RECYCLINGS:JAMESSTIRLING

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Keywords:Ronchamp.

YOUROPINION
OTHER
RECYCLINGS

Commentary:
Lacapillade
Ronchamp,supongo
byXavierMonteys

RONCHAMP.Le
Corbusier'sChapeland
thecrisisof
rationalism.
byJamesStirling

WiththesimultaneousappearanceofLeverHouseinNewYorkandthe
UnitinMarseilles,ithadbecomeobviusthatthestylisticbetweenEurope
andtheNewWorldhadenteredonadecisivephase.Theissueofartor
technologyhaddividedtheideologicalbasisofthemodernmovement,and
thedivergingstylesapparentsinceConstructivismprobablyhavetheirorigin
intheattempttofuseArtNoveauandlate19thcenturyengineering.Inthe
U.S.A.,functionalismnowmeanstheadaptationtobuildingofindustrial
processesandproducts,butinEuropeitremainstheessentiallyhumanist
methodofdesigningtoaspecificuse.ThepostwararchitectureofAmerica
mayappearbrittletoEuropeansand,byobviatingthehierarchical
dispositionofelements,anonymoushowever,thisacademicmethodof
criticismmaynolongerbeadequateinconsideringtechnologicalproductsof
the20thcentury.Yetthismethodwouldstillappearvalidincriticizingrecent
Europeanarchitecturewheretheelaborationofspaceandformhascontinued
withoutabatementandthechapelbyLeCorbusiermaypossiblybethemost
plasticbuildingevererectedinthenameofmodernarchitecture.
Thesouthtowerofthechapel,emergingasawhitethumbabovethe
landscape,canbeseenformanymilesasoneapproachestheSwissborder.
TherollinghillsandgreenwoodlandsoftheHauteSanearereminiscentof
manypartsofEnglandandWales,andthevillageofRonchampspreads
alongeithersideoftheDijonBasleroad.Afterclimbingasteepandwinding
dirttrack,leadingfromthevillagethroughdensewoodland,onereachesthe
baldcrownofthehillonwhichthechapelissituated.Thesweepoftheroof,
invertingthecurveoftheground,andasingledynamicgesturegivethe
compositionanexpressionofdramaticinevitability.Theimmediate
impressionisofasuddenencounterwithanunnaturalconfigurationof
naturalelementssuchasthegraniteringsatStonehengeorthedolmensin
Brittany.
Farfrombeingmonumental,thebuildinghasaconsiderableetherealquality,
principallyasaresultoftheequivocalnatureofthewalls.Therendering,
whichiswhitewashedover,hasbeenhandthrownandhasanimpastoof
about2inches.Thisveneersuggestsaqualityofweightlessnessandgives
thewallssomethingoftheappearanceofpapermch.

