FAMOUS ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE

1.Match the pictures with the architect:

A) Andrea Palladio

1.
B) Antoni Gaudí

2.
C) John Ruskin

3.
D) Louis Sullivan

4.
 E) Mies van der Rohe

5.
F)Luis Barragán

6.
G) Henry Hobson Richardson

7.
H) Le Corbusier

8.

2.Who designed that ?

A) ………………famously articulated that “less is more” and that “God is in the details.” These
quotes perfectly describe the characteristics of Miesian architecture—meticulously crafted
minimalism. His embrace of steel frames, glass walls and the beauty of the minimal inspired
both the skyscrapers of today and our sleek and spartan kitchens.
B)……………………… created what is known as the Richardsonian Romanesque, an eclectic mix
of French, Spanish and Italian Romanesque. It uses heavy masonry to create a sense of
permanence, with a sense of the whimsical created through the perfect semi-circle arches in
front of doors and windows, as well as rounded conical towers. The unique, sculpted shapes
of the Richardsonian Romanesque influenced the Chicago School and Scandinavian
architects such as Eliel Saarinen.

C) The term Sullivanesque is derived from the architecture of ……………… His work used
linear, rectangular forms offset with heavily ornate ornamentation. At a time when new
technologies were enabling taller buildings than ever before, he transformed the horizontally-
focused Beaux-Arts styles into vertically-oriented designs, following his belief that a tall
building should be "every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exultation that from
bottom to top it is a unit without a single dissenting line." The Midland Terra Cotta Company
and other competitors manufactured Sullivanesque buildings in bulk, and many line the
commercial streets of Chicago.

D) The work of……………. is characterized by warped, distorted forms that are seemingly
taken out of fantasy, and the work of ………….. often makes one feel like one has been
transported to a different world. He merged complex mathematical geometries with intricate
decorative elements inspired by nature to create sculptural works that capture our
imagination.
E) Palladian architecture is a style acquired from the work of ………..A renaissance-era
architect, ………… was himself influenced by the architecture of ancient Rome, and the
principles of classical antiquity. The Palladian style became extremely popular in 18th
century Britain, as well as spreading to other areas within Europe and North America.
Palladianism uses symmetry and balance, as well as elements such as classical columns
and pediments, and is distinguished from other renaissance architecture by its strict
adherence to mathematical proportions and rule-based design and its more pared-back,
limited ornamentation.

F) The term Corbusian refers to characteristics of ………….’s architecture. However, it is

perhaps more difficult to pinpoint the exact meaning of "Corbusian" compared to the more
homogeneous styles of Gaudi and Mies Van Der Rohe. ………………’s work changed
significantly through the course of his career, from smooth, purist forms to Brutalist exposed
concrete and the more sculptural. The use of pilotis, a free plan and free façade—concepts
based on ………………….s "Five Points of a New Architecture"—as well as a raw and honest
materiality are all characteristics that can be described as Corbusian.
G) The work of …………..influenced generations of writers, architects, and economists. His
book, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, described his belief that the craft of building,
ornamentation and an honest display of materials and structure were integral to architecture.
Ruskinian architecture generally employs polychromy, elements of the Gothic and decorative
brickwork.
H) "Barraganesque" describes that which pertains to the architecture of …………..His use of
clean lines and forms alongside bursts of bright color create buildings that are playful and
intimate, spiritual and poetic. He attempted to create an “emotional architecture” rather than
one of rational analysis. The Barraganesque consists of cubes and planes, bright colors, and
the dramatic use of light.

3.What do you know about Le Corbusier’s early life ?

Where was he born ?

Where did he study ?

Where did he travel ?

Did he always want to become an architect ?

4. Read the biography and answer the questions above :

Le Corbusier Biography
Architect, Artist(1887–1965)

Le Corbusier was a Swiss-born French architect who belonged to

the first generation of the so-called International school of
architecture.

Early Years
Born Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris on October 6, 1887, Le Corbusier was the
second son of Edouard Jeanneret, an artist who painted dials in the town’s renowned
watch industry, and Madame Jeannerct-Perrct, a musician and piano teacher. His
family's Calvinism, love of the arts and enthusiasm for the Jura Mountains, where his
family fled during the Albigensian Wars of the 12th century, were all formative
influences on the young Le Corbusier.

At age 13, Le Corbusier left primary school to attend Arts Décoratifs at La Chaux-de-
Fonds, where he would learn the art of enameling and engraving watch faces,
following in the footsteps of his father.

There, he fell under the tutelage of L’Eplattenier, whom Le Corbusier called “my
master” and later referred to him as his only teacher. L’Eplattenier taught Le
Corbusier art history, drawing and the naturalist aesthetics of art nouveau. Perhaps
because of his extended studies in art, Corbusier soon abandoned watchmaking and
continued his studies in art and decoration, intending to become a painter.
L’Eplattenier insisted that his pupil also study architecture, and he arranged for his
first commissions working on local projects.

After designing his first house, in 1907, at age 20, Le Corbusier took trips through
central Europe and the Mediterranean, including Italy, Vienna, Munich and Paris. His
travels included apprenticeships with various architects, most significantly with
structural rationalist Auguste Perret, a pioneer of reinforced concrete construction,
and later with renowned architect Peter Behrens, with whom Le Corbusier worked
from October 1910 to March 1911, near Berlin.

4.Read the text on Le Corbusier early career and answer the questions :

a)What did he learn through the trips ?

b)Which material did he use first ?

c)What is the « backbone » of Le Corbusier architecture style ?

Early Career

These trips played a pivotal role in Le Corbusier’s education. He made three major
architectural discoveries. In various settings, he witnessed and absorbed the
importance of (1) the contrast between large collective spaces and individual
compartmentalized spaces, an observation that formed the basis for his vision of
residential buildings and later became vastly influential; (2) classical proportion via
Renaissance architecture; and (3) geometric forms and the use of landscape as an
architectural tool.
In 1912, Le Corbusier returned to La Chaux-de-Fonds to teach alongside
L’Eplattenier and to open his own architectural practice. He designed a series of
villas and began to theorize on the use of reinforced concrete as a structural frame, a
thoroughly modern technique.

Le Corbusier began to envisage buildings designed from these concepts as

affordable prefabricated housing that would help rebuild cities after World War I came
to an end. The floor plans of the proposed housing consisted of open space, leaving
out obstructive support poles, freeing exterior and interior walls from the usual
structural constraints. This design system became the backbone for most of Le
Corbusier’s architecture for the next 10 years.

5.Watch a video and find three adjectives that describe Le Corbusier’s style :

6.True/False :

a)Le Corbusier was only an architect. True/False

b)He was 25 when he designed « The White House » True/False

c)The construction of « The White House » was supported by 5 pillars. True/False

d)He became a great architect through connections. Ture/False

7.Choose the right answer :

1)1922 Le Corbusier opened :

a)his studio b)his agency c)his school

2)His first architecture plan was :

a)subjected b)rejected

3)The things he produced were what we would now call :

a)harp b)sharp c)shy

8.Answer the questions :

a)When did he become a French citizen ?

b)Which political party did he support ?

c)What did he write to his mother about Hitler and Vichy rule ?

d)What did he gain through the connections with Nazi ?

9.PROJECT

Imagine your are working for/with Le Corbusier. Design the project of a residential
houses/ appratments for 120 families in Lyon.

Take into account all ideas of his style of architecture.

Present this project in your groups.

Prepare one question that you will ask your partners’ about their presentation.

You have 15 min.