The Open Plan: Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto

Le Corbusier is known to many as the father of modern architecture. He was famous for his influence on the Bauhaus movement and developed a theory called the five points of architecture. These five points were: freestanding support pillars, open floor plan independent from the supports, vertical facade that is free from the supports, long horizontal sliding windows, and roof gardens.

His idea for the open plan was an attempt to open up the space inside. This method made use of outlying structure with the façade pulled away from the structure. Le Corbusier believed in the sacridity of space, and called his open plan buildings “pure prisms.” Many of his five points of architecture contributed to the purity of his buildings, but the open plan was an integral part. Take, for example, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. This project is Le Corbusier’s idea for a “living machine” rather than the typical house. Where a house contains a collection of closed-off spaces, Le Corbusier’s open plan allows for more open spaces, centered around a common living area. This function is important to the way Le Corbusier believed the occupants of the home should be encouraged to meander through spaces.

Another architect who implemented the open plan was Alvar Aalto. Aalto implemented the open plan in a very different way than Le Corbusier. While Le Corbusier was mostly concerned with the social spatial experience that the open plan provided, Aalto used the open plan for improved climate control over the building. His use with the open plan allowed for optimal conditions to enhance air flow through the building. In his work, Aalto was very interested in creating interior spaces as climatic paradises—spaces that would use technology to become climatically inviting.

Both architects were great facilitators in the development of modern architecture, whose open plans influenced the imaginations of architects to come. Though their ideals and goals with the urban plan may have differed, there is a definite resemblance in their appreciation for the aesthetic that the open plan provides.

Kroll, Andrew. “AD Classics: Villa Savoye / Le Corbusier.” (2010). Arch Daily. Retrieved from http://www.archdaily.com/84524/ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-corbusier/

Passe, Ulrike. “Alvar Aalto’s open plan architecture as an environmental technology device.” (2012). Alvar Aalto Museo. Retrieved from http://www.alvaraaltoresearch.fi/articles/alvar-aaltos-open-plan-architecture-environmental-technology/#.UVtT9BzqljZ