Rationalism and Organicism: Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright
Modern Movement: Rationalism and Organicism
Rationalism: Le Corbusier
Rationalism adapts modern construction techniques to functional needs. It features unornamented, transparent volumes, with decoration derived from the arrangement of openings in facades. Le Corbusier, a key theorist, urbanist, and architect, developed the Modulor. He envisioned a plan for a contemporary city of three million inhabitants. His focus was on housing, both individual homes and apartment blocks. These “machines for living” were elevated on stilts, with flat roof gardens. Structures were limited to iron scaffolding and cement. Key examples include Villa Savoye and Unité d’Habitation.
From the 1950s, Le Corbusier explored curved reinforced concrete, left in its natural state. This is evident in religious works like Notre Dame du Haut and Sainte Marie de la Tourette.
Organicism: Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright championed organicism, believing buildings should harmonize with the landscape and fulfill the client’s needs. His career had two successful periods, separated by a period of ostracism. The initial phase (1887-1909) focused on comfortable prairie houses. These single-family homes often featured a central fireplace, varied views, and different living environments achieved through varying heights. The house volume was often a cross shape. These designs were popularized by women’s decoration magazines.
After 1909, Wright’s career declined due to personal issues. He later studied Mayan architecture and remarried, revitalizing his career. At nearly 70, he designed Fallingwater, a prime example of organic architecture. Wright disliked the German architects of the Bauhaus, and this house was a response. It is located in the woods of Pennsylvania and was commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann.
After this work, Wright was universally recognized. In 1937, he designed the Johnson Wax headquarters in Racine (Wisconsin), featuring curvilinear elements. Thirteen years later, he designed a glass tower with rounded corners for the company’s laboratories. His obsession with the circle culminated in the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York.