Fig. 2. Floor Plans. Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, 1928-31, Poissy, France.4
The floor plans from figure two revealed that there are no common wall structures for each level of the house. Corbusier used pilotis as the main structural components to facilitate a free plan. Therefore each floor has its own characteristics, from a square plan to a round, semi-open plan. There are no clear common organizations of space between floors, and space can be divided and articulated according to the hierarchy, programs, and the concepts from the architect. The
3 Howe, Jeffery. LeCorbusier -- Villa Savoye.
(accessed May 24, 2013)
4 Courte histoire de l'architecture: partie 2, le modernisme. Z51pekxpJig/TcK76hBcCuI/AAAAAAAAATM/cWmctYzGHpU/s1600/b2-plan+villa+savoye.jpg (accessed May 24,
2013).
plan also followed the Golden Section by the division using squares and the position of ramps and entrances, without any structural constrains.
Although the plans are independent to one another, a smooth and dynamic transition between levels was achieved using spiral staircases and ramps, giving order and enhanced fluidity between spaces.
Fig. 3. North-south section. Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, 1928-31, Poissy, France.5
In Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier looked into every possibility to implement his “five points” of architecture. The anatomy, namely the structural pilotis, is established in the grid form, within it the walls are free from structural responsibilities and all the space can be arranged according to
Corbusier’s concept. He mentioned “theory demands concise formulation” in his declaration6.
The scientific and rational approach that Le Corbusier adopted let him design his floor plans freely. On the other hand, Mies van der Rohe had a different definition on free plan, which is expressed in the Barcelona Pavilion.
BARCELONA PAVILION: RELATIONSHIP OF SPACES
The Barcelona Pavilion was completed in 1929, by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It was originally the German Republic national pavilion of the International Exhibition in 19297. The Pavilion is
5 Punya, Ryan. Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye - parti and poche drawings. April 5, 2010. (accessed May 24, 2013).
6 Corbusier 1926.
7 Thuroczy, Maria. Barcelona Pavilion. May 20, 2013.
(accessed May 24, 2013).
known as the “icon of the modern movement”. High-grade stones, marbles and glass are used for material, and the treatment of spaces and the use of free plan were redefined.
Fig. 4. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona Pavilion, 1928-29, Barcelona, Spain.8
Fig. 5. Floor Plan. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona Pavilion, 1928-29, Barcelona, Spain.9
Similar to Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, Mies’s Barcelona Pavilion used columns as the main supporting members, leaving the walls free. However, Mies’s interpretation of a “free plan” was beyond the freedom of articulation of space. Mies was also concerned about the free flow of space. The design was never based on any grid system. From the plan in figure 5 above, the
8 History of World Expo. (accessed May 24, 2013).
9 Contemporary Practice: lecture 7,case study 3,Barcelona Pavilion.
(accessed May 24, 2013).
walls did not rigidly define interior and exterior spaces – they are blurred. Division of space is minimized and the organization of space was not based on any programs, it was about the fluidity of spaces. The free plan is also expressed by the thin partitioning walls and openings for the inside. The partitioning screen-walls may not even extend to the ceiling; this further enriched the idea of continuity to the space.
Fig. 6. Plan of a proposed brick villa. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1923.10
Figure 6 shows a plan of a brick villa proposed by Mies prior the Barcelona Pavilion, demonstrating his concept on free plan. Although the interior articulation was minimal, there is certain degree of order to it. The walls are projected from a center point, and the scale gradually increases from the center. Such operation was not symmetrical. Hence there is a balance between the openness of space and its organization. The Barcelona Pavilion has a more compact space at the point of concentration, and the boundary of the structure “dissolves” due to the use of large glass panes and openings.
Mies van der Rohe once expressed his views on a free plan: “The free plan is a new conception and has its own grammar, like a new language. Many believe that the free plan means absolute liberty. This is misunderstanding. The free plan asks for just as much discipline and understanding from the architect as a conventional plan… Only in this way one achieves a free
space.”11 A “free” plan does not mean the architect are allowed to do anything, the essence is
how to incorporate the idea of “freedom” into the spatial arrangements. The unit of articulation for
10 Mies Van Der Rohe Ludwig. (accessed May 24,
2013).
11 Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Intentions in architecture. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 1968.
the interior Mies used was not rooms, but spaces. The later one has a more open quality to it, as the whole structure is not completely enclosed, and does not have a clear boundary. This quality pushes the idea of “freedom” forward.
CONCLUSION
Both architects handled the concept of a free plan in unique ways. Le Corbusier adopted a more logical approach. In Villa Savoye, the use of pilotis make possible to realize the “Five Points of Architecture”, including the use of the free plan. A dialogue was established between the plan of each floor, the program and flow of people. Le Corbusier had been focusing on the order, “The
plan is the generator. Without a plan, you have lack of order and willfulness.”12 He believed that a
free plan is a better organizer of space, as there is no more structural constrains, and any articulation truly reflects its function.
To the contrary, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe first questioned about the word “freedom”. He believed that freedom is not only about articulating the interior freely; it is about the impact and flow of space in a plan, both interiorly and exteriorly. Unlike the Villa Savoye, the aim of the free plan of the Barcelona Pavilion was not to fully accommodate with the function of space. In fact, the Pavilion itself had no defined function. Mies unitized the free plan to give people the freedom for having any program, and the free flow – or even the fusion of spaces.
In conclusion, both architects have their unique definition of free plan, given one is more logical, and the other is more conceptual. Nevertheless, there is not doubt that the concept of the free plan is very influential to buildings and use of spaces today.
12 Le Corbusier, 1920. “Towards a New Architecture: Guiding Principles”, In: Conrads, ed. 1970. Programs and
Manifestoes, pp. 59-62.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barcelona pavilion gives birth to new style. March 22, 2010. (accessed May 24, 2013).
Buchanan, Shannon. Modernists and the Free Plan. March 30, 2013. (accessed May 24, 2013).
Contemporary Practice: lecture 7,case study 3,Barcelona Pavilion.
(accessed May 24, 2013).
Free Plan, Open Plan, Raumplan. December 26, 2012. (accessed May 24, 2013).
Glynn, Simon. Villa Savoye Possy by Le Corbusier. 2011.(accessed May 24, 2013).
History of World Expo. (accessed May 24, 2013). Howe, Jeffery. LeCorbusier -- Villa Savoye .
(accessed May 24, 2013).
Le Corbusier, 1920. “Towards a New Architecture: Guiding Principles”, In: Conrads, ed. 1970.
Programs and Manifestoes, pp. 59-62.
Le Corbusier, 1926. “Five Points towards a New Architecture”, In: Conrads, ed. 1970. Programs and
Manifestoes, pp. 99-101.
Mies Van Der Rohe Ludwig. (accessed
May 24, 2013).
Norberg-Schulz, Christian. Intentions in architecture. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 1968. Popova, Maria. 100 Ideas That Changed Architecture. July 6, 2012.
(accessed
May 24, 2013).
Punya, Ryan. Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye - parti and poche drawings. April 5, 2010.(accessed May 24, 2013).
Stocklin, Jordan. The Free Plan - Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. April 3, 2013. (accessed May 24, 2013).
Thuroczy, Maria. Barcelona Pavilion. May 20, 2013. pavilion (accessed May 24, 2013).
by
Jensenpon (student)
