Presentation Assemblage

TRANSCRIPT

1. Origins

In our presentation a focus is put on what a phrase ‘form follows function’ means by making a dissection from smaller spaces to the bigger ones. But firstly, what does the phrase mean and where it began? ‘Form follows function’ is a commonly heard phrase but often not well-understood. It’s one of the main principles of 20th century modernist architecture and became the touchstone for many. It was first used by Louis Sullivan who wrote: ‘It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical (…) that the life is recognizable in its expression, that ‘form ever follows function.’ It means that the purpose defines the look of the object and the shape of it – an appearance is based on function. By ‘form’ he means the external appearance of a building (for instance outline, shape) and by ‘function’ – the requirements on a building like a construction or materials. Those assumptions are based on unfailing essence of nature perceived by Sullivan who concluded that life seeks and takes on its forms in order to response perfectly to its needs.

2. ‘House is a machine for living in’

Following Le Corbusier’s way of thinking, houses should be perceived as tools we use to live in, which help to provide the necessities of life. Similarly to Adolf Loos, he considered decoration as an unnecessary addition, which is not desired by a cultivated man. Corbusier argued that by living in efficient house-machines we can be more productive and lead more comfortable life.

3. Main Principles

4. 66 Old Church Street 

We visited 66 Old Church Street in Chelsea which was designed between 1935 and 1936 by Maxwell Fry and Walter Gropius. This was built alongside ‘The Cohen House’, another famous modernist building. Although they are two distinct separate houses they were designed to fit together.

Being designed in the 30’s, this was one of the first decades of ‘sun worship’, therefore the house thrived from having an outdoor viewing platform looking over the garden, with a balcony stretching across the back of the house. This allowed residents to sit out in the sun as often as they pleased, in the privacy of their own home.

The design of the interior consists of specific rooms with traditional functions for the butler, secretary and maids, separating them from the residents living quarters. The form of the glass conservatory was designed to let sunlight in to feed the thick vegetation that was growing inside.

The long axis, ribbon windows and reinforced concrete, really follow the function of building a house for a new modern way of living, really embracing minimalism.

5. The Fiat Lingotto

The Fiat Lingotto Factory in Turin was designed by Giacomo Matte-Trucco in the early 1920s. The factory’s design and layout were centered entirely around its function of manufacturing and producing cars. It was considered to be one of the most modern and audacious buildings of the time; Le Corbusier called it ‘one of the most impressive sights in industry’. The factory was placed near a railway station so that materials for the cars could be brought directly to the factory easily and efficiently. Within the building the floor was designed to have a gradual ramp going all the way from the ground floor to the roof top race track. The ramp created a very logical and seamless process of assembling the cars, making the factory feel like one great continuous machine going from the initial materials to the final product. The roof of the building was designed to incorporate a race track for the new cars to be tested on, which links to Modernist architects’ creation of rooftop gardens at the time. In this race track customers could test out their brand-new cars before then driving them down a ramp on the side of the building onto the road.

6. Unite d’habitation

Unité d'Habitation in Mrasille is a modernist residential housing build between 1947-52 design by Le Corbusier with collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso. Marsil Unit was built according to 5 points of architecture created by Le Corbusier in 1922:

the building stands on large concrete pillars, known as pilotis, which gives lightness and space management;

the walls of the building don’t constitute a load-bearing element, which enables free distribution of apartments;

due to these piliotis, elevation can be freely shaped with huge, double-floor windows dominating;

on the roof there is a terrace and common residential area.

The braveness of this 17-floor structure lays on providing all the necessary city facilities. This self-sufficient building has a shopping street in the middle of the block. On the 7th floor there is a two-storey passage with grocery stores, hairdressers, offices, post office and hotel. On the last floor there is also a kindergarten and swimming pool.

Moreover, this is the first and most famous building created according to philosophy the radiant city. It was a Le Corbusier’s idea for a new alternative for old cities in which Marseille Unit provides habitants access to sun, interior and green. 

The arrangement of apartments is also quite impressive. Architect applied innovatory system of corridors called indoor streets, running every three floors. It is possible because the apartments are two-floors high, oblong and arranged alternately. The result was saved space for communication, provided by the systems of lifts. Apartments also have loggie and resembles a single-family house.

The basis of Le Corbusier’s calculations was his creation of person from the future, modulator, measuring 183 cm or 226cm with his hand hold upwards. In that way he created a pattern of proportions, used to evaluate relations between sizes of certain elements in the building.

7. Brasilia, Brazil

Brasilia is thought to be the very best example of modernist architecture in 2oth century. From a bird's eye view, the shape reminds of a bird called condor. Along the longer axis (which are wings), there were placed residential complexes and along shorter axis, there are commercial, cultural and religious buildings. On the top of this axis, there are governmental institutions. The aim was to build a city which is well sunlit, with a lot of open spaces, green parks and where living areas are separated from industrial factories. Unfortunately, Brasilia did not pass the exam well. Although living districts were meant to be self-sufficient (they were equipped with shops, kindergartens, pharmacies, pitches and many more, so that people could save time on necessities and focus more on their passions), dividing all the service departments made people spend more time on communing. It was ready to inhabit 500 thousand people but today there live nearly two million. Brasilia is now said to be on of the most chaotic cities in the world.

8. Conclusion

Having looked at the different ways this concept can be interpreted, we feel it’s important to look at how it has managed to withstand the test of time throughout the different scales to which it has been applied.

We have come to the conclusion that form following function has become a golden rule in today’s design, making products easier to use by means of calculated and thought through design.