LE CORBUSIER

Le Corbusier is a Legendary Architect.

He believed that every building that is

designed at a particular site should

merge with its surroundings and
still be an outstanding innovation of
all times.
He is the trendsetter of the Modern

Architecture. He designed various

different types of structures where he
has proved his uniqueness in design.

LE CORBUSIER
Le Corbusier developed a five-point programme for a

new and contemporary architecture:

The Pilotis (posts)
The roof garden
The free plan
The horizontal strip windows
The free faade

LE CORBUSIER
He designed residences, offices, villas, structures such as Parliament

building, high courts etc.

Each of his designs are very much different from one another. Every

building of his talks about his unique character and the purpose it is
made for. Even today, his designs are considered modern and
Legendary.
In 1950, Indias Prime Minister Jawharlal Nehru invited Le

Corbusier to India to design a city, Chandigarh.

Le Corbusier designed various buildings in Chandigarh. He

designed Play Parks and Gardens, recreations clubs etc.

CHANDIGARH CITY
Chandigarh is the provincial
capital of Punjab. It became
symbolic of the newly
independent Indian nation.
Commencing work from 1951
until Le Corbusiers death in
1965, he shaped the city and
gave it its image.

CHANDIGARH CITY
The design of the city is based on a grid-iron plan based

on the hierarchy of movement from highways to

pedestrian walkways.
The metaphor of a human being was being employed in

the plan the head contained the capital complex, the

heart the commercial centre, and the arms, which
were perpendicular to the main axis, had the academic
and leisure facilities.
The plan incorporated Le Corbusiers principles of

light, space and greenery. He divided the city into

different Sectors.
Every sector had residential and commercial zones.
He planned the city in such a way that even a tourist can

easily find his own way.

There are maps displayed along the walkways and

footpaths.

LE CORBUSIERS OPEN HAND

La main ouverte, the open hand of swiss

architect Le Corbusier. A recurring motif in his

work, the Open Hand is a sign of peace
and of reconciliation, Le Corbusier said.
The Open Hand is meant to receive the
created riches, and to distribute them to
the peoples of the world.
The most prominent version of La main

ouverte is a 28 meter high version in

Chandigarh, India.

ROADS OF CHANDIGARH CITY

The roads are designed and oriented in such

a way that most of the time during the day, they

are under shadow.
There are huge parking areas for the

commercial zones so that the Parking

problems dont create a havoc on the main
roads. The Parking lanes are as broad as the main
roads.
There are pedestrian walkway roads that

are segregated from the main road with

the help of a wide lawn strip. There are huge
gardens along the main roads.

RESIDENCE DESIGN
Le Corbusier believed in creating harmony by using the

Design principle of Symmetry. He designed clusters

of bungalows together sharing a common playground
for kids and they also had a garden of their own,
apartments for middle class families where a couple of
apartments could share a common garden or
playground.
The design of the residences is symmetrical. Residences in

a cluster look similar from the exterior but they have

different planning as per the users requirement. The
advantage of emphasizing on symmetry makes the
environment look balanced and organized.

LE CORBUSIERS BUILDINGS IN
CHANDIGARH
The capitol is Le Corbusiers pice de

rsistance, and he began designing its

buildings on his first visit to India, early in
1951. They were completed by 1965.
The geometric concrete massesthe

Secretariat, the Assembly, and the Palace of

Justiceare grouped around a piazza and
dominate the city.
He also proposed a Governors Palace, later

changed in the proposals to a Museum of

Knowledge, but it was never built.

PARLIAMENT DESIGN
The Parliament or Assembly was designed as a large box with the

entrance portico on one side, concrete piers on the other, and a

repetitive pattern on the faade.
Sculptural forms on the roof, a dramatic funnel top light over

the Assembly, and a tilted pyramid over the Senate chambers

completed the composition.
The Assembly Hall has a square plan. The Assembly chamber, in

the form of a hyperbolic shell, is surrounded by ceremonial

space. This circulation space is planned as a dimly lit, triple
height, columned hall for informal meetings and discussions.
The side of the hall facing the high court has a great portico and has
eight thin piers. These piers frame a view of glimpses of the Shivalik
Hills.

