Towards a New Architecture

Sejal Mahesh Suryawanshi, First Year B Arch, MET’s School of Architecture & Interior Design, Govardhan, Nashik

Towards a New Architecture is a seminal work published in 1923 that revolutionized modern architecture. It outlines Le Corbusier’s vision for a new approach to design, emphasizing functionality, simplicity, and modern industrial techniques. The book is written as a series of essays, blending polemics, theory, and analysis.

From my perspective, the key themes of the book are:
Form follows function
The relationship between modernity and technology
The house as a machine for living in
The book introduces the Five Points of a New Architecture, which are:
Pilotis (supports)
Flat roof terrace
Open floor plan
Horizontal windows
Free facade

Le Corbusier’s work is both a critique and a manifesto for modernist architecture. It has influenced generations of architects and has become a cornerstone for modernist thought. The book challenges traditional architectural practices, advocating for the use of modern materials and technologies. While it is celebrated for its forward-thinking vision, it also raises questions about the implications of modernity in urban planning and society.

This book challenges architects to rethink the role of design in the modern era and underscores the relationship between technology, society, and aesthetics. While Le Corbusier’s ideas remain influential, some critique his work for its rigidity and the social implications of modernist urban planning.

The book balances theory with practical design principles and highlights the connection between technological advancements, functionality, and aesthetics. Through Towards a New Architecture, Le Corbusier makes a compelling case for a radical shift in how we think about architecture and urban spaces.

Sejal Mahesh Suryawanshi, First Year B Arch, MET’s School of Architecture & Interior Design, Govardhan, Nashik

Hardik P. Sonawane First Year B Arch, MET’s School of Architecture & Interior Design Govardhan, Nashik

Genre: Modernism

Summary:
The book Towards an Architecture marks the beginning of architect Le Corbusier’s journey and brings together his thoughts and analyses that he had developed over the years. It served as a kind of launch for his version of modernism. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, much of his architecture would reflect the ideas laid out in this book. After WWII, however, its influence on architecture diminished. The book itself acts as both a manifesto and a polemical work for his architectural program.

Review:
Towards an Architecture was published in 1923, written by Swiss architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, who later became known as Le Corbusier. The translated title, Towards a New Architecture, became one of the most influential architectural works since then—a rhetorical cornerstone for the modernist movement. It has been used both to support and to criticize modernism, depending on which side of the “style wars” one aligns with. The book is a masterwork in rhetoric, theory, and futurism.

Key Thoughts:
The book itself is an exceptional object. Le Corbusier uses images as powerfully as words to shock and persuade. It is a polemical manifesto and an impressive sales pitch for his architectural ideas. The page featuring the comparison between the “Palace of the Machines” and the motorcar is perhaps the most famous in any architecture book. A hundred years later, its shock value is almost entirely gone, as it has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream.

Conclusion:
This book marks a pivotal moment in time when modernism was being tested across various political systems, both in communist and capitalist regimes. It was a period where modernism was being explored and “tried on” for size. Le Corbusier was not only a talented architect but also an adept editor and book designer, trying to lead his arguments with both form and function.

Hardik P. Sonawane First Year B Arch, MET’s School of Architecture & Interior Design Govardhan, Nashik