of concrete andeach space, each fixture struggles with its surroundings for toexist. (Figure.5.1)

For instance on the first floor by the bulge of the wallthe dining room trespasses on the living room. And on thesecond floor, by the expand of stair-well in the center givesmore access to the bedrooms and bathroom, in addition thewaving formed partitions also suggest difficult connections inbetween rooms, boudoirs, baths, water closets and so on. As aresult there is no center to the plan of the Villa Stein deMonzie.

Commonly, the architectural plan of the villa is a similarvolume that serves both for background and frame for condensedcomposition of objects in Still Life with Numerous Objects.

Figure.5.4.Le Corbusier (1887-1965).Villa Stein-deMonzei, Garches, first-and second-floor plan study.

Ayça

Through the composition of the villa, the roof garden is maybe the most architectural demonstration of Le Corbusier’s purist paintings accomplished by the spatial ambiguity. The form of this roof garden is bordered by at north side by bedrooms wing and by the wall planes from two sides and directly looks southward exterior over a balcony that extends the width of the façade. Basically, two big features structure the space of roof garden which are, an elliptical volume of thestorage room and the stairway that one reaching to terrace at left, lastly the L shaped wall plane on the right that is seen diagonally which has a painting like opening window. In fact itis convincing that if a visitor behind the window of roof garden can imagine himself in a interior through the most exterior sense of open, bordered just with a parapet, roof garden with the limitless view. Le Corbusier’s composition for bedrooms openings is more a like a telescope image of horizontal windows that frames the landscape. In equally, roof garden can be seen as a n architectural theater in which spaces, places and objects take on a different meaning upon they are viewed or used.

As Yve A. Bois indicated in his book with some examples, pictorial devices in Jeanneret’s paintings derive from architectural gambits. They can be seen in the paintings in 1926, which shows two or three bottles together with various objects. Bottles composed both footed or un footed, inverted set upright and other objects are juxtaposed without hierarchy,resembles like elevations and sections of an architectural plan. Generally the formal invention comes from objects technical, functional and productive features like bottom, shoulder or neck of a bottle, the profile of the foot of the glass, shapes of glasses, reflective effect of glass and so on..And as a result Le Corbusier adapted the virtual space of purist composition of functional, technical, geometric or formal features to architectural project.

Ayça

In addition, as Curtis stated in his book ‘Ideas and Forms’; the pictorial device of the marriage of objects in sharing an outline requires our close attention. This device is treated fully by Ozenfant and Jeanneret in the article ‘Idees personnelles’ (1924), under the heading ‘Composition’:

‘Purism gives importance to the conservation of the constituent normsof the object .It gives itself no right to reformulate them beyond acertain point…Thus explicable are, for example, those marriages ofobjects in sharing an outline. The linkage of compositional elementsto create a unique object in a painting, often achieved in cubism byalteration of the specificity of an object, is achieved in purism byorganic means.’

Traditionally, we can see the sense of ‘marriages’ in Jeanneret’s paintings like spatially dense, ambiguous and stratified. Especially in Pale Still Life with Lantern (1922), this marriage can be seen in between the foot of the inverted glass and handle of the tea port, the spout of the teapot covers the molded-glass chalice, the rim of the glass on the left of painting simulates the sound hole of the guitar. And Yve A. describes marriages between objects as;

‘‘If one looks closely at the preliminary studies for Still Life:Violin and Bottle (1926) one discovers a secret union between an openbook and a stack of plates and bottles. Behind the numerous objects ofLarge Still Life (1923) lurks a violin case. A specific type of‘marriage’ is affected when different bottle outlines merge on theirvertical axes.’’(Yve A.)

As a conclusion when we consider these effects inarchitecture; the function and distribution, aesthetic andcultural requirements are formal features and develops by thestatement one wall of one room forms the wall of another roomas known. It indicates a formal dimension like each object inthe Villa Stein de Monzie like washbasin, bath, fixture, etc..makes its statement among its fellows.

Ayça

VI. An Analysis of Form, ‘Villa Stein de Monzie’ by Le Corbusier

At this chapter, a comprehensive mathematical analysis of form of the Villa Stein de Monzie is given up step by step, in addition design of terraces and their contribution to form of villa at garden façade is given level by level, the ‘2:1:2:1:2’size and proportion system which placed through the functions of the spaces, rendered whole of the building; front, back, right , left, bottom and top. Sketches from landscape approach to interior spaces is presented by schematic descriptions through Le Corbusier’s proposals that have been highlightened in ‘An Analysis of Form’ publishment.