PARLIAMENT DESIGN
A ceremonial pivoting door is placed in an off-centre bay of

the portico. Le Corbusier was inspired by the form of the cooling

towers of a power station near Ahmedabad. The architect
designed the hyperbolic shell of the Assembly chamber with a
base diameter of 39.6m. This shell is 38m and terminates
in an oblique section with a metallic framework at the
top. This framework directs the interplay of natural and
artificial lighting, ventilation, and acoustics.
The hyperbolic shell is only 15cm thick, which helped in

reducing the cost and the weight of structure. The

Assembly chamber has a seating capacity for 252 persons.
Additional galleries are provided for ladies, journalists, and
officials.

PARLIAMENT DESIGN
Acoustical treatment has been given to the Assembly

Chamber to modulate and control the sound levels by

providing sound absorbing panels in bright colours
and random curvilinear shapes.
The Council chamber, with a capacity of 70 seats is crowned

by a pyramid, which admits light from the north into its

interior. A ladies gallery with 90 seats, a mens gallery with
104 seats, and a press gallery with 24 seats are also provided
in this chamber. Staircases, lifts and ramps provide various
means of circulation and access to different levels of the
building. The construction of the entire structure is in
exposed reinforced concrete.

THE CAPITOL PARK (SECTOR 1)

The Capitol Park is located at the head' of the city

against the backdrop of the Shiwalik Hills.

Comprising the Capitol group of buildings, flanked

by the Rajendra Park' and the Sukhna Lake' on

each end, it stretches across the entire width of the
city. Symbolizing celebration of democracy in a
newly-independent nation-state, the Capitol group
of buildings was built to a monumental scale.
The group represents Le Corbusier's largest and most significant constructed architectural creation where the

architect put in his heart and soul for over 13 years, painstakingly designing and monitoring the realization of its
ingenious layout, its major edifices', its monuments' as well as pieces of furniture, lighting fixtures and works of
art, including the famed enamel door for the Legislative Assembly, monumental tapestries and low-relief sculptures
cast in concrete.

LE CORBUSIERS EDIFICES
Le Corbusier's Capitol for Chandigarh comprises four Edifices' - the High Court, the

Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat and the Museum of Knowledge - and six
Monuments', all arranged within a profusely landscaped park-like environment.
The layout is based around an invisible geometry of three interlocking squares, their

corners and intersection-points marked by Obelisks'.

The northern and western edges of the larger 800m-side square define the

boundaries of the Capitol, while the two smaller, 400m-side squares determine
relative placing of the four Edifices' and proportions of the spaces in between.
Harmonious relationship between various structures is further established though

the consistent use of exposed reinforced concrete.

LE CORBUSIERS EDIFICES
The most significant aspect of the layout, however, is the facilitation of

uninterrupted pedestrian linkages throughout the complex.

A vast concrete esplanade between the High Court and the

Assembly thus became the central design feature, along which

were arrayed the six Monuments' and various pools of water.
All vehicular circulation was arranged, and dug out where necessary, at 5m

below the esplanade. The large quantities of earth thus obtained were used
to create artificial hills', enabling partial enclosure of the Capitol
group and emphasizing its careful orientation towards the
magnificent view of the hills beyond.

LE CORBUSIERS EDIFICES
The built Edifices' - the High Court, the Legislative Assembly, and the Secretariat - represent

the three major functions of democracy.

Considered as Le Corbusier's most mature plastic creations, each of these is a masterpiece in

itself, representing the adaptation of European Modernism, use of 20th century materials,
and his personal directive principles to local conditions of cost, climate and technology.
The fourth edifice', originally the Governor's Palace, but later replaced by the futuristic

Museum of Knowledge', is yet to be realized.

