From purism to Le Corbusier’s pure space through colour

Authors

  • Aurelio Vallespín Muniesa Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Luis Agustín Hernández Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Angelica Fernández-Morales Universidad de Zaragoza

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/arq.2018.141.03

Abstract

This article studies the influence of cubism and purism on Le Corbusier’s architectural work, not only in the 1920s, but throughout his career. He applied the colour theories that were being used in these movements to architecture, initially in order to deform space, by means of the ideas of colour held by artists such as Leger. He was finally able to achieve space through colour, without the need to define space through materialisation in order to delimit it, as was typically the case. This new idea of space brought about a change in the traditional concept of space, which we call pure space, as a clear reference to purism, an expression used by Rainer Maria Rilke in the Duino Elegies, published in 1922, when Le Corbusier was involved in purism. This concept will be studied through the east light tower of the chapel of Nôtre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, partially painted in vermilion, and in its west-facing twin, painted in white.

Keywords: Nôtre Dame du Haut Ronchamp, purism, light tower.

Author Biographies

Aurelio Vallespín Muniesa, Universidad de Zaragoza

Aurelio Vallespín Muniesa es Profesor Ayudante Doctor de la Universidad de Zaragoza, siendo profesor del Área de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica de esta Universidad desde el año 2008. Como investigador destaca el proyecto premiado Un alma común: la arquitectura sículo-aragonesa, donde trabajó sobre el gótico mediterráneo en Sicilia y Aragón junto con  Luis Agustin y Ricardo Santonja.

Doctor arquitecto desde 2003 por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, con la Tesis Doctoral titulada "El espacio arquitectónico aprehendido desde la obra de Mark Rothko" dirigida por D. Jesús Aparicio Guisado.

Con estudio profesional desde el año 2000, como arquitecto ha desarrollado su labor profesional en el campo de la vivienda unifamiliar y colectiva, y en los sectores bancario y sanitario. Destacan las intervenciones realizadas para la Obra Social y Cultural de Ibercaja.

Como pintor, destaca la exposición itinerante "Habitando el color" en el año 2007, en Zaragoza, Guadalajara y Logroño, donde se profundizó sobre las ideas y el fundamento de la pintura monocromática. También destaca la celebrada en 2014 en el torreón Fortea del Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza

Aurelio Vallespín Muniesa is a Teacher Assistant Doctor of the Universidad de Zaragoza, being a teacher of the Area of Graphical Architectural Expression of this  university from the year 2008. As investigator emphasizes the winning project Un alma común: la arquitectura sículo-aragonesa, where it was employed on the Mediterranean Gothic at Sicily and Aragon together with Luis Agustin and Ricardo Santonja.

Doctor of Architecture since 2003, at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, with the doctoral thesis entitled “Architectural space apprehended from the work of Mark Rothko”, supervised by Mr. Jesús Aparicio Guisado.

Located in a professional studio since the year 2000, he has developed his architectural work in the field of single family houses and apartment houses, and in the banking and health sectors. It is worth mentioning some interventions carried out for Ibercaja´s Charitable and Cultural Work.

As a painter, it is remarkable the itinerant exhibition “Inhabiting the Colour” in the year 2007, in Zaragoza, Guadalajara and Logroño, a deep reflection on the ideas and foundation of monochrome painting. Also it stands out celebrated in 20014 in the Torreón Fortea, dependent on the Town hall of Zaragoza

Luis Agustín Hernández, Universidad de Zaragoza

Luis Agustín Hernández, Arquitecto por la Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB) en 1993. Obtuvo el doctorado en 2013, en el programa de ingeniería mecánica de la Universidad Alfonso X de Madrid. Desde el año 2000 es Profesor Titular de Escuela Universitaria, en el área de Expresión Gráfica arquitectónica.

Ha desarrollado trabajos de gestión en la Universidad de Zaragoza, como coordinador de la Titulación de Diseño Industrial, ponente redactor de la memoria de verificación del Grado en Arquitectura de la Universidad de Zaragoza, actualmente es Director del Departamento de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Zaragoza.

Participación en Proyectos de investigación competitivos con financiación pública:

- (2013) Proyecto de Investigación: UZ2012-TEC-03: Indicadores de Sostenibilidad en la Rehabilitación de la vivienda social y la regeneración urbana.

- (2014) BIA2013-44001-R: Protocolo de Diseño Integrado para la Rehabilitación de la Vivienda Social y Regeneración Urbana.

- (2015) Un alma común. Arquitectura Siculo-aragonesa.

- (2016) Un alma común. Arquitectura Gótica mediterránea.

 

Luis Agustín Hernández, Architect by Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB) in 1993. He received his doctorate in 2013, in the Mechanical engineering program at the Alfonso X University of Madrid. Since 2000 he is Associate Professor of University School, in the area of ??Graphic Expression.

He has developed management jobs at the Zaragoza University, as coordinator of the Degree in Industrial Design, draftsman editor of the verification report of the Degree in Architecture from the University of Zaragoza Design, currently is Director of the Department of architecture of the University of Zaragoza.

Participation in competitive research projects with public funding:

- (2013) Research Project: UZ2012-TEC-03: Indicators of Sustainability in the rehabilitation of social housing and urban regeneration.

- (2014) BIA2013-44001-R: Integrated Protocol Design for Rehabilitation of Social Housing and Urban Regeneration. http://arquitectura.unizar.es/ecoregen/

- (2015) A common soul. Siculo-Aragonese architecture.

- (2016) A common soul. Gothic Mediterranean architecture.

 

Angelica Fernández-Morales, Universidad de Zaragoza

Angélica Fernández-Morales cursó estudios de arquitectura y arte en Barcelona y Berlín, respectivamente, y leyó su tesis doctoral en la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña en 2014. Desde 2009 es Profesora de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica en la Universidad de Zaragoza. Sus investigaciones en torno a las relaciones entre arte contemporáneo y arquitectura han sido publicadas en diversas revistas académicas (Arquitetura, EGA, Dearq, Boletín Académico, etc.). Paralelamente desarrolla trabajos sobre tecnologías gráficas digitales aplicadas, principalmente, al patrimonio arquitectónico (captura digital, modelado y visualización). Ha realizado estancias de investigación en el MACBA de Barcelona, la ETH de Zúrich y la Universidad de Stuttgart.

 

Angelica Fernandez-Morales studied architecture and art in Barcelona and Berlin, respectively, and received her PhD at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in 2014. Since 2009 she is a teacher of Architectural Graphics at the University of Zaragoza. Her papers on the relationship between contemporary art and architecture have been published in various academic journals (Arquitetura, EGA, Dearq, A Boletín Académico, etc.). She also works in the field of digital graphic technologies applied, primarily, to the architectural heritage (digital capture, modeling and visualization). She has made research stays at the MACBA in Barcelona, the ETH Zurich and the University of Stuttgart.

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Published

2018-06-28

How to Cite

Vallespín Muniesa, A., Agustín Hernández, L., & Fernández-Morales, A. (2018). From purism to Le Corbusier’s pure space through colour. Arquitetura Revista, 14(1), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.4013/arq.2018.141.03

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2018): Jan-Jun

Section

Articles

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