DOCSLIB.ORG

An Architectural Icon the Chrysler Building’S Secret to Longevity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Architectural Icon the Chrysler Building’S Secret to Longevity Japan’s earthquake simulation results The outlook for fuel cells in Europe OCTOBER 2008 VOLUME 23, NUMBER 4 THE MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO NICKEL AND ITS APPLICATIONS An Architectural Icon THE CHRysler Building’s SECRET TO LONGEVITY Profile: Catherine Houska BUILDING EXPERTISE Volume 23, Number 4, October 2008 The Magazine Devoted to Nickel CREATING BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS and its Applications Nickel is published four times per year by The Nickel Institute 55 University Avenue, Suite 1801 This issUE of NicKEL MAGAZine is DEVoteD ALmost entiRELY TO the Toronto, Canada M5J 2H7 Tel. +1 416 591 7999 APPLication OF NICKEL-containinG stainLESS STEELS IN ARCHITECTURE. Stainless Steel Architecture Website: www.nickelinstitute.org E-mail: [email protected] Included is a feature Stephen Barnett, President Building Patrick Whiteway, Editor story on two of the old- Mark Crozier, Design est buildings involving Circulation, 27,000 in 95 countries stainless steel cladding: Construction Other Nickel Institute offices: Europe the Chrysler and Em- Sixth Floor Avenue des Arts 13 pire State buildings in www.StainlessArchitecture.org Brussels 1210, Belgium New York City. Built Tel. 32 2 290 3200 E-mail: [email protected] in the late 1920s, these European Technical Information Centre The Holloway, Alvechurch landmarks continue to Birmingham, England B48 7QB demonstrate the lon- Tel. 44 1527 584777 E-mail: [email protected] gevity of austenitic Japan 11-3, 5-chome, Shimbashi, stainless steels. INSTITUTE Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan One of the world’s Tel. 81 3 3436 7953 ICKEL E-mail: [email protected] leading authorities N Central & South America FOR Nucleo Inox on nickel-containing G Av. Brig. faria Lima, 1234 Conj. 141 stainless steels in archi- ELLIN 01451-913 São Paulo – SP, Brazil P IM Tel. 55 11 38130969 tecture, Catherine Hou- T E-mail: [email protected] Architects are major specifiers of nickel stainless steels India ska, is also profiled in K-36, 1st Floor Hauz Khas Enclave, this issue. A longtime New Delhi 110 016, India consultant to the Nickel Institute, Catherine This web site, or portal, is being re-de- Tel. 91 11 2686 5631, 2686 3389 E-mail: [email protected] has authored many papers, provides technical signed and improved by the Nickel Insti- Australasia tute. With your help, we hope to make it c/o ASSDA, Level 15, 215 Adelaide Street assistance and has conducted workshops for Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia thousands of high-level decision-makers over the number-one destination for architects, Tel. 61 7 3220 0722 E-mail: [email protected] the past 15 years. builders and constructors who want to get South Korea the goods on stainless steel. Olympia Building - Room 811 Also of interest to architects is a report in 196-7 Jamsilbon-Dong, Songpa-Ku, this issue on stainless steel interior details in In addition to providing a wealth of Seoul 138 229, South Korea Tel. 82 2 419 6465 the recently expanded Miami International technical information about why nickel E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nidikorea.org Airport, which went through a recent expan- is added to stainless steel, the portal will China sion and modernization. feature an online products and services Room 677, Poly Plaza Office Building 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie Four shorter architecture-related stories guide with valuable product and contact Beijing, China 100027 Tel. 86 10 6500 1188 (ext. 3677) shed light on: stainless steel handrails in near- information. Visitors to the site can add E-mail: [email protected] shore marine environments; a unique interior listings for their own companies and prod- United States NiPERA stainless steel staircase; a life-cycle costing ucts, and in the language of their choice. 2605 Meridian Parkway, Suite 200 Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A. analysis from Australia; and results from (Note: to be included, products must use a (Health and environment inquires only) Tel. +1 919 544 7722 earthquake simulations on interior stainless nickel-containing grade of stainless steel; E-mail: [email protected] steel water distribution piping in Japan. also, product descriptions should be fac- For a free print subscription, please go to: www.nickelmagazine.org. To receive e-mail We have selected these stories to illustrate tual and avoid promotional language.) notices for Nickel Magazine Online, please go to: www.nickelonline.org/subscribe to architects – major specifiers of nickel- This free service will improve over time Material has been prepared for the general containing stainless steels – the attributes with the benefit of your feedback. If you information of the reader and should not be used or relied upon for specific applications which are worthy of their attention. These have any suggestions for improvement or Experience Music