Though the form and design of each Edifice' is distinctive, their commonalities reinforce

their collective role as a group. All designs exhibit the multifarious possibilities of deploying
reinforced concrete and, the unique expression that was achieved in this modern material
through application of indigenous techniques and respect for local constraints.

HIGH COURT
The first of the buildings, the High Court housed 9 law courts and their attendant spaces.
Le Corbusier's design included furniture, light fittings, and 9 large tapestries, one for each

court.
Completed by 1955 the building is significant as the first demonstration and a major

vehicle for acceptance of exposed reinforced concrete surfaces and modern aesthetics even
for buildings of power and prestige in India.
In time, a low -rise Extension' in exposed brickwork was also added to the east.
The 240m long, 24m deep and 50 m high Secretariat, was seen as a solution

to problems of modern offices' such as adequate lighting, ventilation,

economy and efficiency.
The plan incorporated two ramps for vertical pedestrian movement. These bold

vertical elements, along with the elaborately worked out Modulor-based

faade, multi-level interior spaces, and the terrace garden are the key design
features.

LE CORBUSIERS EDIFICES
The most elaborate structure of the group is the Legislative Assembly. The

design of its top-lit Forum, the sickle-shaped Portico, and the thin hyperboloid
shell of the immense, column-free, circular Assembly Hall, is a landmark
achievement that displays the immense plastic and structural
potential of concrete.
Le Corbusier's creative genius is also apparent in his use of light and colour in

the interior spaces, the tapestries as also the ceremonial Enamel Door.
Crowning the group, at the summit of V2 Capitol', the Museum of Knowledge
was to serve a dual function as a place for state receptions as well as a research
and data centre using the-then futuristic electronic devices. Plans for
realization of this edifice are underway, albeit with a changed function.

THE MONUMENTS
Set up around the central axis of the esplanade, Le

Corbusier's "Monuments" are sculptural elements

symbolic of his strongest design preoccupations as well
as the pride and the spirit of the new republic.
The Open Hand stands as the material symbol of the
city's ideology- ...open to receive the created riches
...open to distribute them to its people..." The 12.50m
wide and 8.86m Hand, is sculpted out of beaten
iron sheets.
A metal structure, designed to turn gently with wind,
holds it 27.80m above the "Trench of Consideration" at
its base. The Model represents the all-pervasive visual
order of Chandigarh. The monument was designed as a
5.3m high cube containing an iron Modulor, partially
enclosed by concrete walls with bas-reliefs showing
principles of Le Corbusier's harmonic measure to the
human scale'.

THE MONUMENTS
The Martyrs' Memorial honours all who had laid down

their lives in India's long-drawn freedom struggle.

The structure comprises a ramp and a group of sculptures
- a 5m martyr', a broken column' symbolizing fall of the
British Empire, and mythological figures a lion' and a
serpent' symbolizing the rebirth of the spirit of Indian
people.
The 24 Solar Hours, the Tower of Shadows as well as the
Course of the Sun, grouped closely, underscore Le
Corbusier's pre-occupation with the sun's influence on
man's daily life and the architectural challenges presented
by the complex climate of Chandigarh.
The 24Solar Hours' was to be inscribed on the 45m wide
inclined face of the Geometric Hill'. The Tower of
Shadows' occupies a square of 15.5m.Its facades give
varying sun-control solutions for the four cardinal
directions. The Course of the Sun', the preliminary design
sketches for which indicate two tall parabolic arches of
steel standing in a pool of water, was to depict the
deviation between the summer and winter solstice.

THE LEISURE VALLEY AND CULTURAL

CENTRE
The Leisure Valley, fashioned out of an existing stream site, is a continuous linear park

meandering through the length of the city.

