In 1923, Le Corbusier published what would become the most influential book on architecture in the 20th century. Vers Une Architecture compiled sixteen essays on architecture which, when combined, indicated that a new architecture—one more attuned to the early 20th century modern condition—was already emerging in the functional work of industrial designers and structural engineers. Accordingly, architects needed to rethink their ways and learn from these new modern impulses so as to focus on the fundamental functional and plastic aspects of architecture as to allow all that was accidental or merely stylistic to be relegated to its proper minor place. This was nothing short of a revolution, but one that could be avoided through architecture. “Architecture or Revolution,” as the book concluded.

Reyner Banham, believed Vers Une Architecture to be "one of the most influential, widely read, and least understood of all the architectural writings of the twentieth century.” This exhibition attempts to change that, by not merely analyzing Le Corbusier’s (and Amédée Ozenfant’s) spirited book-form manifesto to critically enquire its ideas, insights, lessons, and proclamations, but also by attempting to make them more understandable (and accessible) through an exhibition.

date

June 13 - July 11, 2019

venue

TU Eindhoven

Team

Sergio M. Figueiredo

Lars Breukelaar
Hagar El Frargy
Ryuki Han
Thomas Hoeven
Sem Joosten
Arghavan Khaefi
Boris Koselka
Tom Schoonwater