Unite d’Habitation
an architectural study on a modernist residential design principle.
The Unité d’habitation de Marseille is a residential housing/design concept in Marseille, France designed by Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, a swiss-french architect. This is a study of the basic information regarding the Unité d’habitation de Marseille.
name: Unité d’habitation
location: Marseille, France
architect: Le Corbusier (& Nadir Afonso (painter))
year: 1947–52
purpose: architectural bookshop, a rooftop gallery, educational facilities, a hotel
program: residential housing/design concept
users: public, residents, customers, gallery-goers, students
Architectural Drawings
Exterior photographs
the horizontal and vertical lines combined with the scale of the building shows how it influenced future brutalist architecture
Interior Photographs
3D modeling
In these photos, the structure is 3D modeled, and the organization of the residential space is more apparent. The unique choice of how the rooms are arranged within the internal space is very efficient (top 3 photos), yet also a bit wacky. I don’t understand why the alternating use of top floor and bottom floor for residents (top right) was necessary. However, this organization is fascinating. Furthermore, I noticed from the photos that the familial living space is on the first floor, while the bedroom and bathroom are on the second floor (bottom right). Although having the private spaces be on the second floor makes sense, I wonder how it is organized when the entrance is on the second floor for the alternative houses.
Video
detailed video footage: UNITÉ D´HABITATION
In the video, the detailed footage shows how although the building may seem like a robust, carelessly made peace of concrete, up close there is much fine detail and thought in the colors, textures, shapes, etc (e.g. the circles in the windows, the grids in the patio, color palettes, interior designs)
Google Earth
The Unite d’Habitation is located in a region of the city Marseille that is close to the center of the city, yet not directly. The building is located near a few main roads, and is easily accessible. It almost blends in with the surrounding architecture due to its narrow shape and residential purpose. According to Le Corbusier’s original purpose, there is a lot of space for greenery surrounding the building.
The Architect
Interview: Le Corbusier Paris reportage BBC
In this interview with Le Corbusier on his principles that guided his architecture and the design of the Unité d’habitation, he explains how the people of the world “live where they should not live, and work where they should not work”. He then goes on to explain how his cities are “green cities”, and can solve the problem of overpopulation by reimplementing natural elements into city planning. The video then goes on to explain how these principles guided the creation of the Unité d’habitation, and how the structure provides housing for many residents without sacrificing humanity’s basic needs.
Other documents
This website explains how Le Corbusier’s design of the Unité d’habitation, especially the rooftop, was influenced by his fascination with the steamboat. The windows resemble cabin windows, and the ventilation stacks resemble top deck and smoke stacks. I agree with the author of the posting, however, I don’t see this resemblance having a huge influence in the principle design of the building.
3 things i learned from the above magazine:
- Unité d’Habitation has been refurbished by German-American architect Philipp Mohr to Le Corbusier’s original plans.
- The interior plan of the Unité d’Habitation was altered drastically after a disagreement between Le Corbusier and the local planning authorities occured.
- The colour scheme of the current interior was carefully chosen based on research into Le Corbusier’s writings about colour theory, and from colors developed by Le Corbusier himself.
3 things I learned from the above website:
- Le Corbusier came up with the “5 points of architecture”
- Le Corbusier proclaimed the house as a “machine for living in”
- Le Corbusier had many commisions post-war, and shifted his style towards more brutalist architecture rather than smooth modernist architecture.
Key buildings from prehistory to the present: plans, sections and elevations
Ballantyne, A. (2012). Key buildings from prehistory to the present: plans, sections and elevations. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Le Corbusier used reinforced concrete, which was a technology still not widely used at the time, to build a residential structure with unique structural stability. This allowed it to have freely-divided spaces with nonstructural walls, windows that run all the way around, and double story apartments. The structure is raised off of the ground using massive concrete legs to create external space underneath, and also has a communal space on the roof. This technology was used as a prototype for the reconstruction of cities after WWII.
Architectural excellence: 500 iconic buildings
Cattermole, P. (2014). Architectural excellence: 500 iconic buildings. Boston, MA: Credo Reference.
The Unité d’habitation was made with the intention of creating a public residential block, but building vertically as to not sacrifice outside spaces. In this effort, Le Corbusier incorporated many amenities such as shops on the fifth floor, a hotel, medical and educational facilities, and a private recreational area with children’s play zones, seating areas, a garden, and a swimming pool. This architectural design was a groundbreaking advancement in the Modernist movement, and influenced many future designs.
citations
Ballantyne, A. (2012). Key buildings from prehistory to the present: plans, sections and elevations. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Cattermole, P. (2014). Architectural excellence: 500 iconic buildings. Boston, MA: Credo Reference.
Frearson, A. (2016, June 28). Brutalist buildings: Unité d’Habitation by Le Corbusier. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2014/09/15/le-corbusier-unite-d-habitation-cite-radieuse-marseille-brutalist-architecture/
Kroll, A. (2010, November 5). AD Classics: Unite d’ Habitation / Le Corbusier. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/85971/ad-classics-unite-d-habitation-le-corbusier
Stott, R. (2019, October 6). Spotlight: Le Corbusier. Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/434972/happy-birthday-le-corbusier-2
Wall, F. (2018, June 14). UNITÉ D´HABITATION I LE CORBUSIER I A WALK THROUGH IN 4K. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usdUcwP9lT0&feature=youtu.be