The area was conceived by Le Corbusier as an informal cultural and recreational zone

offering walking trails and amenities for youth clubs, popular street theatre, etc.
Besides directing the layout of pedestrian paths and landscaping, Le Corbusier also

designed the series of small-sized spontaneous' open air theatres that were to be located
indifferent parts of the Leisure Valley.
The Cultural Complex' per se is located across the City Centre, at the junction of the two

main V2 boulevards. It was to comprise a Museum (originally conceived as a Museum of

Knowledge'), an Audio-visual Training Centre (now the Government College of Art), a
pavilion for temporary Itinerant Exhibitions' and, the Miracle Box'.

CULTURAL CENTRE
The College of Art was the first building to be designed and constructed at

the Cultural Complex.

Comprising a simple arrangement of flexible, top-lit studios and attendant

spaces, the building is unique in the sense that it has no direct parallel to
any of his other works.
On the other hand, it is linked to Le Corbusier's other contemporaneous

designs in its play of two standardized modules that operate both

horizontally and vertically.
The design was later repeated at the College of Architecture in

Chandigarh.

CULTURAL CENTRE
The central building of the group, the Government Museum and Art

Gallery, forms part of a series along with his museum at Ahmedabad, India
and Tokyo, Japan.
Based on Le Corbusier's theme of the never-ending spiral, it is designed as

an introverted, top-lit cuboid, its various interlocking floors accessed

through ramps.
Like the College of Art, the Museum too is constructed out of exposed

burnt brick and raw concrete, with prominently displayed exposed

concrete gargoyles. Though the design of the Museum was finalized during
his lifetime, the building was constructed after Le Corbusier's death.

THE CITY CENTRE

Commensurate with its status as the cultural and commercial hub of the city as well as

the centre for local governance, the City Centre, occupying an entire sector at the
junction of the two majorV2s, was given special attention in the urban scheme.
The sector was broadly divided into two zones, the southern reserved for district

administration and, the northern - designed by Le Corbusier - for civic functions. As

in case of the Capitol, this zone is designed on the basis of complete segregation
between the vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The layout also respects the overall urban design of the city as well as the Indian

concept of a Chowk' - a central node at the crossing of the two pedestrian axes around
which were arrayed the major civic functions such as the Town Hall and the Library.

THE CITY CENTRE

The highlight was to be an 11-storey tower, with public amenities such as the post & telegraph occupying the

ground floor.
Detailed plans for this building were made by Le Corbusier, but it is yet to be realized.
Since the realization of this area depended upon the sale of individual sites over a long and indeterminate

period of time, all constructions in the City Centre were governed by the "System of Construction and
Architectural Treatment of Exterior Controls" that, like the rest of the city, was determined by limitations of
economy and technology.
A uniform four-story height was established for all commercial buildings. A basic reinforced concrete frame

of the most economical bay size (17'-3") and capable of interior modification was specified.
Around the outside of every building block would be a 12 feet wide compulsory verandah and a unifying

exterior pattern of columns and standardized concrete balustrades. A "Schematic Design" produced by the
Capital Project Office governed special buildings such as the cinema halls and petrol pumps that would not
ordinarily fit in the above pattern of building.

THE LAKE PRECINCT

The Sukhna Lake, constructed by damming the fork of

Sukhna Choe at the eastern end of Sector 1, was

designed to be "sufficiently large to create the spectacle
of the mountains and the sky reflected in the water".
Le Corbusier envisaged the precinct as a completely

noise-free, pedestrian and environment that would

provide a relief from the stresses of the urban
environment.
No motor-boats were to be plied on the water, no

restaurants on the promenade and no construction in

front of it on the other side of the water.

