Introduction
The “promenade architecturale” is a key term in the language of modern architecture. It appears for the first time in Le Corbusier’s description of the Villa Savoye at Poissy (1928) where it supercedes the term “circulation”, so often used in his early work.1 “In this house occurs a veritable promenade architecturale, offering aspects constantly varied, unexpected and sometimes astonishing.” 2 Taken at a basic level the promenade refers, of course, to the experience of walking through a building. Taken at a deeper level, like most things Corbusian, it refers to the complex web of ideas that underpins his work, most specifically his belief in architecture as a form of initiation. Le Corbusier’s prime objective was to assist people in the process of savoir habiter, knowing how to live.3 “I know that here I am on the essential theme, the great modern theme: HABITATION.” 4 Put simply this meant understanding and fully appreciating what he perceived to be the important things in life.5 Knowing how to live is the fundamental question before modern society, everywhere, in the whole world. An ingenuous question and one that could be considered childish. How to live? Do you know reader? Do you know how to live soundly, strongly, gaily, free of the hundred stupidities established by habit, custom and urban disorganization? 6
The promenade would be designed to resensitise people to their surroundings, leading ultimately to a realignment with nature.7 “You enter: the architectural spectacle at once offers itself to the eye. You follow an itinerary and the perspectives develop with great variety, developing a play of light on the walls or making pools of shadow,” the purpose of all this being to help us “learn at the end of the day to appreciate what is available”.8 There was nothing arbitrary about the way in which the sequence unfolded. Le Corbusier wrote “in respect of our work, of human labour, of the human world, nothing exists or has the right to exist, that has no explanation”.9 At the Swiss Pavilion (1930–32), for example, the “greatest care was taken over the smallest detail,
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“Circulation” is particularly prevalent in Precisions where a section of a chapter is devoted to the subject. Le Corbusier, Precisions, p.128–133. Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Œuvre Complète Volume 2, 1929–1934 (Zurich: Les Editions d’Architecture, 1995), p.24. Le Corbusier, The Marseilles Block (London: Harville, 1953), p.34. Originally published as L’Unité d’habitation de Marseille (Mulhouse: Editions Le Point, 1950). See also “Eyes that do not see” in Le Corbusier, Towards a New Architecture (London: Architectural Press, 1982), p.9. Originally published as Vers une Architecture (Paris: Crès, 1923), p.9. 4 Le Corbusier, When the Cathedrals were White (New York: Reynal Hitchcock, 1947), p.xviii. Originally published as Quand les cathédrales étaient blanches (Paris: Plon, 1937). 5 Le Corbusier, Towards a New Architecture, p.23. 6 Le Corbusier, When the Cathedrals were White, p.xvii. 7 See Sarah Menin and Flora Samuel, Nature and Space: Aalto and Le Corbusier (London: Routledge, 2003) for an exploration of what nature meant to Le Corbusier. 8 Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Œuvre Complète Volume 1, 1910–1929 (Zurich: Les Editions d’Architecture, 1995), p.60. Originally published in 1937. Translation from T. Benton, The Villas of Le Corbusier 1920–1930 (London: Yale, 1987), p.4. 9 Le Corbusier, The Decorative Art of Today (London: Architectural Press, 1987), p.163. Originally published as L’Art décoratif d’aujourd’hui (Paris: Editions Crès, 1925), p.165.