DOMINO
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the visionary ideas of French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, who advocated for a 'new architecture' in response to the industrial age. Beginning in 1921, Le Corbusier, through his magazine 'l'esprit Nouveau' and later in his book 'Vers une Architecture,' proposed a mass-produced, standardized housing model called the 'Domino house.' This concept aimed to reconcile modern industrialization with classical architectural principles, using reinforced concrete, glass, and steel. The Domino house, more a diagram than a building, represented a new technological paradigm with its three horizontal slabs supported by columns, emphasizing a mathematical underpinning and a clear differentiation between front and back. Le Corbusier's work also celebrated the pure form of industrial objects like grain silos and automobiles, which he saw as the materialization of objective types refined over time. He believed that, like ancient temples, these modern forms could be perfected through an evolution of use and production, starting with a foundational diagram.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect, began advocating for a new architecture in the 1920s, which he saw as a response to modern industrialization.
- 📖 His vision was articulated in his magazine 'l'esprit Nouveau' and his book 'Vers une architecture', where he promoted the idea of a new spirit in architecture.
- 🏗️ Le Corbusier believed that the problem of the house was central to the new architecture, emphasizing the need for mass production and standardization in building.
- 🏡 The 'Domino house' concept, proposed by Le Corbusier, was a foundational diagram for modern architecture, focusing on a structural framework rather than decorative elements.
- 📐 The Domino house was characterized by its three horizontal slabs supported by columns, which provided a clear differentiation between the front and back of the building.
- 🔢 There was a mathematical and proportional relationship in the spacing of the columns, emphasizing a rigorous and systematic approach to design.
- 🌱 Le Corbusier's approach to architecture was influenced by the 'Objectif' concept, appreciating the pure form and functionality of objects like grain silos, automobiles, and ocean liners.
- 🎨 He saw ordinary objects as having the potential to trigger fundamental sensations and effects, valuing their simple shapes and volumes.
- ⚙️ The Domino house was a prototype that explored the potential of new technologies such as reinforced concrete, glass, and steel in construction.
- 🏛️ Le Corbusier compared ancient temples to modern machines like automobiles, suggesting that both could be refined over time from a basic, strict diagram to achieve perfection.
- 🌐 He emphasized the universal reach of the 'objective' concept, indicating that both everyday objects and grand architectural structures could embody pure form and functionality.
Q & A
In what year did Le Corbusier begin to propagate his ideas on a new architecture?
-Le Corbusier began to propagate his ideas on a new architecture in 1921, through his magazine, l'esprit Nouveau, and later in his book, Vers une architecture.
What does Le Corbusier refer to as the 'problem of the house'?
-Le Corbusier refers to the 'problem of the house' as the challenge of creating a mass-produced house that responds to the challenges imposed by modern industrialization while reconciling with the great architecture of the past.
What was the name of Le Corbusier's concept for a new type of house, and what does it represent?
-The name of Le Corbusier's concept for a new type of house is the 'Domino house'. It represents a diagram or a superstructure onto which any number of variations of houses could be outfitted, symbolizing a new technological and constructional paradigm of mass production, standardization, and repetition.
What does the 'Domino house' consist of in terms of its structural elements?
-The 'Domino house' consists of three horizontal slabs supported by columns. The first floor slab is elevated on footings, and the columns that seem to go through the slabs hold up the next two slabs.
How does the layout of the columns in the 'Domino house' contribute to its design?
-The columns in the 'Domino house' are set back from the long side of the slab and very close to the short sides, creating a clear differentiation between the front and back. They also mark off equal bays, providing a rhythm and mathematical underpinning to the spacing.
What is the significance of the footings in the 'Domino house' design?
-The footings in the 'Domino house' design emphasize the building's relation to the ground, ensuring that it is neither buried in the ground nor suspended from it, but rather slightly raised to create a distinction between the slab and the earth.
What does Le Corbusier mean by 'Objet-Type'?
-Le Corbusier's term 'Objet-Type' refers to a type of object or object type that has been refined over time to become a pure form through an evolution of use and production. He celebrated such objects for their simple shapes and volumes, which he believed could trigger deep fundamental sensations and effects.
How did Le Corbusier view everyday objects in relation to his architectural philosophy?
-Le Corbusier viewed everyday objects like glasses, plates, pipes, bottles, guitars, and pianos as intensely interesting primarily because of their simple shapes and volumes. He believed that even these ordinary objects, when viewed in life, could embody the concept of 'Objet-Type' and trigger deep sensations due to their refined forms.