THE LAKE PRECINCT

His material contribution to this precinct includes the total

design of the 24m wide and 3 miles long promenade, including

the plantation, lighting, a sculptural concrete prism dedication
cube, and the control gate' in exposed brick.
Adhering to his dictum of no additional constructions in the

Capitol, "in order not to impede the view of the open landscape
and the foot hills of the Himalayas", Le Corbusier designed the
Boat Club' to lie 3mbelow the road level.
Tucked away into the earth, the building is scarcely visible from

the Lake promenade. The construction is simple and plain, its

open spaces harmonizing with the water and the landscape
beyond.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
One of Le Corbusiers most prominent

buildings from India, the Palace of the

Assembly in Chandigarh boasts his major
architectural philosophies and style.
Le Corbusiers five points of architecture

can be found within the design from its

open plan to the view of the Himalayan
landscape.
The program features a circular assembly

chamber, a forum for conversation and

transactions, and stair-free circulation.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
The first of Le Corbusiers architectural ideals is the use of

pilotis to lift the structure off of the ground. Reinforced

concrete columns are utilized in a grid throughout the
Palace of the Assembly and are slightly altered to raise a
large swooping concrete form high above the entrance.
This form represents the second point of Le Cobusiers list a free

facade. Pilotis allow the form to express the grandiose release of

space precisely as Corbusier intended. The other various facades of
the building also bestow the free facade via brise-soleil formed
from the golden ratio.
Le Corbusiers desire for views is then apparent from all facades.

The sun-shading along the offices provides a frame for inhabitants

into the surrounding site while the portico opens to the adjacent
landscape and the distant Himalayas.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Inside, the Palace of the Assembly houses an open plan structured

by the grid of reinforced concrete columns.

Again, this structural pattern allows Le Corbusier to manipulated

the program freely and place offices and other private

programming along the outside of the plan and leave the center
open for public use.
Intersecting that open space, is the circular assembly chamber that

is contradictory in form to producing good acoustics.

On top of the building lies an accessible roof supported by the

pilotis. Providing usable space on the roof of a structure complies

with Le Corbusiers fifth ideal of architecture by giving occupants
vertical means of connecting to nature and compensating for the
habitat removed by the building

SECRETARIAT BUILDING
The Secretariat is the largest

building in the complex, a huge 10story linear slab that houses 4,000
civil servants. Its flat roofline is
interrupted only by a sculptural
composition containing a restaurant,
ramp, and terraced garden.
Inside, each floor is planned as a long

central corridor with flanking offices, a

layout expressed in the arrays of repetitive
balconies on the long facades.

SECRETARIAT BUILDING
An asymmetrical sculptural brise-soleil (sun-shading screen)

provides visual relief to the sameness at about the middle of

the building.
The vast square Assembly Building is said to have been inspired by the

geometrical forms of Maharaja Jai Singhs observatory, the Jantar

Mantar, which Le Corbusier saw in Delhi, and by the cooling towers of
a power station.
A huge hyperbolic drum and a connected pyramidal skylight rise from

the flat roof; beneath, in the base of the drum, the upper and lower
parliamentary chambers receive dramatic shafts of light.
A basement-level entrance is provided for daily use, and another huge

ceremonial portal leads from the piazza through a massive

enameled door decorated with a Le Corbusier mural.
The external facades are protected from the sun on three

sides with another sculptural brise-soleil.

PALACE OF JUSTICE
The Palace of Justice is a linear block whose main facade looks

toward the piaza, continuous with the great central hall from which the
courtrooms open.
Wanting to express the majesty of the law, Le Corbusier

designed for the judges a tall portico resting on three immense

pylons painted in primary colors.
The pylons serve to visually relieve the repetitive pattern of the

arcaded facade. The Palace of Justice has a gigantic foldedconcrete roof that shades the whole building. Le Corbusier also
designed several monuments for the main piazza of the capitol complex.
The most striking is the giant sheet-metal Open Hand, Chandigarhs

official emblem; there is also a Tower of Shadows and a memorial to the

martyrs of the Punjab partition.

CHANDIGARH CITY
Chandigarhs rock garden is a famous tourist

attraction which was developed after the death of Le

Corbusier.
Later on, after his death, the development of

Chandigarh was carried on as per his plan and today,

Chandigarh is known as one of the best planned
cities in the world. . . .

