The thesis, entitled "Reaffirming a Modernity: Le Corbusier and Notre-Dame-du-Haut in Ronchamp", reads one of the best-known architectures of the modern period through the lens of historical, socio-political, and cultural context. If we accept the reading, shared by most Le Corbusier critics, that sees the buildings as "tests" of applications of a broader urban vision, what does Notre-Dame du Haut tell us about his conception of the city? How does it fit into the broader context of the French city of the 1950s? If, as Pier Vittorio Aureli writes, 'it is possible to theorise a phenomenological and symbolic coincidence between political action and the concretisation of the form', what kind of political action is the chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut? The thesis finds in Notre-Dame du Haut a political stance, a clear rejection of the construction of the reconstruction period in France, characterised by little attention to planning, a design that does not put the well-being of the inhabitants first, a lack of services, and poor technical quality. The chapel in Ronchamp breaks with this type of construction, proposing an alternative, new forms to take back the reins of a formal research now fossilised on the compositional proposals of modern architecture, which do not correspond to the needs of the city and the people after the Second World War. Almost seventy years after its construction, the chapel in Ronchamp can be looked at in perspective, in the broader context of the post-World War II full stop in France and the economic boom that followed, a cultural and architectural turning point. Keeping the focus fixed on the chapel at Ronchamp, the thesis takes the work as an example to talk about the author, thanks to the continuity of themes addressed by Le Corbusier. The forms of the chapel are a break from the works realised in the 1920s and 1930s - hence the cry of betrayal raised by contemporary architects is not surprising - yet many of the theories expressed in the previous years can be found in this project. The concepts of social welfare, attention to beauty and people, which are part of modern architecture and Le Corbusier's architecture, remain in this project and are reaffirmed through the texts of the period. Furthermore, the right angle is used in the structure. The pillars - although hidden within the thick stone-clad walls - have regular pitch and the beams - within the two roof shells - main and secondary are positioned according to a regular, orthogonal grid. The connection with the landscape, the relationship with the outer space of the témenos, and the use of light suggest the presence of the ideas strongly promoted during the heroic period of the Modern Movement. A concealed continuity, indicating a new trajectory.

Riaffermare una modernità: Le Corbusier e Notre-Dame du Haut a Ronchamp

SOLA, GIULIA
2023-05-31

Abstract

The thesis, entitled "Reaffirming a Modernity: Le Corbusier and Notre-Dame-du-Haut in Ronchamp", reads one of the best-known architectures of the modern period through the lens of historical, socio-political, and cultural context. If we accept the reading, shared by most Le Corbusier critics, that sees the buildings as "tests" of applications of a broader urban vision, what does Notre-Dame du Haut tell us about his conception of the city? How does it fit into the broader context of the French city of the 1950s? If, as Pier Vittorio Aureli writes, 'it is possible to theorise a phenomenological and symbolic coincidence between political action and the concretisation of the form', what kind of political action is the chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut? The thesis finds in Notre-Dame du Haut a political stance, a clear rejection of the construction of the reconstruction period in France, characterised by little attention to planning, a design that does not put the well-being of the inhabitants first, a lack of services, and poor technical quality. The chapel in Ronchamp breaks with this type of construction, proposing an alternative, new forms to take back the reins of a formal research now fossilised on the compositional proposals of modern architecture, which do not correspond to the needs of the city and the people after the Second World War. Almost seventy years after its construction, the chapel in Ronchamp can be looked at in perspective, in the broader context of the post-World War II full stop in France and the economic boom that followed, a cultural and architectural turning point. Keeping the focus fixed on the chapel at Ronchamp, the thesis takes the work as an example to talk about the author, thanks to the continuity of themes addressed by Le Corbusier. The forms of the chapel are a break from the works realised in the 1920s and 1930s - hence the cry of betrayal raised by contemporary architects is not surprising - yet many of the theories expressed in the previous years can be found in this project. The concepts of social welfare, attention to beauty and people, which are part of modern architecture and Le Corbusier's architecture, remain in this project and are reaffirmed through the texts of the period. Furthermore, the right angle is used in the structure. The pillars - although hidden within the thick stone-clad walls - have regular pitch and the beams - within the two roof shells - main and secondary are positioned according to a regular, orthogonal grid. The connection with the landscape, the relationship with the outer space of the témenos, and the use of light suggest the presence of the ideas strongly promoted during the heroic period of the Modern Movement. A concealed continuity, indicating a new trajectory.
31-mag-2023
La thèse, intitulée "Réaffirmer une modernité : Le Corbusier et Notre-Dame du Haut à Ronchamp", relit l'une des architectures les plus connues de la période moderne à travers le prisme du contexte historique, sociopolitique et culturel. Si nous acceptons la lecture, partagée par la plupart des critiques de Le Corbusier, qui considère les bâtiments comme des "tests" d'applications d'une vision urbaine plus large, que nous dit Notre-Dame du Haut sur sa conception de la ville ? Comment s'inscrit-elle dans le contexte plus large de la ville française des années 1950 ? Si, comme l'écrit Pier Vittorio Aureli, "il est possible de théoriser une coïncidence phénoménologique et symbolique entre l'action politique et la concrétisation de la forme", quel type d'action politique est la chapelle de Notre-Dame-du-Haut ? La thèse trouve en Notre-Dame du Haut une position politique, un rejet clair de la construction de la période de reconstruction en France, caractérisée par une faible attention à la planification, une conception qui ne met pas en avant le bien-être des habitants, un manque de services et une qualité technique médiocre. La chapelle de Ronchamp rompt avec ce type de construction en proposant une alternative, des formes nouvelles pour reprendre les rênes d'une recherche formelle désormais fossilisée sur les propositions compositionnelles de l'architecture moderne, qui ne correspondent pas aux besoins de la ville et de la population après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Près de soixante-dix ans après sa construction, la chapelle de Ronchamp peut être mise en perspective, dans le contexte plus large de l'après-guerre en France et de l'essor économique qui s'ensuivit, un tournant culturel et architectural. En gardant le focus sur la chapelle de Ronchamp, la thèse prend l'œuvre comme exemple pour parler de l'auteur, grâce à la continuité des thèmes abordés par Le Corbusier. Les formes de la chapelle sont en rupture avec les œuvres réalisées dans les années 1920 et 1930 - le cri de trahison poussé par les architectes contemporains n'est donc pas surprenant - et pourtant, de nombreuses théories exprimées dans les années précédentes se retrouvent dans ce projet. Les concepts de bien-être social, d'attention à la beauté et à l'homme, qui font partie de l'architecture moderne et de l'architecture de Le Corbusier, demeurent dans ce projet et sont réaffirmés à travers les textes de l'époque. En outre, l'angle droit est utilisé dans la structure. Les piliers - bien que cachés dans les murs épais revêtus de pierre - ont une inclinaison régulière et les poutres - dans les deux enveloppes du toit - principales et secondaires sont positionnées selon une grille régulière et orthogonale. Le lien avec le paysage, la relation avec l'espace extérieur des téménos et l'utilisation de la lumière suggèrent la présence des idées fortement promues pendant la période héroïque du Mouvement moderne. Une continuité cachée qui indique une nouvelle trajectoire.
Ronchamp
Jeanneret
Le Corbusier
Modernity
Modern Architecture
Modern Movement
Architettura moderna
Movimento Moderno
Architecture Moderne
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
phdunige_3824692.pdf

Open Access dal 01/06/2024

Tipologia: Tesi di dottorato
Dimensione 19.27 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
19.27 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11567/1119250
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact