Architecture: Villa La Roche

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INTRODUCTION

Villa La Roche was commissioned by the art collector Raoul La Roche to display his ever growing collection. Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (later taking the pseudonym Le Corbusier) designed two joined houses along with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret with one intended for Raoul La Roche and the other for Albert Jeanneret and his family. La Roche’s house was half home, half art gallery; the spaces had different requirements yet needed to be linked as one. Joined with the Villa Jeanneret, the site shows the possible relationship between two spaces with their own requirements sharing the same immediate environment and building style. Corbusier joins both elements, creating suitable habitable spaces with many influences ranging from his 5 Points Toward a New Architecture to the purist style. Internally, he concentrated on creating spaces that demanded attention, moving visitors through the house along an architectural promenade.

MAIN SECTION

Built in the 16th arrondissment in Paris, the L-shaped plan lies along the south end and east side of a private cul-de-sac. The shape of the structure was influenced by the site. The larger portion follows the road, the main axis running through the site, whilst the smaller section sits perpendicular, crossing the axis. The two pieces are contrasting in design; the larger a more dominant and robust living block built to house a family in the Jeanneret house and La Roche’s private areas on the other side. The smaller feels more delicate as it has no ground floor and is raised on pilotis, housing only the light and airy gallery space. Both exteriors mimic the intended use of the interior.

The two sections are linked both internally and externally with a final block containing the ...

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...e house was also designed by Corbusier as part of his desire to make the space as he had intended. In various places the furniture is part of the build; the library balustrade doubles up as bookshelves and cupboards in the kitchen are built into the structure. The attention paid to these smaller details, whilst seemingly insignificant, greatly altered the overall impression of the spaces. In such delicate, light areas, a large amount of bulky furniture would be too contrasting to the design, affecting the intended atmosphere.

WINDOWS/DOORS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BAKER, G. 1996. Le Corbusier: An Analysis of Form, London, Spon Press.

CORBUSIER, L. 1986. Towards a New Architecture, New York, Dover Publications.

TZONIS, A. 2001. Le Corbusier : the poetics of machine and metaphor, London, Thames & Hudson.

WEBER, N. 2008. Le Corbusier: A Life, New York, Alfred A Knopf.

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