What is the significance of comparing the Greek temple and the modern automobile in Le Corbusier's philosophy?
-Le Corbusier compared the Greek temple with the modern automobile to illustrate that both are examples of 'Objet-Type' that have been refined over time. The comparison emphasizes the importance of starting with a standard or a strict diagram of the object to achieve perfection in design.
How did Le Corbusier's vision for the 'machine for living' in the new architecture relate to the 'Domino house'?
-Le Corbusier's vision for the 'machine for living' was to create an architecture that would be functional, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing, much like a machine. The 'Domino house' was a prototype that embodied this vision, showcasing the potential of new technology in reinforced concrete, glass, and steel to create mass-produced, standardized housing.
What is the importance of the proportional relationship between the bays in the 'Domino house'?
-The proportional relationship between the bays in the 'Domino house' is significant as it reflects Le Corbusier's emphasis on mathematical underpinnings and rigor in his architectural designs. This attention to proportion and rhythm contributes to the aesthetic harmony and structural integrity of the building.
Outlines
🏗️ Modern Architecture and the Domino House Concept
The first paragraph introduces the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, who began advocating for a new architecture in the 1920s through his magazine 'l'esprit Nouveau' and his book 'Vers une architecture.' He envisioned a modern architecture that would address the industrialization challenges and mass production of houses. Le Corbusier proposed the 'Domino house,' a foundational concept that was more of a diagram than a building, representing a new paradigm in construction using reinforced concrete, glass, and steel. The Domino house was characterized by its three horizontal slabs supported by columns, emphasizing a mathematical and proportional approach to design. It signified a departure from traditional architecture, focusing on functionality and the potential of new building technologies.
🎨 The Aesthetics of Functional Objects
The second paragraph delves into Le Corbusier's admiration for functional objects, such as grain silos and automobiles, which he saw as the embodiment of pure form. He considered these objects, refined through evolution and use, as 'object types' that represented the materialization of pure form. Le Corbusier's approach to design was influenced by the simplicity and volume of these everyday objects, which he believed could evoke deep sensations when viewed in light. He compared the Greek temple's evolution and refinement to that of a modern automobile, suggesting that both could be seen as 'object types' that could be perfected over time. The key takeaway was the importance of starting with a basic, strict diagram or standard to achieve perfection in design, whether for ancient temples or modern machines.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡L'Esprit Nouveau
💡Le Corbusier
💡New Architecture
💡Domino House
💡Mass Production
💡Reinforced Concrete
💡Machine for Living
💡Object Type
💡Volume
💡Proportional Relationship
💡Epic
Highlights
The French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) began advocating for a new architecture in 1921 through his magazine 'l'esprit Nouveau' and later in his book.
Le Corbusier described the new architecture as a response to the challenges of modern industrialization, using mass production and standardized building parts.
He envisioned a 'machine for living', emphasizing the need to reconcile modern industrial methods with the architectural heritage of classical Greece and Rome.
In 1914, Le Corbusier conceived the 'Domino house', a revolutionary design that served as a foundational diagram for modern architectural construction.
The Domino house is characterized by its three horizontal slabs supported by columns, representing a new technological paradigm combining mass production, standardization, and reinforced concrete.
Le Corbusier's design of the Domino house was a departure from traditional architecture, focusing on the plan and section rather than elevational surfaces or decorative trim.
The spatial arrangement of the Domino house, with columns set back from the long sides and close to the short sides, established a clear differentiation between the front and back of the building.
The proportional relationship between the bays and footings in the Domino house emphasizes a mathematical underpinning and a rhythmic structure to the design.
Le Corbusier's concept of an 'object type' was inspired by the pure forms and volumes of industrial objects like grain silos, automobiles, and ocean liners.
He believed that even simple, everyday objects could trigger deep sensations when viewed in three dimensions, reflecting the universality of form.
Le Corbusier compared the evolution of the Greek temple and the modern automobile, suggesting that both are examples of object types that have been refined over time.
The architect emphasized the importance of starting with a strict, diagrammatic standard as a basis for achieving perfection in design, drawing parallels between ancient temples and modern machines.
Le Corbusier's work on the Domino house and his theories on new architecture had a profound impact on the development of modern architectural design and construction.
The Domino house serves as a prototype for the potential of new technology in architecture, including the use of reinforced concrete and steel.
Le Corbusier's approach to architecture was not just about creating buildings, but about fostering a 'mass production spirit' for the mass-produced house.