Project without first securing competent advice. While by Frank Gehry the material is believed to be technically attributes include longevity, dependability, expansion, please let us know. correct, Nickel Institute, its members, staff Seattle, Washington and consultants do not represent or warrant aesthetics, strength, durability, as well as re- its suitability for any general or specific use and assume no liability or responsibility of any cycled content. Regards, kind in connection with the information herein. With respect to architectural applications ISSN 0829-8351 of nickel-containing stainless steels, we invite Printed on recycled paper in Canada. Cover: our readers to participate in the development The Nickel Institute’s newly redesigned architectural portal is a key resource site Chrysler Building, New York City of an online source of information available Patrick Whiteway The next issue of Nickel Magazine for architects, structural engineers, and architectural fabricators. The site provides rea- will be published in December 2008. at www.stainlessarchitecture.org. Editor sons for selecting stainless steel and how to choose the proper grade and many other resources. Visit us at: www.StainlessArchitecture.org nickel, vol. 23, no. 4, october 2008 3 A Step Up in Stainless Design Stainless steel adds strength and aesthetic appeal to a hanging staircase Design Association, used 620 kilograms of hen a design company in Melbourne, W grade S30400 stainless steel to construct the New South Wales, Australia, decided to ex- skeleton of the stairwell off-site. The pieces pand its business to a neighbouring space, a were assembled, welded and polished on-site. challenge was set: the adjoining office was on From the reception area, the portal presents an upper level, and a walkway was needed to itself as a crisp, polished insertion to the build- connect the two. ing’s brickwork, representing a refined sculp- The challenge was met by Daniel Stellini, As- tural element against the raw, distressed solid sociate Director, Interiors of the Carr Design wall. It is fixed only to the upper level of the Stainless Steel Piping Survives Shocks Group, who envisioned a simple, strong and aes- tenancy, allowing it to hover, as it were, over the Japanese tests show stainless steel piping withstands simulated earthquakes thetically refined stainless steel hanging staircase lower floor despite its weight of 340 kilograms. ssociation to provide transit between the two levels. A The stair’s profile has been left exposed, Earthquake-resistance tests by the Japanese Stainless Steel Associa- “Considering that this portal represents making it a feature of the space. ELOPMENT V tion (JSSA) have shown that stainless steel piping systems (joined by such a high traffic area, we needed a material E Challenging the conventional use of mate- D mechanical couplings) exhibit good air tightness and do not leak. that was durable, strong and low-maintenance: TEEL rials such as stainless steel is something Stell- S The tests were intended to assist development of durable stain- stainless steel met our requirements on all ini continues to enjoy. Not a bad idea when less steel domestic piping systems and are part of the Japanese three counts,” Stellini says. “It was our intent tainless you look at the results. government’s Special Research Project on Earthquake Disaster to express the raw-edge detail of the 3-mm S Mitigation for Urban Regions. thick stainless steel, highlighting its fine yet USTRALIAN A At a full-scale earthquake-testing facility, nicknamed “E-De- strong characteristics.” MORE INFORMATION: fense,” the JSSA tested the resistance of various building materi- Fabricator Hi-Tech Stainless Fabrications www.stainlessarchitecture.org/staircase als and components. Pty Ltd., based in Victoria, New South Wales, “Floating” stainless steel staircase: A refined sculptural element The evaluation entailed building a 21-story “skeleton” high- and accredited by the Australian Stainless Steel rise. Between the first and fourth floors, a system was built to simulate earthquake shocks on floors 5 to 21. The power of the ssociation A simulated shocks was based on the strength of earthquakes an- TEEL S Fabricating for Time and Tide ticipated to occur in the Tokai and Tonankai regions of Japan. The tests were part of a broad, 3-year program designed to ex- Manhattan Park railing is built to last for decades tainless pand the use of long-lasting nickel-containing stainless steel in S apan residential high-rise piping systems throughout Japan. A big ad- J last at least 30 years despite the combination of constant salt water he Hudson River Park is a waterside park under
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Spring 2021 H Volume 25 No