VI.i

Landscape Approach

The site is a narrow,flat strip formed landscape with copseand trees midway on eastern side.The villa takes a slab placed form in harmony with site’s form and divided site into two ,a public front zone and a back garden zone. And where the copse and building meets, villa raises to reach garden zone. The route to villa goes through copse and meets entrance of the villa.

Figure.6.1.After a drawing by Le Corbusier,The complete

Ayça

The theme is developed through to gain maximum interpretation of landscape and villa , so at first intentions the slab was broken down to meet landscape more , but at the futher development with a better solution, terrace placements at each slab ensured interior exterior contribution through landscape.

Roof Terrace and Entry

At roof level ,curved formed, sculptural statement is placed with a contrast to ortho-gonal grid system of the villa.This indicates the freedom given to designer by using new materials and techniques with the roof terrace is an important symbol of the new liberated life style.

The curvilinear theme of the roof is dobled by the curved route towards the entry of Villa.

Figure.6.2.Roof Terrace&Entry

Spatial Interaction

Further development of thelongitudal site axis is given by a forward projection of a service wing, placed opposite to copes given further enclosure the entrance.

At entry volume ,a stair rises along the lateral axis opening to terrace at second

Ayça

level .The stairs coorperate with a bridge which opens leads to the salon.

So spaces; salon,terrace, first and second floors are all interconnected, movement from one to each other being through vertical of horizantalplanes.

Figure.6.3.Spatial Interaction

VI.ii Final Design

After working on this asymmetrical proposal Le Corbusier designed an other project which became last, final design with influence of Palladio’s Villa Malcontante. The final proposal of Le Corbusier was a symmetrical plan order with bay rhythm A.B.A.B.A proportion system.

Figure 6.4. Left drawing, See Colin Rowe’s analysis: Colin Rowe,‘The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa’. Architectural Review, 1947.

Right drawing , for a full discussion of this see Tim Burton,

Ayça

Regular Slab

The final design solution is a regular symmetrical subdivision system on two main longitudeaxes and 2:1:2:1:2 proportion system at long side façade and along its length with an equal division of 1:5.1:5.1:5 on the side.

Figure.6.5.Regular Slab

Directional Slab

Ayça

Le Corbusier steps down the slab at the roof floor, which creates a terrace facingto garden view. This ensures the regular symmetry of the form and puts a barrier between public and private zone, the form becomes directional.

Figure.6.6.Directional Slab

Slab eroded

As an earlier proposal LeCorbusier opens up the slab on western side , which creates a cascade of terracestowards the garden view, likeflowing from upper floors into the garden.

Figure.6.7.Slab Eroded

Ayça

Slab restored

By enclosing two sides, slabconfiguration is restoring and erosion still remains inside.

Figure.6.8.Slab Restored

Terrace cascade

Le Corbusier extendsthe terraces to the sideplane in order to diminish the erosion effect of opening the slab. By stretching across of the two bridges, taut planes were placed on slabs andLe Corbusier creates a forward-backward-forwardrhythm of horizontal planes ensures the spacecascade downwards.

Figure.6.9.Terrace cascade

Horizantal Planes

Ayça

The horizontal planesare reasserted.

Figure.6.10.Horizantal Planes

Vertical Planes

Vertical planes are placed onto front and backto complete the external membrane. The contributionof these vertical and horizontal planes with themass supports creates an ambiguous mass/planar effect.

Figure.6.11.Vertical Planes

Terraces

The lower terrace extends towards to garden by a staircase design. The terraces effect the integration of garden and villa.

Figure.6.12.Terraces

TERRACES

Ayça

Geometrical Control

The four sides of theexterior or membrane creates the final configuration of the Villa. Each acts like fenestrations or plane openings parallel to the geometric subdivision.

The emphatic symmetryof the configuration of the villa is confirmed bycentral bay division at the front façade with a balcony design at the roof flat.

Figure.6.13.Geometrical Control

Ayça

VII. Conclusion

Villa Stein de Monzie , Le Corbusier’s one of most monumental and luxuries dwelling project built in 1920s is alsoknown as ‘Les Terraces’ because of its form and backyard terraces flowing to the back garden.

