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The Modulor in the Mirrcjr

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The Modulor in the Mirrcjr THE MODULORIN THE MIRRCJR A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Rasearch in Parüal Fuffilment of the Requirements for the Degm of Master of Architecture. TANIA MARA GUERRA DE OLIVEIRA School of Architecture McGill University Montréal August, t 999. Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services seMEes bibliographiques The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exciusive licence aliowing the excIusive permettant à la National Li'brary of Cauada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduk, prêter, dkûi'buer ou copies of this thesis m microfim, vendre des copies de cette thése sous paper or elecironic formats. la fimme de microfiche/fb, de reptodnction sur papier ou sur fonnat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyrighî in this thesis. Neither the &oit d'auteur qni protège ceüe thèse. thesis nor substantid extracts fim it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantieis may be printed or derWise de ceiie-ci ne doivent êîre imprimés reproduced without the anthor's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. AESTRACT This essay discusses Le Corbusiets Modulor through its appearance in the Podme de l'angle droit. The Poéme reveals the aichitect's later thinking in a synthetic and prease way, offenng precious help for its comprehension. A study of the Modulor in such wntext demonstrates that it was more than an attempt to develop a modular methaâology. Embodied in the Poème, the Modulor disdoses Le Corbusiet's struggle to create a framework for his praûice, providing invaluable insights into our present condition. Cette essai discute le Modulor 4 travers son insertion dans le Poème de L'angle Droit. Le Poème indique la pensée postérieure de I'architede d'une voie synthétique et précise, ofkant raide précieuse pour sa compréhension. Une étude du Modulor dans une tel contexte démontre qu'il Mit plus qu'une tentative de développer une méthodologie modulaire. Inserée dans le Poème, le Modulor &v&k la lutte de Le Corbusier pour rendre ça pratique significatif, fournissant de perspicacitth de valeur inestimable dans Tétat actuel de l'architecture. A few persons have contributecl to maâe this wark possible and 1 would Iike to express my sincere gratitude to them. t am thanldul to Dr. Alberto PBrez-Gdmer, my thesis advisor, for his patience and guidance in the earty steps of this research, and also for his insights and invaluable comments during the course of the wok Swal thanks tb rny colleagues Dion Wilson, Jose Thevercad and Khaldmn Ahmad for some very helpful comrnenis, and to Claudia Migaire, for proof-reading the final version of the present work. My thanks also goes ta Susie Spurdens for being ahys available for help or simply for a nice talk, and to Marcia King, Helen Dyer and Kattileen Innes-Prevost for their help with administrative matters. My special gratitude goes to my mother, Cleusa Guerra, for the love and care she dedicated to both me and my liile baby, so that I could have the peaœ of mind to finish this work, and to my father, Antonio Guerra, for his love and support Finally, I thank my husband, Ma& Oliveira for his unresenred love and friendship, as well as feir his unfailing support and encouragement, and my son, Alewndre, for gMng me his support in the forrn of beautiful srniles. Ta them I ded'kate mis work. CONTENTS a THE MODULORAND ICON 82: THE MIUD 10 FINALREMARUS: THE MODULORIN THE MIRRQR (Unless indfcated. all fiqurse and drrnnings by Le Carbusisr) Fig.1 - Chape1 of Ronchamp. wuîh fac..de, 'showing the shadaw profile of a bulrs head which occurs in the evening', and painting Taumaux Xlll (Pentecorte '56 and Naissance du Minotaure), from Jaime Coll. 'Stntdurs and Play in Le Corbusier's Art Works.' Fig.2 - Regulaiing lines from a painting and facade of the skyscraper at Algien. from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1 and Pmubions on th Pmsant State d Amhitectum end CXy Planning, rwpedively. Fig.3 - Wooden sadpture Ozon, 1947, by Le Carbusier and Joseph Savinas, fmChristopher Pearson. 'Le Corbusier and the Acoratical Trope.' Fig.4 - Cover page, fmrn Le Corbusier. Mmcb i'angie cimit, 1955. Fig.5 - Iconostase, from Le Corbusier, Podm de l'angle droit, 1955. Fig.6 - Painting and sketches showing the genesir of the Taumaux series, fmm Jaime Coll, 'Strudure and Play in Le Corbusiefs Art works: Fig.7 - lcan 82: The Mind and nspedive poam. fmm Le Corbusier, Padnnr db i'angk dmit, 11955. Fig.8 - lcon A3: Milieu and respecüve poem. hmLe Corbusier, Pdm ds l'angle dmit, 1955. Fig.9 - lcon G3: Tool and feqwcüwe pm,from Le Corbusier, Pdme ds lbngk dm& 1955. Fig.10 - lcon 02: The Mind, fmm Le Carbusier, Podm ds l'angle droit, 1955. Fig.11 - Drawing of the Modulor qsiem, from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1,1943. Fig.12 - Sketch of a tres, ftom Le Corbusier, Piacisons on the Pissent State of Atchihctuta and City