    Spring 2021 H Volume 25 No. 1 2021 Virtual Homes Tour Premieres June 17! reservation Austin’s 2021 Virtual Ticket buyers will experience the living Homes Tour, “Rogers-Washington- history of one of East Austin’s most Holy Cross: Black Heritage, Living intact historic neighborhoods through History,” will premiere on Thursday, interviews with longtime residents and Virtual Homes Tour June 17 at 7:00 pm CST. This year’s homeowners, historic documentation, Thursday, June 17, 2021 virtual tour will feature the incredible and rich videography. Viewers will 7PM premiere, followed by Q&A postwar homes and histories of East also hear from architectural historian Austin’s Rogers-Washington-Holy Dr. Tara Dudley on the works of $20/PA members $25/Non-members Cross Historic District, Austin’s first architect John S. Chase, FAIA, whose historic district celebrating Black early career was forged through heritage. The 45-minute video will be personal connection to Rogers- Tickets on sale at followed by a live Q&A session via Washington-Holy Cross and whose preservationaustin.org Zoom. work has left an indelible mark on the historic district. Continued on page 3 PA Welcomes Meghan King 2020-2021 Board of Directors W e’re delighted to welcome Meghan King, our new Programs and Outreach Planner! H EXECUTIVE COMMITEE H Meghan came on board in Decem- Clayton Bullock, President Melissa Barry, VP ber 2020 as Preservation Austin’s Allen Wise, President-Elect Linda Y. Jackson, VP third full-time staff member. Clay Cary, Treasurer Christina Randle, Secretary Hailing from Canada, Meghan Lori Martin, Immediate Past President attributes her lifelong love for H DIRECTORS H American architectural heritage Katie Carmichael Harmony Grogan Kelley McClure to her childhood summers spent travelling the United States visiting Miriam Conner Patrick Johnson Alyson McGee Frank Lloyd Wright sites with her father.
    [Show full text]
  • The Architecture of Excess
    The Architecture of Excess Image Fabrication between Spectacle and Anaesthesia A Master’s Thesis for the Degree Master of Arts (Two Years) in Visual Culture Andrei Deacu Spring semester 2012 Supervisor: Anders Michelsen Andrei Deacu Title and subtitle: The Architecture of Excess: Image Fabrication between Spectacle and Anaesthesia Author: Andrei Deacu Supervisor: Anders Michelsen Division of Art History and Visual Studies Abstract This thesis explores the interplay between the architectural image and its collective meaning in the contemporary society. It starts from a wonder around the capacity of architectural project The Cloud towers, created by the widely known architectural company MVRDV, to ignite fervent reactions caused by its resemblance to the image of the World Trade Centre Towers exploding. While questioning the detachment of architectural image from content, the first part of this thesis discusses the changes brought into the image-meaning relation in the spectacle society in postmodernism, using concepts as simulacra and anaesthesia as key vectors. In the second part of the thesis, the architectural simulacrum is explored through the cases of Dubai as urbanscape and The Jewish Museum Berlin as monument. The final part of the thesis concludes while using the case study of The Cloud project, and hints towards the ambivalence of image-content detachment and the possibility of architectural images to become social commentaries. 2 Andrei Deacu Table of contents 1. Introduction 1a. The problem 4 1b. Relevance of the subject 4 1c. Theoretical foundation and structure 5 2. From Spectacle to Anaesthesia 2a. The Architectural Image as the Expression of Society 7 2b. The Simulacrum 10 2c.
    [Show full text]
  • MECCA: Cosmopolis in the Desert
    MECCA: Cosmopolis in the Desert THE HOLY CITY: ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN LIFE IN THE SHADOW OF GOD Salma Damluji Introduction In 1993, I was asked to head the project for documenting of The Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah Extension. The project was based at Areen Design, London, the architectural office associate of the Saudi Bin Ladin Group. Completed in Summer 1994, the research and documentation was published in 1998.1 Several factors contributed to the complexity of the task that was closely associated with the completion of the Second Saudi Extension that commenced in 1989 and was completed in 1991. Foremost was the nature of the design and construction processes taking place and an alienated attempt at reinventing “Islamic Architecture”. This was fundamentally superficial and the architecture weak, verging on vulgar. The constant dilemma, or enigma, lay in the actual project: a most challenging architectural venture, symbolic and equally honourable, providing the historic occasion for a significant architectural statement. The rendering, it soon became apparent, was unworthy of the edifice and its historical or architectural connotations. In brief an architectural icon, the heart of Islam, was to be determined by contractors. The assigned team of architects and engineers responsible were intellectually removed and ill equipped, both from cultural knowledge, design qualification or the level of speciality required to deal with this immense, sensitive and architecturally foreboding task. The Beirut based engineering firm, Dar al Handasah, was originally granted the contract and commenced the job. We have no information on whether the latter hired specialised architects or conducted any research to consolidate their design.