RONCHAMP CHAPEL

PLAN OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

RONCHAMP CHAPEL
In the commune of Ronchamp, slightly south of east of Paris, sits one of Le Corbusiers

most unusual projects of his career, Notre Dame du Ronchamp, or more commonly
referred to as Ronchamp.
In 1950, Le Corbusier was commissioned to design a new Catholic church to replace the

previous church that had been destroyed during World War II.
The site of Ronchamp has long been a religious site of pilgrimage that was deeply rooted

in Catholic tradition, but after World War II the church wanted a pure space void of
extravagant detail and ornate religious figures.
Ronchamp is deceptively modern such that it sits in the site as a sculptural object.
The inability to categorize Ronchamp has made it one of the most important religious

buildings of the 20th Century, as well as Corbusiers career.

RONCHAMP CHAPEL
1.Corbusier wanted the space to be meditative and reflective in purpose.
2.The stark white walls add to this purist mentality that when the light enters

into the chapel there becomes this washed out, ethereal atmosphere.
3.The effect of the light evokes expressive and emotional qualities that

create heightened sensations in tune with the religious activities.

4.Unlike most of Corbusiers other works consisting of boxy, functional, and sterile

volumes, Ronchamp is more of an irregular sculptural form where the walls,

the roof, and the floor slope.
5.Stylistically and formally it is fairly complex; however, programmatically it is

relatively simple: two entrances, an altar, and three chapels.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE

CHAPEL
6.The chapel owes its shape to its

relationship to the landscape.

7.Each of the facades responds to different

attitudes: welcome, celebration,

service, symbolism.
8.The roof sculptural character

dramatizes the power and

malleability of the concrete to
compose organic volumes.
9.All these elements come together to create

a mystical and dramatic interior space

in which light is the protagonist.

Wall
The walls give the building its

sculptural character.
The thick (4-12 thick), gentle curving

walls act as a practical method of

supporting the concrete and masonry
construction, as well as the massive
curvilinear roof.
However, the walls do not solely act as

structural and sculptural elements; they

also act as acoustic amplifiers, especially
in the case of the eastern exterior wall
that reflects the sound out over the
field from the outdoor altar.

ROOF
Roof of the chapel had two layers of concrete 5 cm

thick and separations of 2.26 m. The shell will be

sustained on recovered stone walls. "
1.The most striking part of is the curved roof that
peels up towards the heavens.
2. The curving roof appears to float above the
building as it is supported by embedded
columns in the walls, which creates a 10 cm gap
between the roof and the walls, which allow for
a sliver of clerestory light.
3. The roof is actually the only glimpse of
mechanized influence in the overall design ; the
roofs curvature mimics the curves of an airplane
wing.

ROOF DETAILS
The roof is separated from the

walls by a thin slot.

This feature is most evident

from the inside, and

demonstrates the architect's
interest in suggesting lightness
of the cover, despite its
massiveness.
The roof is supported by hidden

columns in the walls, which are not

load bearing.

ROOF DETAILS
The shell has been placed on

the walls that are absurdly but

practically thick.
Inside them however are

reinforced concrete columns.

The shell rests in these
columns but it does not touch
the wall.
A horizontal crack of light 10

cm wide amazes.

WINDOWS IN THE CHAPEL

Interesting sporadic window are placed

on the walls.
Small puncturing apertures on the faade

is given to amplify the light within the chapel

by tapering the window well in the wall cavity.
Each wall is illuminated by these

differing window frames, which in

conjunction with the stark white washed
walls gives the walls luminous qualities
punctuated by a more intense direct
light.

WINDOWS IN THE CHAPEL

The lighting effects create a

speckled pattern on the walls

behind altar, in the chapel
It looked almost like a starry night, of

sparse openings that are

complimented by a larger opening
above the cross that emits a flood of
light, creating a powerful religious
image as well as a transformative
experience.

