 Recognized worldwide, Le Corbusier designed spacious
homes in middle class neighborhoods on the outskirts of
Paris, though not all came to be built. The most striking is
the house “Les Terrasses”, built in Garches on land that now
belongs to the commune Vaucresson.
Sarah and Michael Stein were well known collectors and
connoisseurs of modern painting and sculptures. Their
outdoor House would be the center of contemporary art in
Paris, informal galleries were friends could come to look
at the pictures and listen to the Steins talk about art. The
couple always lived in the centre of Paris but wanted to
move to the suburbs of Paris, by which they could enjoy
the nice landscape but could easy go to Paris for their work
and art business.
Because Le Corbusier was well known for his concepts and
his name was rising as an architect, he also had very close
connections with the affl uent Parisian classes.
The Steins commissioned Le Corbusier in 1926 to design
their house.
The following is an analysis of the application of the Golden Ratio in Le Corbusier's design of Villa Stein in Garches:
- The first figure shows the start of the predefined outline of
the building. The area proportions are determined by the
Golden Section. The axis of the square and its inner line
form important traces for the individual plan. The strongly
broken diagonal links the corner points of the Golden
Section rectangle.
- In the second figure there can be seen that the initial
square is reflected over the vertical axis, thus producing
symmetrical zones within the overall area with the aid of its
own axis and inner line. The central area where the squares
overlap represents the crucial field for the position of the
support structure.
- In the third figure it can be seen that the
initial square now forms two secondary axes. Each of them
represents the middle of one of the entrance zones.
The overlapping lines of the squares are reflected across
these axes, thus establishing the narrow zones of the
access area and of the columns.
- In the fourth figure it can
be seen how the columns are placed.
The zones ensuing from the geometrical principle can
be divided into regular strip A-B-A-B-A. The columns are
arranged within the narrow B strips, in a way that the outer
lines of each of them lies on the trace. The walls are added
on the outside along the short sides an it becomes clear that
Le Corbusier defines these outer space tracks as dynamic
zones, distinctly articulated in the architecture. Such as
the window strip that runs around the corner and the pier
elements in the interior.
- If there is a closer look at the plan
of the ground floor there can be seen that the same square
that defined the entrance zones in the outer area can be
brought in here to determine the outline of the extended
exterior terrace on the back. If the outer line of the building
is extended upwards, the border with the attached flight of
steps can be determined geometrically.
This places a staircase platform at the end and it becomes
clear that the orthogonal figures on the first floor, the kitchen
and the outside terrace, are unambiguously defined by the
Golden Section and the square.
The Golden Section and the square are preset figures within
the dynamic spatial structure of the living level. Symbolically
encoded within them is the contrasting pair, Irrationality and
rationality, that constantly inform the work of Le Corbusier.
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