Planning. Fig.13 - Photograph of the Grssk Parthenon, from Le Corbusier, Vers une architsctuIbIb Fig.14 - Photograph of the Gmek Parnenon, fmm Le Corbusier, Vers une atchitocturn. Fig.15 - Man-withamupraised, fmm Le Corbusier. ~llcontrssa- Le Cotbuyi,r. Fig.16 - The Modulor man in diiemnt pasitiom, from Le Corbusier, Malulor 1. Fig.17 - Diagmm of the Modulor with the manwith-amupraised inwrted, from Le Corbusier, Madulor 1. Fig.18 - Hanning's proposal for the consirudian of the diagram of the Modulor, from Le Corbusier, Madulof 1. Fig.19 - Le Corbusier and Mlle. Elisa MaillaMs prnposal for the constniction of the diagram of the Modulor, hmLe Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.20 - Diagram and the series of Golden Sections it originated, from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.21 - Slylued watercolour of a pine tme, fmm Le Corbusier, Renconlres avec Le Cohuskr: Fig.22 - MichelangeIo's Capitol in Rome with rsgulaüng Iidrawn by Le Corbusier, hmLe Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.23 - Drawing sent by Hanning to Le Corbusier demonsaating the only possible solution for the insertion of a right angk into the diagram of the Modulor, from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.24 - Three paintings by Le Corbusier with their respedivs mgulaüng lines, from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.25 - Orawing demonstnting the lineanty of the Fibonacci senes, frum Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.26 - Le Corbusier and the measunng tape made by Soltan, from Ivan faknic, Mise au Point. Fig.27 - Working dnwing of the Modulor Jystem, from Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.28 - Sea-shell WIUI b respective goometrical structure, from Le Corbusier, P&ons on the Pissent Stete of A~hi'tsdumand City Plenning. Fig.29 - Detail of ison 82: The Mind. showing a sea-shet si-. from Le Corbusier. Wmeûe i'angkt dmit, 1955. FÎg.30 - Sketch of the Greek Parthenon, from Le Corbusier. Joumy io the East, 1911- Fig.31 - Sketch of the Greek Parthenon. ftom Le Corbusier, Rumey to Uie East, 1911. Fig.32 - lcon A3: Milieu, fmm Le Corbusier. Podme de i'angk dm?, 1955. Fig.33 - Iconostase, from Le Corbusier. Mmebs I'angbe dmit 1955. Fig.34 - Assembly Hall at Chandigarh, frorn Le Corbusier, Remn2iss evsc Le Cdmusk?~ Fig.35 - Sketch of the Palace of Justice at Chandigarh shWng the duplication of the facade in îhe water pad, from Le Corbusier. Rsnconbas avwc Le Cotûuskc Fig.38 - lcan G3: Taal. fFam Le Corbusier. Wme ds i'angk dM11955. Fig.37 - Oaail of icon 82: The Mind. from Le Corbusier, Wm ûa l'a* chi', 1955. Fig.58 - tan A5: Miliau. frcm Le Corbusier, Wms ûe I'angls M, 1955. Fig.39 - lcon F3: ORsr [The Op4n Hand), Imm Ls Corbusier, Podm de I'anpls dtuit, 1955. Fig.46 - Last page of the liihograph Entre-Dsw. from Jaime Coll. 'Shdunt and Play into Le Corbusieh Afl Woth.' Fig.41 - lcan G3: Tool and b reverse sids, from Le Corbusier, Wms d8 /SI@ da1955. Fig.42 - Mail of bnG3: Tool. bmLe Corbusier, Mm de hngle dror% 1955. Fig.43 - Gouache on wlluioid Taumaux senes, 1983. hmJaime Coll, 'Slructura and Plsy into La Corbusier's AI¶ Works.' Fig.44 - Painting Taumaux II, from William J. R Curiis, Le Ca~usier: Idsas and Fonns, London: Phidon PwUd.. 1987. Fig.45 - Painiings Neluis Morta au Vmion, 1951, and Mtamorphose du Vioion, 1952, ffim Jaime Coll, "Shdure and Play into Le Corbusiefs Ar! Works.' Fig.46 - Sketch of a codwu, from Alexander Godin, The Ghost in the Machine: Surrealism in Ihs work of Le Corbusier.' Fig.47 - Çkntch Tor 7M Opan Mnd Monument at Chandigarh, 1952, frorn Le Corbusier, Modulor 1. Fig.4 - Imns 82: The Mind and Reveme side of G3: Tool, fmm Le Corbusier. Mme de i'angk dM, 1965. Fig.49 - Modulor man cast in the wall at the Unith &Habitation al Maneilles, hmWilliam J. R Curtis, Ls CO&S&I: Mess and Fam. London: Phaidon Press Ud.. 1987. Fig.50 - lwn A4: Milieu. fmrn Le Corbusier. Pdm de hm dm& 1955. Fig.51 - Ubu Roi, ùy MdJarry, 1900, hmAIberto Pdnz-G6mar and Louise PeNetier, A~~htTucturalFasplssbntation and ?ho htspecbim MW, CamiWge: MIT Pros, 1997. Fi. 1 Passing down the line, you end up by knitting something together. I Say 'knitting',ôecause îhat means that al1 thinge are one in andher, me implying anoiher. Le Corbusier's oeuvre is a nedwork of relationships. His themes and ideas often find ernbodiment in more than one media, creaüng interesting connections among the different aspects of his wrk- One can easily recognize in his built work elernents of his paintings or sculptures. Such is the case of the chape1 of Notre-Dame du Haut at Ronchamp with its explicit references to his work in sculpture and painting [fig.l], or the project for his Algiers' skysctaper which he recounts originated from 'regulating lines' he found on the back of one of his painüngs: (fig.21 Suddenly I saw the whole thing clearly in my mind: here was the framework of proportions which wodd fit into the landscape of Ngieo 9sky-scraper of which Ihad been thinking since 1930, ihat is, for eight yean.
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