FACADES
Le Corbusier's genius lies in providing the visitor of a

different perception of the building from any angle

he/she sees it, while maintaining harmony,
dynamism and coherence.
This feature forces the visitor to walk around
chapel in order to fully understand it, adding
a fourth dimension to the architectural
composition: movement.

SOUTH FACADE

WALLS OF SOUTH FACADE

The concave wall welcomes visitors

ascending from the path.

Its broad-based triangular section

seems to be a continuation of the hill,

rising to support the roof.
The southern wall is quite wide in the

vicinity of the entrance (3.7 m) but it

narrows and gets higher at the other
end (1.7 m).

THICKNESS OF WALLS IN SOUTH FACADE

The wall thickness is evidenced

by the random pattern of

rectangular windows of different
size and orientation.

There apparent disorder

is used to create an
interior lighting effect.

ENTRANCE OF SOUTH FACADE

The entrance is flanked by a

vertical an semi-cylindrical
element, one of the three chapels
under the three minor chapels
included in the church.
The access is also stressed by

changing its color to concrete

and separating it from the white
wall and curve.

DOOR OF SOUTH FACADE

The door itself has an painting by Le

Corbusier, in the manner of his other

works, such as The assembly of
Chandigarh.

However, for years this door has

been closed, and the access to the
chapel is through the back door.

ELEMENTS OF SOUTH FACADE

Other elements in the access are

two small concrete blocks.

Very interestingly they form a

virtual camera.

WALL OF EAST FACADE

Facing a large concourse of the pilgrims, this

concave faade also houses a

small external chapel.
This is where you can appreciate the power of

the roof volume, protruding above the chapel.

Besides the roof, the chapel is framed by the

south wall and a semicircular volume, which

together form a "cave" that emphasizes the
receptive character that was to give in this
area, or as a "stage" that emphasizes its
vocation as a focal point in the landscape.

WALLS OF EAST FACADE

The wall is perforated by tiny

square fenestrations and there is a

glass box which keeps a statue of
the Virgin Mary.

Complement the composition

some elements of exposed concrete
elements, as the table and the
pulpit, and a simple metal cross.

WALL OF NORTH FACADE

The northern facade combines the

functions of service: a secondary

entrance and stairs.
This more private character is

characterized by its convex shape.

Facing it, there is a space which is

bounded by trees, where it originally

stood a bell tower that was never
built.

NORTH FACADE

The most striking features of the facade are the two chapels flanking the secondary access:
both are symmetrically arranged around the axis of the door.
However, their curved shape invite to access to the interior.

WEST FACADE
It is the only blind facade, which links the

convex front with the rear facade.

From here the nature of the chapels is more

evident, semi-cylindrical towers with lateral

incisions.
Their verticality is a counterpoint to the

horizontality of the building.

In the center of the wall is located a

gargoyle, the only visible part of the
roof, which collects rain water and
drain it to a concrete fountain
sculpture underneath.

Description of the interior space

The interior space is 25m long and 13m wide and can seat

200 people.
Three towers, 22m to 15m, perform the dual functions of

crowning the architecture externally and bringing light

into the interior.
The light which comes directly form the three towers falls

on to the altars of the three chapels inside the church. The

height of the celing varies from 4.5m to 10m.
Towards the outside, the roof projects over the east wall

and makes a covered space which has an open altar.

The sculptural hand of Le Corbusier is seen in the bold,

startingly new design of Ronchamp.

INTERIOR OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

The protagonist of the

interior is, without doubt,

the light, yet is not fully lit.
By contrast, the church

is rather dark, as some

Gothic churches are,
emphasizing the drama
of light and accenting the
sacredness of the space.

INTERIOR OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

The most striking effect comes from

the south wall, one that enjoys

major solar incidence and where
light penetrates through the small
openings of colored glass.
The shape of the windows in the

thick wall, is cut obliquely and

widen, allowing the light to gently
fade inside.