    [Show full text]
  • The Icon Project: Architecture, Cities and Capitalist Globalization: Introduction
    Leslie Sklair The icon project: architecture, cities and capitalist globalization: introduction Book section (Accepted version) Original citation: Sklair, Leslie (2017) The icon project: architecture, cities and capitalist globalization. Oxford University Press, Oxon, UK. ISBN 9780190464189 © 2017 The Author This version available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/71859/ Available in LSE Research Online: April 2017 LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website. This document is the author’s submitted version of the book section. There may be differences between this version and the published version. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it. THE ICON PROJECT architecture, cities, and capitalist globalization LESLIE SKLAIR OUP UNCORRECTED PROOF – REVISES, Thu Dec 08 2016, NEWGEN Introduction Never before in the history of human society has the capacity to produce and deliver goods and services been so efficient and so enormous, thanks to the electronic revolution that started in the 1960s and the global logistics revolution made possible by the advent of the shipping container.
    [Show full text]
  • Hidden Cities: Reinventing the Non-Space Between Street and Subway
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2018 Hidden Cities: Reinventing The Non-Space Between Street And Subway Jae Min Lee University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Architecture Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Recommended Citation Lee, Jae Min, "Hidden Cities: Reinventing The Non-Space Between Street And Subway" (2018). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2984. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2984 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2984 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hidden Cities: Reinventing The Non-Space Between Street And Subway Abstract The connections leading to underground transit lines have not received the attention given to public spaces above ground. Considered to be merely infrastructure, the design and planning of these underground passageways has been dominated by engineering and capital investment principles, with little attention to place-making. This underground transportation area, often dismissed as “non-space,” is a by-product of high-density transit-oriented development, and becomes increasingly valuable and complex as cities become larger and denser. This dissertation explores the design of five of these hidden cities where there has been a serious effort to make them into desirable public spaces. Over thirty-two million urbanites navigate these underground labyrinths in New York City, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, and Paris every day. These in-between spaces have evolved from simple stairwells to networked corridors, to transit concourses, to transit malls, and to the financial engines for affordable public transit.
    [Show full text]
  • Today's News - Friday, February 1, 2008 Zandberg Pays Tribute to the Man Behind Jerusalem's Municipal Master Plan
    Home Yesterday's News Calendar Contact Us Subscribe Advertise Today's News - Friday, February 1, 2008 Zandberg pays tribute to the man behind Jerusalem's municipal master plan. -- Icon-bashing kind of day: Prince Charles rants against the latest rash of carbuncles leaving cities with "pockmarked" skylines (architects disagree). -- Glancey couldn't agree more: "aggressive 'icons' are the 4x4s of the architectural world." -- Boddy chimes in with a call for less talk about "icons and more of architectural competitions, public debate, and design reputations that are earned." -- London's massive Crossrail plans in need of a design champion. -- Meanwhile, "an architectural icon" rises in the Philippines. -- Explaining 10 myths of urban design. -- Dublin's newest suburb: €1.2 billion Adamstown Centre. -- Russell will surely ruffle some feathers re: visitors' center for Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial: "intentions are honorable" but "inane." -- It looks like Gap's Fisher just might get his museum in the Presidio. -- From both sides of the Big Pond: AIA and RIBA both petition government to tackle climate change. -- With Super Bowl Sunday upon us, it was hard to choose which sports story to run re: Eisenman cheering for his home team. -- In India, a growing number of design awards is good, but not without shortcomings. -- AIA Young Architects Award winners will find out, we suppose. -- So can you: Call for entries: Financial Times and Urban Land Institute team up for Sustainable Cities Award; and AIA Committee on Design 2008 International Ideas Competition. -- Atlanta's "City of the Future" competition winner dealt with drought and sprawl. -- Weekend diversions: Merkel says Saarinen show at Cranbrook depicts "an architect way ahead of his time." -- PLANetizen's pick of top 10 planning books.