His vision for a new architecture was one that would adapt to the needs of the modern age while still honoring the architectural achievements of the past.
Le Corbusier's ideas have influenced subsequent generations of architects, who continue to explore the implications of his theories in their own work.
Transcripts
[Music]
beginning in 1921 in his magazine
l'esprit Nouveau and later in his book
varanasi texture or toured in
architecture the French Swiss architect
shall Edouard Jean ray or Luca Buchi a
as he called himself wrote what amounted
to brilliant pieces of propaganda for
what he called a new architecture a
great epic has begun there exists a new
spirit industry overwhelming us like a
flood which rolls on toward its destined
ends has furnished us with new tools
adapted to this new epic animated by a
new spirit the problem of the house is
the problem of the epic we must create
the mass production spirit for the
mass-produced house Lavoisier was
beginning here to conjure a new
architecture one that would respond to
the challenges imposed by modern
industrialization the mass production of
houses using standardized building parts
building components but at the same time
he wanted to reconcile these challenges
with the great architecture of the past
which for him make the classical
architecture of Greece in Rome the new
architecture Luke over CA said would be
a machine for living
years earlier in 1914 he had conceived
what he called the Domino house the name
is constructed from the Latin word Dumas
per house and innovation the Domino is
really more of a diagram than a building
you can see it's really a superstructure
look kuba ca called it a chassis onto
which any number of variations of houses
could be outfitted it's a diagram that
is not yet bound by room layout or any
kind of decorative trim actually doesn't
even have an enclosure yet the walls the
elevations are not on it it's all plan
and all section nevertheless the Domino
would be understood as a kind of
primitive Hut of the modern as I say the
Domino is all planet section no
elevational surfaces no wrapper its
proper to understand it really as an
emblem as much as a building a diagram
of a new technological and
constructional paradigm of mass
production standardization repetition
and so forth it's really a prototype of
potential of the new technology of
reinforced concrete glass and steel but
this diagram with the sort of
concentrated energy of slab column
circulation and base contains a lot of
implication that Luka Boucher will
explore for the next several decades in
his houses so let us look at the Domino
in some detail the diagram comprises
three horizontal slabs the first floor
slab is on six sort of box-like footings
that raises it slightly above the ground
and then the columns that seem to go
through the slabs hold up the next two
slabs it's really initially to be read
as a kind of constructional integer a
constructional unit that would be the
basis for any building let's look at it
in more detail the columns are set back
from the long side of the slab and yet
they're very very close to the short
sides of the slab this makes a clear
differentiation between front and
we should remember this because it'll
become very important when we see how
Lou Courvoisier develops that the
columns also mark off equal bays there's
a kind of rhythm there's a rigor there's
a mathematical underpinning to the
spacing of the columns and there's
actually a proportional relationship
between the bays
the footings emphasize the building's
relation to the ground
it's neither buried in the ground nor is
it yet suspended from the ground
it's just pulled up so that there's a
distinction between the slab and the
earth the Domino is an example of what
Luca Boucher called an object tip or a
type of object or an object type in his
early sketches in Si the coup Boucher
celebrates the grain silos in North
America these big cylindrical storage
containers along with automobiles ocean
liners and other accessories of the
machine age that he saw is the
materialization of pure form it was in
part the volume of these object that was
important for him but also the fact that
that they had been refined over time
that they had become pure forms or these
these figural volumes through an
evolution of use and production in his
paintings to ordinary objects of daily
life like glasses and plates or pipes
and bottles guitars and pianos these
appear to him intensely interesting
first and foremost because of their
simple shape the contour but he thought
that volumes viewed in light even simple
everyday objects that were volumetric
figures viewed in life could trigger
deep fundamental sensations and effects
it's an example of what he regarded as
this universal reach of the concept of
objective lucubra she made this
comparison on the left top you see the
Greek temple at paestum on the right is
the Parthenon he understood the Greek
temple as a kind of object II that
had over centuries been evolved and
refined but out of a basic rule had
become more and more perfect below the
Greek temple you see two automobiles on
the left is the oom barek Cabriolet this
is around 1907 on the right is the
Delage Grand Sport of 1921 he compared
the Greek temple with the modern
automobile with the machine to say that
they were both objective that they are
refined over time but also to make the
point that in both cases one has to
start with a standard of strict sort of
diagram of the object in order to move
forward toward perfection the lesson is
that the ancient temple and the modern
automobile our object teep that can be
refined over time but you have to start
with a standard a kind of inaugural
diagram in order to achieve that
perfection
you
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