Notwithstandingthatbothroofandwallscurveandsplayinseveral
directions,thematerialdifferenceofrenderedwallsandnaturalconcreteroof
maintainstheconventionaldistinctionbetweenthem.Theyarefurther
distinguishedonthesouthandeastsidesbyacontinuous9inchglazedstrip,
andthoughtheroofisnotvisibleonthenorthandwestsidesitscontoursare
suggestedbytheoutlineoftheparapet.Thereisasimilaritybetweenthe
chapelandtheEinsteintowerwhichisevenlessconventional,butonly
inasmuchasthewallsandroofarefusedintooneexpression.
Thewhitewashedrenderingisappliedtotheinterioraswellastotheexterior
andtheopeningsscatteredapparentlyatrandomoverthesouthandnorth
wallssplayeitherinwardsoroutwards,similartotherevealsofgunopenings
incoastalfortifications.Ontheinsideofthewestwalltheseopeningssplay
inwardstosuchadegreethatfromtheinteriorthesurfacetakesonthe
appearanceofagrille.Itisthroughthisgrillethatmostofthedaylight
percolatestotheinterior,yettheoveralleffectisoneofdiffuselightsothat,
fromaplaceinthecongregation,noparticularfeatureisspotlightedasinthe
mannerofaBaroquechurch.
Wheretheroofdipstoitslowestpoint,adoublebarrelledgargoyleprojects
outwardstoshootrainwaterintoashutterpatternedconcretetub.This
elementissurprisinglyreminiscentofSouthBankfestivaliaandsomething
ofthesamespiritisconveyedbyLeCorbusierinhisstoveenamelledmurals
coveringbothsidesoftheprocessionalentrancedoor.Thesameapliestothe
inscriptionsonthecolouredglassinsetstothewindowopenings.These
linearapplicationssuggestafinalflourishandappearsuperflousandeven
amateurincomparisonwiththeoverpoweringvirtuosityinmouldingthe
contoursofsolidmasses.
Theusualprocedureinexaminingbuildingsaninspectionoftheexterior
followedbyatouroftheinteriorisreverse,andsightseersemergingonto
thecrownofthehillproceedtowalkaroundthebuildingclockwise,
completing11/2circlesbeforeenteringthechapelwheretheytendtobecome
static,turningontheirownaxistoexaminetheinterior.
Echoingthesagoftheroof,theconcretefloordipsdowntothealtarrail
whichappearstobealengthoffoldedlead.Thevariousaltarsarebuiltupof
blocksofpolishedprecastconcrete(probablywithamarbleaggregate)
whicharecasttoamarvellousprecision.Theroof,togetherwiththeconcrete
almsboxesandswiveldoor,representsanincredibleFrenchingenuityin
usingthismaterial.
Thewalladjacenttothechoirgallerystairsispaintedaliturgicalpurpleand
thewhitewashonthesplayedrevealsoftheopeningsreturnsontothepurple
walltoawidthof3inches,thusresemblingthepaintedwindowsurroundson
housesaroundtheMediterraneancoast.Smallareasofgreenandyelloware
paintedovertherenderingoneithersideofthemainentranceandalsoonthe
revealstotheopeningwhichcontainsthepivotingstatueotheMadonna.The
onlylargeareaofcolourisconfinedtothenortheastchapelandtowerthis
hasbeenpaintedredforitsentireheightsothatlightpouringdownfromthe
topgivesthissurfacetheluminosityof"Dayglow."Thethreetowerswhich
catchthesunatdifferenttimesofthedayandpourlightdownontothealtars
areinfactverticalextensionsofeachofthesidechapels.
Evenwithasmallcongregation,thesuperbacousticsgivearesonance
suggestingacathedralspaceandthepeopleusingthechapeldosonaturally
andwithoutanysignofembarrassment.Asareligiousbuilding,itfunctions
extremelywellandappearstobecompletelyaccepted.ItisafactthatLe

Corbusier'spostwararchitecturehasconsiderablepopularappeal.Thelocal
population,bothatMarseillesandatRonchamp,appeartobeintenselyproud
oftheirbuildings.Rememberingtheprewarconflicts,itisdifficultto
ascertainwhetherthechangeisasocialone,orwhetheritliesinthepublicor
LeCorbusier.Garchesisstillregardedwithsuspicionbythepublic,eitheron
accountofitsstyleorthemanneroflivingofitsinhabitants.
ItmaybeconsideredthattheRonchampchapelbeinga"pureexpressionof
poetry"andthesymbolofanancientritual,shouldnotthereforebecriticised
bytherationaleofthemodernmovement.Remembering,howewer,thatthis
isaproductofEurope'sgreatestarchitect,itisimportanttoconsiderwhether
thisbuildingshouldinfluencethecourseofmodernarchitecture.The
sensationalimpactofthechapelonthevisitorissignificantlynotsustained
foranygreatlengthoftimeandwhwntheemotionssubsidethereislittleto
appealtotheintellect,andnothingtoanalyseorstimulatecuriosity.This
entirelyvisualappealandthelackofintellectualparticipationdemanded
fromthepublicmaypartlyaccountforitseasyacceptancebythelocal
population.
Basicallyitisnotaconcretebuilding,althoughithasalltheappearanceofa
solidifyingobjectthewalls,howewer,areconstructedinweightbearing
masonry.Theinitialstructuralideaofoutliningtheformbyatubularmetal
framewrappedoverwithworemeshingontowhichconcretewastobe
sprayedforsomereasonwasnotcarriedout.Withnochangeinthe
conception,thisoutlinewasfilledinwithmansonry,renderedoverand
whitewashedtotheapperanceoftheinitioalidea.Theinteriorofthewest
wallbecamesointerruptedwithopeningsthatitwasfoundnecessaryto
imbedinthemasonryaconcreteframetoformaroundthewindowopenings.
Thisfreedomfromthepreceptofthecorrectuseandexpressionofmaterials,
apparentinotherpostwarEuropeanarchitecture,haslittleparallelinthe
NewWorldwheretheexploitationofmaterialsandthedevelopmentofnew
techniquescontinuestoexpandthearchitecturalvocabulary.
Withthelossofdirectioninmodernpainting,Europeanarchitectshavebeen
lookingtopopularartandfolkarchitecture,mainlyofanindegenous
character,fromwhichtotheirvocabulary.Anappreciationofregional
building,particularyoftheMediterranean,hasfrequentlyappearedinLe
Corbusier'sbooks,principallyasexamplesofintegratedsocialunits
expressingthemselvesthroughform,butonlyrecentlyhasregionalbuilding
becomeaprimarysourceofplasticincident.Thereseemstobenodoubtthat
LeCorbusier'sincrediblepowersofobservationarelesseningthenecessity
forinvention,andhistravelsroundtheworldhavestockpiledhisvocabulary
withplasticelementsandobjetstrouvesofconsiderablepisturesqueness.If
folkarchitectureistorevitalisethemovement,itwillfirstbenecessaryto
determinewhatitisthatismoderninmodernarchitecture.Thescattered
openingsonthechapelwallsmayrecalldeStijlbutasimilarexpressionis
alsocommonplaceinthefarmbuildingsofProvence.Theinfluenceof
popularartisalsoapparentinthepriest'shouseandthehostelbuildings.The
externalwoodworkispaintedskyblueandareasofsmoothrendering
paintedoverinpatternsaredecorativelyappliedtotheoutsidewallstheir
situationandapperancedonotexpressanyformal,structuraloraesthetic
principle.Allthewallsoftheseoutbuildingsareinconcrete,andlargestones
havebeeinplacedinthemixcloseagainsttheshuttering,sothatwhenthe
boarddingisremovedthesurfaceofthesestonesisexposed.
SincetheBauhaus,thefusionofartandtechnologyhasbeenthelifelong
missionofGropius,andyetitisthisaspectwhichdenoteshisleast
achievement.TheDessaubuildingitselfpresentsaseriesofelevationseach

