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Artistic design in the USSR
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1. Create (ASRITA). The most important function of the Institute.Practical activities of the institute.
Before designed in the Soviet Union there were several other purposes than the specialists of artistic design in the West to a Soviet design not so much dependent on the market:
1. Service of Technical Aesthetics headed the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics (ASRITA) with its branches in major cities - Leningrad, Kiev, Kharkov, Yerevan and Baku, Sverdlovsk, Minsk, Vilnius, Tbilisi, Khabarovsk. The Institute and its branches are unusually versatile.
Institute of Design led not only to the ordinary sense of the word, but also design demonstration, design “tomorrow”. Much of this work is related to the industry “Elektrotehprom” mainly engaged in the manufacture of household appliances. Naturally even the most advanced design organizations cannot to conduct their project activities at that level reinforcing its scientific basis as it is able to make a scientific research institute.
What distinguishes this design from the usual practice which is occupied by hundreds of designers all over the country? First of all, we are dealing with a complex design with the design of the system. It analyzes the main trends and developments in this area and their relationship with related industries; - items adjusted already established products.
For example, if designed a vacuum cleane, the designer set for the problem - not the improvement of the existing vacuum cleaners and the problem of dust removal from the premises. On the board of the designer - a sheet of drawing paper coated with lines of communications stretching the image of the cut residential house. This future home along with the power grid, water supply, heating, central air exhaust will.
This is only one example of a new approach to solving a functional problem. But, of course, such a design was limited; it was a question of the individual samples of the standard of design.
The Institute approached the still broader objectives. There was a question - is it possible to arrange things so that all the details of which are collected instruments were the same? Is it possible to conclude all the devices in the body and create uniform between a comfortable and beautiful combination?
This task was entrusted to a team of experts headed by L.Kuzmichevym. We had all of the disparate “boxed” products of the industry to turn into some organized system. All this complex work was called “design program” and continued for several years.
During the program it was made obvious practical effect: the opportunity of specialization, where each enterprise produces only certain parts (it is very profitable). Interchangeability of these components and their versatility created the preconditions to facilitate the work with the devices, their repair, etc.
The fact that this amount was complete, the newly created environment was couched in the same stylistic character of a certain color scheme using special coatings. Furniture and all the decoration of the interior was also well thought out and combined with the equipment. Along with all these solved and standards of numbers, letters, indices. Packaging and marketing of all products conceived as part of the project with the preservation of style adopted for this industry features.
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2. The most important function of the Institute of Technical Aesthetics - was quality control of industrial products. Without thorough testing institute of any one item of cultural and community purpose, household appliances, mechanical engineering, instrument could not get a mark of quality. The number of products undergoing examination at Quality Mark came to several hundred per year.
3. Practical activities of the Institute of Industrial Design have been linked with the most diverse scientific research in the theory and practice of artistic design. The Institute conducted extensive publishing activities. Monthly output illustrated bulletin “Industrial art”" which reflects the life of the Soviet and international designers. Every year produces several collections of numbers “Design Internationa”, “Proceedings ASRITA” periodically be published separate studies and the results of monographs - departments and laboratories of the institute in the field of design techniques, ergonomics, psychology, technology, etc.
Of course, Institute of Technical Aesthetics cannot cover all the multifaceted efforts to create a new object environment, new products, landscaping, etc. It’s too wide range of problems and diverse content of this activity.
In every industry - their own tasks, their traditions, their prospects. Therefore, as a rule, these industries have their own design and research institutions, many of which can be rightly regarded as centers of advanced design culture.
Control questions
1. What can you tell about the creation of ASRITA?
2. What can you tell about the activities of ASRITA?
3. What can you tell about the functions of ASRITA?
Lecture 17, 18
Le Corbusier and his theory of modern architecture
1. Biography of Le Corbusier.
2. The five starting points of modern architecture
1. Le Corbusier Charles Edouard (real surname - Jeanneret) (October 6, 1887, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland - August 27, 1965, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Provence, France), - a French architect, art theorist, one of the most respected masters of modern architecture.