    [Show full text]
  • National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
    NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. 1. Name of Property Historic name: _Armstrong Rubber Company Building__________________________ Other names/site number: _Pirelli Building____________________________________ Name of related multiple property listing: __N/A_________________________________________________________ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Location Street & number: _500 Sargent Drive____________________________________________ City or town: _New Haven_______ State: _CT_ _______ County: _New Haven________ Not For Publication: Vicinity: _____________________________________ _______________________________________ 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand Vol
    PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND VOL. 33 Edited by AnnMarie Brennan and Philip Goad Published in Melbourne, Australia, by SAHANZ, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-7340-5265-0 The bibliographic citation for this paper is: Ming Wu “Constructing a New Symbolic Form in the Context of Global Neo-Liberalization: A Study of Architectural Spectacles in Twenty-First Century China.” In Proceedings of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand: 33, Gold, edited by AnnMarie Brennan and Philip Goad, 730-738. Melbourne: SAHANZ, 2016. Ming Wu University of Melbourne Constructing a New Symbolic Form in the Context of Global Neo-Liberalization: A Study of Architectural Spectacles in Twenty-First Century China As symbolic expressions and material components of the post-Mao socio-economic and political transformation, high- profile transnational architectural projects in twenty-first century China have received significant scholarly attention. Existing research sheds light on the relation between the new Chinese architectural spectacles and China’s vigorous incorporation into the world market. It associates recent flagship architectural projects with the ruthless approach of the Chinese State towards economic-political practice in search of success in the increasingly competitive global economy. Laying stress on a market logic and power relations in compliance with a critical Marxian tradition, current scholarship nevertheless lacks a historical and geopolitical view in its analysis of the topic. As a result, the fact that China has been continuing its long struggle for national development under the new conditions of neoliberal globalization is often overlooked. To rectify the situation, this paper focuses on some of China’s highest-profile public buildings of state investments that were willingly commissioned to international superstar architects and built between 1998 and 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • Luce Chapel.Pdf
    1 Luce Chapel is a renowned architecture in Taiwan. With its outstanding achievements, it certainly stands outin the modern architectural movement of Preface post-war Taiwan. In October 2014, Luce Chapel was chosen to be one of the ten global classic modern architectures, and the first project within Asian architecture,which received the first “Keeping It Modern” (hereafter abbreviated as KIM) Grant from the Getty Foundation. The Grant acknowledgesthese 20th century modern architectures as milestones of human civilization. With high experimental mentalities, groups of architects and engineersof the previous centuryboldlytried out exploratory materials and cutting edge construction techniques, and built innovative architectures thathave stimulated changes in their surrounding environments, histories, local culture, and forever transformed the philosophical approaches of architecture. However, the Getty Foundation also regards these architectures to be under various degrees of risks. Being fifty to sixty or even older, many of these innovative materials and techniques boldly used at the time oftheirsconstruction were not, and still have not been scientifically tested and analyzed to this very day. Furthermore, the productions of many of these materials have been discontinued due to low adoptions in the market, making conservations even more difficult. Therefore, the Getty Foundation KIM grants promote the sustainable conservation of modern architecture. This focus has also been the core value of the Luce Chapel conservation project. Built in 1963, Luce Chapel has stood on the campus of Tunghai University for over 50 years. This building was designed and built to function as a church building, and has maintained its religious purpose over the years.However, as the number of faculty and students continues to grow,the space demand for community engagements and ceremonial activities of colleges and departments on campus have also increased extensively.
