Nurturing Dreams: Collected Essays On Architecture And The City
The seventh reading had a distinct focus on Le Corbusier and his effect and influence on the architectural world, especially in Japan.
Of course Le Corbusier is a famous name in the architectural world, that is generally agreed on. However I had never really thought about his reach extending beyond the Western World. I think that we often consider places like Japan as having their own, almost isolated, forms of architecture.
For example, I know that when researching in the past, I have used the terms 'Japanese Architecture' and 'International Style' as separate ideas. I doubt I am alone in this but of course the majority of the time when we search for Japanese architecture we often thinking of the traditional structures built years and years ago. It is because of this that I feel we may often be ignorant to the growth of Japanese architecture in the modern day.
It was this that I felt the essay in the text was getting at through the informed discussion of how Le Corbusier influenced so much in the way of Japanese architecture. It goes to show that influence and inspiration does not stay confined between countries but spreads across the world. I think that it is important to remember at this point that the internet was not around to help with this. Le Corbusier had to form a reputation powerful enough that it could expand beyond his surroundings without the help of Google.
I think this shows just how influential Le Corbusier was in the architectural world. I admire that he more or less set the building blocks for new ideas in architecture and I know that I have been subconsciously following parts of his legacy for my own designs.
What interested me with this reflection was that Le Corbusier's influence didn't just become known all around though. It was more that it was used. All the way in Japan, evidence of Le Corbusier's ideas were being made apparent. It shows that with good design comes the ability to adapt to context extremely well. We do not need to be bound by pure and exact response to the immediate environment in which we are designing for. The isolate context has become a rare one. We now live in global context, and I think that Le Corbusier saw this coming. His architectural language was made applicable to the world over through subtle use and adaptation.
Arguably he was more than just architect. He was the man who reinvented the architectural archetype.
Of course Le Corbusier is a famous name in the architectural world, that is generally agreed on. However I had never really thought about his reach extending beyond the Western World. I think that we often consider places like Japan as having their own, almost isolated, forms of architecture.
For example, I know that when researching in the past, I have used the terms 'Japanese Architecture' and 'International Style' as separate ideas. I doubt I am alone in this but of course the majority of the time when we search for Japanese architecture we often thinking of the traditional structures built years and years ago. It is because of this that I feel we may often be ignorant to the growth of Japanese architecture in the modern day.
It was this that I felt the essay in the text was getting at through the informed discussion of how Le Corbusier influenced so much in the way of Japanese architecture. It goes to show that influence and inspiration does not stay confined between countries but spreads across the world. I think that it is important to remember at this point that the internet was not around to help with this. Le Corbusier had to form a reputation powerful enough that it could expand beyond his surroundings without the help of Google.
I think this shows just how influential Le Corbusier was in the architectural world. I admire that he more or less set the building blocks for new ideas in architecture and I know that I have been subconsciously following parts of his legacy for my own designs.
What interested me with this reflection was that Le Corbusier's influence didn't just become known all around though. It was more that it was used. All the way in Japan, evidence of Le Corbusier's ideas were being made apparent. It shows that with good design comes the ability to adapt to context extremely well. We do not need to be bound by pure and exact response to the immediate environment in which we are designing for. The isolate context has become a rare one. We now live in global context, and I think that Le Corbusier saw this coming. His architectural language was made applicable to the world over through subtle use and adaptation.
Arguably he was more than just architect. He was the man who reinvented the architectural archetype.
Maki, F. (2008). Nurturing Dreams: Collected Essays On Architecture And The City. MIT Press.