He was born in the family of the owner enamel workshop. As a teenager he studied at the local school of arts and crafts; he made a living engraving designs on the watch. He received master classes from top architects of the time - J. Hoffman in Vienna (1907), A. Perret in Paris (1908-10), P. Behrens in Berlin (1910-11). In 1911 he traveled to Italy, Greece, Turkey, experienced a great influence of ancient and Islamic architecture.
Early in the century he reflects the need to seek new ways in architecture. Young Jeanneret refuses canonical methods and ready-made recipes that are presented to the school of architecture, from the concept of the “great inspiration” which has no relation to reality.
And in his first building Le Corbusier had sought aesthetic unity of purpose and form, sought to poetically reflect on and incorporate organic architecture of the surrounding nature.
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In 1914, Le Corbusier creates project teams’ production houses which he called “Domino” (the first in the history of architecture, the idea of a frame house for mass production). The project was not implemented and was recognized only in 1929.
From 1922 Le Corbusier builds several small buildings around Paris in a completely new style of plastic, composition and form. This is a small house-villas, workshops for artists closest friends: the painter Amedeo Ozanfana in Paris, the sculptor Jacques Lipchitz in Boulogne-sur-Seine. Here there is some support raised above ground house La Roche composer Albert Jeanneret, Le Corbusier’s brother. Free interior layout creates is unusual, fantastic, but logically complete interiors: the flat roof - garden terrace. The garden is divided by pillars and the house and it seemed to hover over the green. Elongated horizontal windows offer views of the surrounding countryside. We have before us the main features of the architecture of Le Corbusier we know all of it - both small and grand - projects.
The buildings were constructed by Le Corbusier triumphant new architectural aesthetics, life-affirming and deeply human. Each new building becomes an event in the art world. His works and projects were published in all the architectural journals, he was everywhere promoting a new word in architecture. And when in 1923 he published his book “architecture”, Le Corbusier has become one of the leading theorists of architecture of XX century.
In 1925 Le Corbusier published his major work “Town planning”. This book had a great influence on the development of the young science of the urban planning it causes a significant interest in our days.
Features Le Corbusier’s creativity can be seen in the material creation of the architectural composition. He created his most significant works only after a long and difficult search for the primary architectural form. No matter how the plan complicated and the amount of building his stack of simple spatial elements. This feature of Corbusier found in reinforced concrete. In place of the traditional designs came cooker large set to vertical the same concrete pillar - column. Thus freed from the wall load: columns were placed inside the building and the wall turned into protected from outer space plane, if you like, a membrane which can be mounted on the structure. The ideal material for the walls were glass.
Reinforced concrete and glass for the first time in the work of Le Corbusier received their principal assertion. Predecessors Corbusier including his teacher Auguste Perret (1874-1954), architectural facades still alternated the wall and opening. Corbusier uses continuous ribbon of glass.
The spatial composition is made up of elements taken each consisting of two floors connected staircase. This simple form of Corbusier varied infinitely creating a diversity of living space. Individual cells architect connects the internal communications which he called a “street”. Le Corbusier in the confined space of his apartment building accommodates all the necessary functions to serve people living in it. Most clearly this principle was expressed in the famous Marseilles apartment house built in 1952 by architect. Towards a primary architectural and spatial composition of Le Corbusier came through the use of standard building elements. Corbusier saw in the standardization not only convenience and cheaper construction but mostly option ability. He found a new artistic expression through the use of standard parts. The famous “Five starting points of modern architecture” Le Corbusier formulated clearly their principles.
2. The five starting points of modern architecture.
1. Supports - pillars: House on separate poles - earlier the house was hammered into the ground, often in the dark and damp places. Reinforced concrete gives us some support. Now the home is as in the air above the ground; under the house is a garden, on the roof garden, too.
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2. Roofs - Gardens: Reinforced concrete - a new material that allows you to create a combined roof of the building. Considerations of technology, economy, convenience and psychology lead us to the choice of roof terrace.