    [Show full text]
  • SIGNIFICANCE and RESTORATION of HET SCHIP, AMSTERDAM Design Movement Known Today As the an ICON of SOCIAL HOUSING and ARCHITECTURE, 1919-1921 Amsterdam School
    Het Schip A WORK OF ART IN BRICK Amsterdam 1919-1921 Up-and-coming architect Michel de Klerk designed an urban block of 102 apartments and one post office, envel- A WORK OF oping an existing primary school. The patron of this prominent project was the visionary housing society, Eigen Haard. This “workers’ palace” is now ART IN BRICK the acknowledged culmination of the SIGNIFICANCE AND RESTORATION OF HET SCHIP, AMSTERDAM design movement known today as the AN ICON OF SOCIAL HOUSING AND ARCHITECTURE, 1919-1921 Amsterdam School. One hundred years later, the restoration of this complex has again come to the fore. The histories and controversies con- cerning the Amsterdam School are PETRA VAN DIEMEN uncovered and reinterpreted, and the TON HEIJDRA genesis and life cycle of the building are NIKO KOERS brought into focus. The book describes CISCA VAN DER LEEDEN the choices that were made for mate- RAMON PATER rials and working methods during the RICHELLE WANSING restoration of 2015-2018. Recipes used are described in meticulous detail, from brick to leaded glass and from “lion head” to “cigar”. Few compromises have been made in restoring the integrity of the original image of this complete work of art, an icon of social housing and architecture. This book is abun- dantly illustrated and written by the very specialists who were leading in this restoration. Oostzaanstraat 45 MUSEUM 1013 WG Amsterdam HET SCHIP www.hetschip.nl A WORK OF ART IN BRICK SIGNIFICANCE AND RESTORATION OF HET SCHIP, AMSTERDAM AN ICON OF SOCIAL HOUSING AND ARCHITECTURE, 1919-1921 PETRA VAN DIEMEN TON HEIJDRA NIKO KOERS CISCA VAN DER LEEDEN RAMON PATER RICHELLE WANSING WEBSITE VERSION This PDF is the website version of the book A WORK OF ART IN BRICK.
    [Show full text]
  • The La Roche House – Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret
    Educational guide The La Roche House – Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Photo Olivier Martin-Gambier The La Roche House Constructed between 1923 and 1925 by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, the La Roche House represents an exceptional architectural undertaking. Its originality lies in the unification it forges between two different spaces, each serving a different function: an art gallery on one hand and, on the other, the private apartments of the resident and collector, Raoul La Roche. The La Roche House occupies the end of the Docteur Blanche cul-de-sac in Paris's 16th arrondissement, a neighborhood under development at the time. The use of new construction materials allowed Le Corbusier to put into practice here what he would define in 1927 as the “Five Points towards a New Architecture”: the open facade, the open plan, the long horizontal window, the roof garden, and the pilotis. As a key precedent to the Villa Savoye in Poissy (1928), an architectural icon, the La Roche House constitutes itself a hallmark in the history of the Modern Movement. From 1925 to 1933, numerous architects, writers, artists, and collectors came to visit this experimental home, leaving their mark with a signature in the visitor's book, kept open in the entrance hall. The La Roche House, as well as the adjacent Jeanneret House, were classified as historical monuments in 1996. Since 1970, they have undergone several restoration campaigns. Maison La Roche 1 The proprietor and the architect THE MES The patron: The role of the architect Born in Basel, Switzerland, Raoul La Roche (1889- (to build and to manage 1965) settled in Paris in 1912 and began work at the the space).
    [Show full text]
  • Canonizing Le Corbusier: the Making of an Architectural Icon As Colonial Hegemony
    Canonizing Le Corbusier: The Making of an Architectural Icon as Colonial Hegemony by Eric Nay A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Social Justice Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Eric Nay 2018 Canonizing Le Corbusier: The Making of an Architectural Icon as Colonial Hegemony Eric Nay Doctor of Philosophy Department of Social Justice Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2018 Abstract In 2016, it was announced that iconic Franco-Swiss modern architect, Le Corbusier, and his nearly complete oeuvre of seventeen buildings, would be enshrined on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage List. With this notable decision, Le Corbusier, the figure, moved from beatification as a “modern master” to achieving the architectural status of canonical sainthood. No other architect had been so completely enshrined on UNESCO’s list. The discussions and debates centered on this landmark decision provide evidence regarding how and why Le Corbusier’s figuration persists and is sustained. The Corbusiern figure remains foundational in architectural pedagogy, modern architectural history text writing and in the imaginaries formed in aspiring students of architecture as a global project that is both colonial and hegemonic. How this decision to reify Le Corbusier came about after a decade of debate and deliberation provides the basis for this project. The argument suggests ways to explain how we continue to tell and perform the history of modern architecture today, using Le Corbusier as a figure, as well as the legacy of the Bauhaus and International Style modernism, as pedagogical tools to perpetuate an ongoing hegemonic colonial regime situated in architectural knowledge production and pedagogy.
    [Show full text]