In this project the influences and similarities of artist’spaintings and art works can be found in interior design of the house and its form. The overlapping of interior spaces between each other horizontally and vertically shows Le Corbusier’s free plan approach in interior. As at entrance floor, which have two enters one for main living area and one for service wing, at main living area, free and open space design can be found. The four column system which is an influence of Palladio’s project, borders the entrance hall and the divider walls in the space creates living spaces, dining and sitting areas like unboxed , open spaces. And Le Corbusier’s using linear and curvilinear forms together ensures flowing of space,like staircase design in interior and which he used in his paintings like ‘Still Life’.

On the other hand, when we examine the form of the Villa and its facades, a purist approach of Le Corbusier can be foundin parallel with his paintings. Le Corbusier used purism and transparency metaphor at front and back facades of the Villa Stein de Monzie. The side facades which are closed walls with small windows are like side planes of narrow formed villa. At entrance, front façade, which has two entrances through function, is more indicates artists’ purist approach by canopy and balcony designs. And through the forms of canopy like a wing of airplane and core at roof like a ship desk, Le Corbusier indicates purist architecture and machine age smoothness. And at back façade looking to back garden, he designed a more transparent façade with from one side to other horizontally strip glass windows. This different window design like factory glazing differs from traditional style and indicates Le Corbusier’s modern approach at facades.

Ayça

As a consequence, when we examine the general form of the Villa, a four level raised building at front, entrance side andat back with terraces it’s flowing to the garden. The roof level makes a barrier between public and private zones. And back side of the villa with long linear glass windows with terraces and bridges at each level, the interior/exterior contribution was ensured through open plan.

Figures credits:

1- Figure 2.1 - http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Villa_Stein_-_de_Monzie

2- Figure2. 2-3-4 - Chandigarh , Paris. Le Corbusier. Villa Stein /de Monzie 1927 Garches. Pages 51 and 53

3- Figure.2. 5-6-7-8-9 - http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Villa_Stein_-_de_Monzie

Figure.3.1 - Curtis, William JR. ‘Ideas and Forms , LeCorbusier.’ Paris, Purism and ‘L’ Esprit Nouveau. IzmirInstitute of Technology Library. Page 132

4- Figure.3. 2-3 - Bois, Yves-Alain. ‘Architecture & Cubism’.Izmir Institute of Technology Library. Page.200-201

5- Figure.4.1. - http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Villa_Stein_-_de_Monzie

6- Figure.5.1 .- Bois, Yves-Alain. ‘Architecture & Cubism’. Izmir Institute of Technology Library. Page 196.

Ayça

7- Figure.5. 2-3. - Curtis, William JR. ‘Ideas and Forms , LeCorbusier.’ Paris, Purism and ‘L’ Esprit Nouveau. IzmirInstitute of Technology Library. Pages.56-57

8- Figure.5.4. - Chandigarh , Paris. Le Corbusier. Villa Stein /de Monzie 1927 Garches. Page 56.

9- Figure.6. 1/13 –‘An Analysis of Form’, Le Corbusier.Izmir Institute of Technology Library.

REFERANCES

Bois, Yves-Alain. ‘Architecture & Cubism’. Izmir Instituteof Technology Library .

Stirling, James. ‘Le Corbusier and Britain An Anthology’ ,‘Garches to Jaoul: Le Corbusier as Domestic Architect in 1927and 1953’. Izmir Institute of Technology Library.

Chandigarh , Paris. Le Corbusier. Villa Stein /de Monzie1927 Garches/Vaucresson near Paris France. Izmir Institute ofTechnology Library.

Curtis, William JR. ‘Ideas and Forms , Le Corbusier.’Paris, Purism and ‘L’ Esprit Nouveau. Izmir Institute ofTechnology Library.

Benton, Tim. ‘The Villas of Le Corbusier,1920-1930.’ IzmirInstitute of Technology Library.

‘An Analysis of Form’, Le Corbusier. Izmir Institute ofTechnology Library.

Guedes A., ‘The Paintings and Sculptures of Le Corbusier’,Published in Architecture, SA / Argitektuur SA (Johannesburg) ,(January - February,1988)

Ayça

INTERNET REFERANCES

http://en. wikiarquitectura .com/ index . php /Villa_ Stein _- _de_ Monzie