INTERIOR OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

In contrast, the east wall,

where the altar is placed, has

small windows which from
the inside look like stars.
The edge of the walls is

demarcated by a line of
light, separating them from
the roof.

INTERIOR OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

Another source of indirect light are

the chapels.
Light enters and diffuses laterally

across the rough surface of the

curved walls.
The type of light coupled with

verticality of the space produce an

atmosphere of highness, elevation
and sublimity, a resource that has
since been used by many architects.

INTERIOR OF RONCHAMP CHAPEL

The exquisite conception of the

light is emphasized by the

simplicity and austerity of the
interior furnishings.
The floor is made of exposed and

is inclined slightly towards the

altar.
The benches are arranged at an

angle away from the altar, to

strengthen it as a focal point in the
space.

SHODAN HOUSE
Villa shodhan (or shodan house)

is a modernist villa located in

ahmedabad, india.
Built between 1951 and 1956.
The villa symbolizes le corbusier's

domestic architecture.
The building is currently used as a

private residence

PLAN OF SHODAN HOUSE

SECTION OF SHODAN HOUSE

ELEVATION OF SHODAN HOUSE

EAST

WEST

SOUTH

NORTH

EXPLODED ISMETRIC VIEW OF SHODAN

HOUSE

DESIGN OF THE SHODAN HOUSE

Includes sun, wind, the view upon

arrival and landscaping.

The landscaping sets off by

contrasting the curved mounds of

the site with the geometric,
rectangular lines of the structure.
The rectangles on the north-west and

south-west faades are further

emphasized through the installation of
brise soleil for protection from glare.

STRUCTURE OF SHODAN HOUSE

Structurally simplistic while still

retaining plasticity in the treatment of

the divided spaces.
Overall frame is in raw concrete,

with clear markings of the

wooden formwork.
Frame is anchored to the ground, not

elevated on stilts, a feature le corbusier

used frequently in the 1920s.

FEATURES OF SHODAN HOUSE

Standard sheet metal is added to the underside of the interior

ceilings and a protective parasol is used as the roof.

The design of the interior concrete piers, running to the full

height of the buildings elevation, is based around the

architect's domino skeleton design established in 1915.
A ramp provides access to the main and mezzanine

levels, while the rooms are grouped around a tripleheight terrace. The ramp also leads to accompanying
stairs, providing access to the roof and terrace.

FACADES OF SHODAN HOUSE

The raw concrete faades shows the

imprint of the wooden formwork

It is purposely left unfinished; the

forms are made from the wood that

was available.
A smooth finish appears only under

the roof parasol and on the interior

ceilings-these forms are therefore of
sheet-metal, and the resulting
surface will receive intense color
magnifying the raw concrete.

WALLS OF SHODAN HOUSE

Graphically composed openings on two

lateral walls, modulating light and

framing views.
Plastered, white painted walls of rooms

above stand apart from structure and

remain as an infill, honest to express
the structural concrete elements such
as columns, beams and concrete fins.

STRUCTURE
In keeping with tenets of

modernism the concrete surfaces

are kept exposed, unplastered,
offering a natural texture of the
wooden formwork baton brut
which it manifests well under the
bright sun outdoors, while the
ceiling indoors (also exposed) is
relatively smooth with steel plate
formwork

TERRACE OF SHODAN HOUSE

The terrace plays an important role in the

natural climate control process, cooling down

the bedrooms in the middle of the day.
Upon the parasol roof of villa shodhan,

there is a garden abundant in thick

grass and water troughs.
The vision of dense greenery is also

reinforced by overrun plants and trees,

seeming to camouflage the building and its
environment.

ROOF OF SHODAN HOUSE

The roof features an oval aperture,

which matches up with a hole in the

lower slab roof, giving visitors a
framed view of the sky.
This is almost mimicked by the

pool, situated at the base of the

ramp, aiming to bring the outside
in.

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