Traces of Type and Typology in the Context of Modern Architecture: Le Corbusier
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Abstract
This article investigates the evolution and reinterpretation of the architectural concepts of “Type” and “Typology” in the modern works of Le Corbusier. Grounded in a theoretical framework informed by the philosophies of Quatremère de Quincy, Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand, and Gottfried Semper, the study proposes that Le Corbusier’s renowned Five Points of Architecture do not constitute a rejection of historical architectural thinking. Rather, they represent a modernist reinterpretation that synthesizes traditional typological principles with the demands of modern technology, construction systems, and socio-cultural shifts.
The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, integrating comparative analysis and interpretive reading. The investigation focuses on three seminal projects Villa Savoye, Unité d’Habitation, and Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut (Ronchamp), each representing a distinct mode of transformation in typological thinking. Quatremère’s notion of type as an abstract principle, Durand’s systematic approach to architectural composition, and Semper’s four fundamental elements (hearth, roof, enclosure, mound) form the foundation for interpreting Le Corbusier’s architectural grammar.
Findings suggest that Le Corbusier’s architectural language demonstrates a complex transformation of traditional typologies. Villa Savoye illustrates an idealized application of the Five Points through spatial openness, pilotis, and panoramic vision. Unité d’Habitation exemplifies the integration of modular standardization into collective housing, while Notre-Dame du Haut reflects a spiritual reinterpretation of religious form through symbolic geometry, light, and spatial fluidity.
The Five Points – pilotis, free plan, horizontal windows, free façade, and roof garden – are analyzed not merely as physical innovations but as abstract principles that enable multiple contextual adaptations. These elements reflect traditional ideas reinterpreted for the industrial era – elevated bases (mound/pilotis), layered enclosures (walls/windows), and social hearths (living rooms) transformed through new materials and construction methods. Thus, Le Corbusier’s architecture bridges past and present, crafting a modern typology that remains grounded in cultural and philosophical depth.
In conclusion, this article presents a conceptual framework for reading the “traces of type” in modern architecture. It argues that Le Corbusier’s work embodies a layered continuity between historical typological principles and contemporary architectural innovation. Rather than a rupture, modernist design becomes a reinterpretation an active dialogue with tradition that shapes the future of architectural thinking.
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