During our stay in Paris, France the CityLab Program travelled to the western suburbs of Paris to a commune known as Poissy, France. Taking the the long journey by train, I saw many changes come about from the landscape and architecture as we travelled farther and farther from Paris. The reason for this particular program's visit was to see and explore the Villa Savoye that was truly located in the outskirts of Paris, France.
Villa Savoye is a clear example of Modern Architecture in its facade as a modernist villa designed by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Villa Savoye was designed and built between 1928 and 1931 using reinforced concrete. Originally, the house was built as a country retreat for the Savoye family but was quickly met with several construction issues. Villa Savoye is an example of Le Corbusier's five points:
1) Replacing of supporting walls by a grid of reinforced concrete columns that bears the structural load in the basis of the new aesthetic
2) The free designing of the ground plan, the absence of supporting walls
3) The free design of the facade, by separating the exterior of the building from its structural function, free from constraints
4) Ribbon window
5) Roof gardens on a flat roof can serve as a domestic purpose, meanwhile providing essential protection to the concrete roof
Le Corbusier worked on this project under a tight budget and was constantly changing the overall design of the home. He carefully designed all four sides of the Villa so that they took the view and the orientation of the sun into account. Le Corbusier continued a sense of importance with the design of his building to its relationship with nature and the surrounding landscape.
After the construction of Villa Savoye, several problems arose with the initial construction and structure, the home itself needed constant repairs as rainwater leaked through the roof. The white surfaces of the home were more susceptible to staining and erosion from overflowing rainwater and cracks because of a lack of structural durability. The home was later abandoned by the Savoye family during World War II, was then occupied by the Germans, then by the Americans, then reoccupied by the Savoye family, then left abandoned once more. Being left severely damaged in its past, a first attempt at restoration began in 1963. The Villa was later added to the French register of historical monuments in 1965, as it became France's first modernist building to be designated as a historical monument.
I will admit, being able to explore and understand Villa Savoye as an example of Modern Architecture was an amazing opportunity overall. The Villa's relationship with nature and the sun was made clear when the weather shifted from being muggy, cloudy, and foggy to bright and sunny in a matter of minutes.
Villa Savoye is truly a representation of the origins of modern architecture and an easily recognizable example of the International style, as a volume of space, regularity, and flexibility.