5 - Equalisation
The last of the three reminders to architects in Vers une architecture was the plan.
The Plan is the generator.
Without a plan, you have lack of order, and willfulness.
The Plan holds in itself the essence of sensation.10
Underlying the idea of plan is the central importance of order. According to Le Corbusier "where order reigns, well-being begins."11 This links to the idea about the importance of harmony, and its relation to the Absolute, i.e., the more order one has, the closer one is to the Absolute.
Peter Carl postulates that for Le Corbusier, written language, matter, mathematics, music and time are systems of signs that refer to a significant segment of reality. These signs are
the ‘fruit’ of a ‘marriage’. This marriage takes place between two ‘orders’, the human and the cosmic. . . Order, in the singular is the very key of life.12
Methods of ordering can be seen throughout the Villa Savoye. The idea of a repetitive structural grid, as in the Domino project (Fig 5.03) uses a simple idea of structure as an ordering element. This ordering is overlaid with other ordering elements, whether they are regulating lines, composition of masses, or the sequence of views in the architectural promenade.
Le Corbusier used the category of plan to discuss a wide variety of topics such as unity, rhythm, housing, and urban planning. With respect to rhythm, Le Corbusier identifies equalisation (symmetry, repetition); compensation (movement of contrary parts); and modulation (the development of an original plastic invention).13
For Le Corbusier, the "plan bears within itself a primary and pre-determined rhythm."14 Fig. 5.10 shows the rhythm introduced by the structural grid. A simple grid of 4.75m (originally designed as 5.0m) is carried through the elevational composition. Fig. 5.09 shows the column grid at the ground and first floor level. The highlighted area shows where the grid is ‘rational’ - - i.e., where the 4.75m dimension is carried through. The area not highlighted is where the grid had to be ‘compromised’ to accommodate the needs of residential floor plan. The grid therefore seems more ‘iconic’ that actual. It could further be argued that an independent structural grid, particularly at the first floor and above, could not be justified in a pure ‘value engineering’ terms for a structure as simple as a single-family house. However, this of course is not the concern on this project, and it is the idea that is carried through and expressed.
Rhythm is also introduced in sub-components of Villa Savoye. The horizontal glazing pattern of the ramp glazing (Fig. 5.04) is an effective use of this technique.
The above is not meant as a negative criticism of Le Corbusier. It does, however, demonstrate the strength of Le Corbusier’s design intuition in that he is able to break apart various ordering techniques and recombine them into exceptional works of architecture.