ofwhichisbiasedtowardseitherartortechnology.Thesuggestionthat
architecturehasbecomesocomplexthatitneedsbeconceivedbyateam
representingthecompositemindmaypartlyaccountfortheambiguitywhich
isfeltwithbuildingsgeneratedinthismanner.Ontheotherhand,Maillart,
whoenvolvedhisstheticastheresultofinventingtheoriesofreinforcingto
exploittheconcreteribbon,achievedinhisbridgesanintegrationof
techniqueandexpressionwhichhasrarelybeensurpassed.Theexaggerated
supremacyof"Art"inEuropeanArchitectureprobablydenotesahesitant
attitudetowardstechnology,whichitselfhaspossiblybeenretardedbyour
derisiveattitudetowardsthemythofprogress,therecentbeliefthattrue
progressliesincharity,welfare,andpersonalhappiness,havingreplacedthe
Victorianideaofprogressastheinventionandperfectionofman'stoolsand
equipment.
Iftheapplicationoftechnologyisoflittleconsequence,neverthelessthe
appearanceofindustrialproductsstillhassomeimportanceforLeCorbusier,
asshownbythehandrailstothestairsonthechapel.Thesehandrails,which
appeartobecutoffsfromanextrudedsectionofrolledsteeljoist,areinfact
speciallycastandthetopflangeissetatanacuteangletotheweb.The
movablelouvreisalogicaldevelopmentinresistingintensesunlightanditis
surprisingtofindthemabovetwooftheentrancestothechapelhowewer,a
closerinspectionrevealsthattheyare4inchstaticconcretefinssetat
arbitraryangles,suggestingmovability.
Thedesiretoderidetheschematicbasisofmodernarchitectureandthe
abilitytoturnadesignupsidedownandmakeitarchitectureare
symptomaticofastatewhenthevocabularyisnotbeingextended,anda
parallelcanbedrawnwiththeManneristperiodoftheRenaissance.
Certainly,theformswhichhavedevelopedfromtherationaleandtheinitial
ideologyofthemodernmovementarebeingmannerizedandchangedintoa
consciousimperfectionism.
LeCorbusier,prodeedingfromthegeneraltotheparticular,hasproduceda
masterpieceofauniquebustmostpersonalorder.
JamesStirling
(Firstpublished:ArchitecturalReview,march1956).

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