3. Free plan: So far wall of the building were his bearing elements, layout of the house is completely dependent on the walls. The use of reinforced concrete allows free planning. Floors will no longer be separated from one another like compartments. (Hence - a big saving residential volume, efficient use of each cubic centimeter of material means big savings.
4. Location of windows along the facade: window- one of the most important elements of the house. Latest tools emancipated window, reinforced concrete has made a real revolution in its history. The windows can be stretched along the entire facade, from one end to the other.
5. Free facade: the support rendered beyond the facade, inside the house. Ceilings are fixed on the consoles. From now the facades - a lighter plate insulating walls and windows. Facade relieved of load.
Le Corbusier sees the city as a combination of separate elements composing it.
When planning the city he uses the same method as in the solution of the composition of a house. Only now house he takes over for the primary architectural and spatial cell. There is a basis of normal human existence in the house of Corbusier. Components of houses form a city where all its spheres - transport, areas of employment, community centers - are located, taking into account rational human services. The starting point of planning his “Radiant City” is a residential area.
Almost always a place where people work - the plant, the business center, - here are no records of his domicile. This creates an agonizing difficulty for people. Le Corbusier offers to overcome them creating a so-called “linear city’. “Linear City” by Le Corbusier is not straight on the plane and the line which is in the position of a real relief inscribed in it and use the most convenient place for all elements of the city. Corbusier does not fit the project nature landscape to the far-fetched, abstract idea, but rather includes the city in a particular landscape.
In 1922, the project “modern city” of three million inhabitants appears. In this project, Le Corbusier contrasted harmonious solution to the chaotic city building cities of the capitalist of West. His settlement for workers in a Bordeaux Pessac (Garden City) conceived in 1925 and in a very short time - less than a year - was done, but the fault of the administration settled only in 1929. Later this settlement for the workers of the 51 houses became a model and a place of pilgrimage for many architects.
Built House of Tsentrosoyuz in Moscow - the first-born of Soviet administrative buildings of a new type - was a great event in the development of world architecture. Everything here was new: the decision of the interior spaces, open plan, concise solution to the facade, built on the contrast of the glazed surfaces and solid walls. Building a house of Tsentrosoyuz were used all the technical construction achievements of those years.
During the Second World War the “Modulor” new-system of proportional relationships was created. Le Corbusier’s put the foundation of the metric sizes of a human body in the architecture. And it takes not only the average height of a man, but the size of a seated figure of the human foot, the length of his arms, pitch and so on. D. “Modulor” isn’t just a theory it contains the developed practical guidance on the application of human proportions in comparison with the conventional Metric calculation in detail.Among those who first appreciated the “Modulor” was the great Einstein who believed that Le Corbusier designed the system has great practical significance not only in the architectural design but also in other types of human activity.
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It is a new page in the work of Le Corbusier’s chapel became the Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, on the creation of which he worked from 1950 until 1954. Here the master first applied elastically curved plane load-bearing walls on which as it takes off forming a huge sheds, also curved slab of reinforced concrete. A small window slits of different sizes and shapes, as if accidentally scattered along the facade, creating a fabulous effect in the interior. These little windows emphasize the integrity and monumental buildings. There are some distant associations with the Romanesque architecture with temples of ancient Pskov but rather with old French peasant huts.
In 1956, Le Corbusier began to work on the construction of the Dominican monastery in La Tourrettes near Lyon. When a monk asked why the construction of the monastery was commissioned by Le Corbusier, the Dominican replied: “For the beauty of the new monastery”. The monks knew that the famous wizard creates his architectural masterpiece. Le Corbusier’s personal views on religion and the church were completely indifferent to them. Churchmen were not deceived in their calculations: tourists from around the world flock to La Tourette, as well as in Ronshan.
Control questions
1. What do you know about the life and work of Le Corbusier?
2. What can you tell about the emergence of mass housing?
3. Speak about the biography of Le Corbusier.
4. What can you tell us about the five basic principles of modern architecture?
5. What do you know about the five starting points of modern architecture?
6. What can you tell about a new system of proportional ratios?
Lecture 19, 20
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