After having brunch in Islington today, I decided to see what the new Le Corbusier exhibition at the Barbican was all about. The exhibit is entitled the Art of Architecture and it draws connections between Le Corbusier’s architectural work and his other artistic productions. I found it fascinating to walk through the exhibit and see the evolution of Le Corbusier’s views, culminating in modernist, concrete skyscapers and utopian plans for a new centre of Paris (see below).
What struck me as interesting was the idea that one’s artistic output can be extremely varied. Some artists only choose to create paintings, for example, whereas Le Corbusier created drawings, paintings, sculptures and eventually buildings. This synthèse des arts could be said to be the pinnacle of artistic expression. Naturally people are skilled in different ways, so I would find it too restrictive to claim that the building is the ultimate form of art. However, with Le Corbusier, the building epitomised it all. The all-encompassing approach to designing buildings (down to the tapestries and symbols that appeared on them) is quite astonishing.
I have personally had qualms with the use of too much concrete in architecture, but the exhibit made quite a strong case for concrete. I don’t think that Le Corbusier could ever have achieved such plasticity in his buildings had he decided to use more traditional materials. At the risk of sounding clichéd: it’s not about concrete – it’s about what you do with it. Le Corbusier’s church in Saint Pierre de Firminy is a perfect example of concrete looking almost fluid (see below).
Even if you don’t really know who Le Corbusier is, I would highly recommend visiting the exhibit. Quite biographical in nature, it gives a broad view on the evolution of architecture in one man’s mind.
Le Corbusier's 1929 vision for the centre of Paris.
Le Corbusier's church in France
Le Corbusier – the Art of Architecture is on at the Barbican Centre from 19 February until 24 May 2009. £8 (£6 concessions).
Didn’t know about your enthusiasm in architecture…
But I have to agree about concrete. Le Corbusier is obviously an artist whose medium is concrete. But the works of the concrete brutalist movement make me sick. Le corbusier was, after all, an essentially modern artist.
Those, who adopted only his (and Mies and other architects of the International style) “style”, usage of concrete and functionalism taken to extreme, managed to ruin concrete fo most of us.
Can you imagine, that 40 years ago concrete was the sign of progres?
BTW glass is the new concrete.
By: veikko on March 5, 2009
at 6:36 pm