An Analysis of the Theoretical Ideas of Theatre des Champs-Lyses - Essay Example

?Auguste Perret and the Theatre des Champs-Elysees Introduction The Theatre des Champs-Elysees is a structure in Paris that was designed by August Perret (1874-1954). Perret was an architect that was known for his work in reinforced concrete. The reason why Perret worked in this medium is because he was interested in building that withstood the test of time. According to him, the only real architecture was that which would create beautiful ruins, such as the Parthenon, and, since the medium of reinforced concrete was what the ancient Greeks used, this was in keeping with Perret’s ethos of architecture, which was generally a combination of rationalism, classicism and gothic. That said, the Theatre des Champs-Elysees itself also showed other elements, including avant-garde and art deco. This was because it was built in 1913 in Paris, and, during this time, art was experiencing a kind of cultural renaissance. The artists during this time were blending African influences with the newest movements, which include futurism, a movement which disdained the past in full. Therefore, the building was in keeping of the spirit of the times, while blending the classicism and lines of the past. This report will detail Perret and his influences, along with a brief discussion of the artistic environment surrounding the building of the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, with a description of the key architectural elements of this structure. Influence and Theory of Perret Auguste Perret (1874-1954), was a French architect whose architecture was founded upon using reinforced concrete frame construction. As Frampton (1995) notes, Perret was influenced by the Romans, who used reinforced concrete in their construction of their vaults, including the Roman Pantheon. These structures gained their strength through their monolithic shells, as opposed to the “thrust and counterthrust of arch and buttress” (p. 121). Frampton (1995) also notes that Perret's other influence was his father, Claude-Marie Perret, who used the Hennebique system, which used iron stirrups to resist shear stress on reinforced concrete beams, to frame apartment buildings in Paris. Perret saw reinforced concrete as way to reconcile the schism between Platonic form and tectonic expressivity of structural rationalism (Frampton, 1995, p. 123). His frames were based upon classicized rationalism, which combined the classical with the rational. Perret had another influence around the time that he created the Theatre des Champs Elysees, and that was Paul Valery. Valery, according to Frampton (1995), stated that the importance of architecture is the durability of the framework, which means that the building will stand up through time. It is through the passage of time that the building will attain its character, which was the thinking of Valery, who noted that the buildings are currently furnished with elements and forms, but its harmonious style and character would come with time. This is what makes a building beautiful, according to Valery, as time gives it character, style and harmony. Moreover, buildings which have stood through time would give the culture memory of form, which complements the structure of the building of steeples and towers (Frampton, 1995). Frampton (1995) explains that Perret met Valery around 1909, which was just three years before Perret realized the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Valery was fond of the theatre, and he was on personal terms with luminaries such as Maurice Denis and Antoine Bourdelle, who are the artists who supplied the decor and sculptural relief for the theatre. Valery’s theory was that bearing constructions must be separated from reticulated construction, which also must be separated from consolidated construction cast in reinforced concrete. However, Perret’s theory for the Theatre des Champs-Elysees was that the tectonic potential of the concrete frame must be realized, which means that it was removed from Valery’s ideas of the tectonic which was based upon Greek culture. Other influences for Perret, according to Frampton (1995), and these were perhaps the most fundamental of the influences upon Perret, were the Greeks and the Gothic ideals. These are the ideals that permeate Perret’s work at every level, according to Frampton (1995). The Greek ideal is what informed his view of the human destiny, while the medieval culture, which is at the root of the Gothic architecture, is what informed his views for construction. According to Fitchen (1961), the Gothic architecture is based upon spanning space, and it was the vault that was used for spanning space in masonry, and the vault was the most “daring and expressive forms by the time the Gothic era was in full flower” (p. 1). The buildings of the Gothic period had structural complexities that were resolved in a skillful, resourceful and masterful way, such that the aesthetics of these buildings were subordinated to the engineering means. Other hallmarks of the Gothic designs include vaulting that is supported by intersecting arches and the pointed arch (Grodecki, 1976). The classical form was revived for modern society, in an age in which the traditional means of patronage – the church, monarch and aristocracy – were gone or in decline, by Thomas Jefferson in the 1700s America, according to Stern (1988). Jefferson wanted to locate Classicism in its Greek roots, as opposed to the post-medieval revival, which was compromised Classicism. This was the ethos upon which Perret built his designs, as this ethos revived the spirit of the Greek architecture as a “humanistic express of spiritual values into an equally humanistic expression of a purely secular, democratic society” (p. 18). This was the fundamental precepts of the classical architectural revival, the spiritual values of the ancient Greco classical, brought into the modern day and secularism. The other fundamentals of Greco classical architecture, according to Gabriel (2004), are the bilateral symmetry, which means that the left side of the building is a mirror image of the right side; defined space, which mean that the buildings have rooms, as opposed to having its space blurred; a juxtaposition of discrete forms, which means that every component is complete in itself; tripartite organization, which means that the compositions have a beginning, middle and end; regularity, which means that the patterns are regular; and clear and simple geometry, which means that the classical architecture is based upon circles and squares, which are perfect examples of geometric design. Perret combined the strength of the Gothic temples, in which the architects of this era resolved architectural conundrums with great resourcefulness, with the spirit of the Greeks, as revived in the post-Jeffersonian era. As both of these models of architectural wonder have produced buildings which stand the test of time, this is what Perret was interested in. In contrast, Perret had great contempt for the Renaissance era, stating that the buildings that were constructed during this time, including the Palace of Versailles, would not stand the test of time because, when this palace is ruined, it would only be a pile of rubble. This is in contrast to the Greek Parthenon, which has created beautiful ruins. According to Perret, that is the true test of architecture – whether or not it would create, like the Greek ruins, beautiful ruins. If a building would not create beautiful ruins, such as the building built during the Renaissance, then these buildings are merely “magnificent stage decorations,” as their edifices and structures are not strong enough to withstand destructive forces (Frampton, 1995, p. 155). Therefore, Perret understood that buildings must be strong, and they needed to be built with modern constructional means, such as reinforced concrete. This was the realism upon which Perret’s architecture was based. At the same time, Perret was profoundly influenced by the classical refinements of the Greek era. The specific way that he combined these two forces, according to Frampton (1995), was that the structural skeleton was the indispensable ordering principle; the joint as the techno-poetic fulcrum was emphasized; traditional features were reinterpreted to provide cultural continuity; the tectonic civilization was manifested by the emphasis on key components, including the French window, the cornice, and the helicoidal stair; and the rational was used as a transferable method, which reinforces the continuation and development of the normative culture (Frampton, 1995, p. 156). Contemporary Events of the Theatre des Champs-Elysees It is also important to understand what the environment was for the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, especially in the areas of music, dance and art, as these are all what informed the project. The project was finished in 1913 in Paris, so it was just before the First World War. According to Blake (1999), during this period it was period of time when Orphism, unanimism and futurism were coming into the fore. In America, this was represented in its towering skyscrapers and gleaming machines. Yet the popular arts were also based on primitivism, as represented by the African influence upon the works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Because primitivism was one of the influences upon art at this time, as represented by traditional African art and dance, African-American music and dance played a large part in the modernistic ethos of this era’s popular culture. It was during this time that the Eiffel Tower was compared to an African giraffe and an Oceanic totem. It was during this period, according to Blake (1999), that there was a lure of going primitive, and this merged with the up-to-date. The ballroom dances and the theatre represented a fusion of African and European choreography and music. The dances that were popular during this time were dances that were founded in black honky-tonks in the southern and western United States, and were based upon instrumental ragtime. The Argentine tango, a dance which was performed to music based upon African-American rhythms, was also popular, and the attitudes of the tango were evocative of wild beasts and jungle villages. The ragtime dances and the tangos were further evocative of modernism, as evidenced by urban environments and advanced technologies. Paris was influenced by these elements as well, as Sonia Delaunay, a Parisian artist who founded Orphism, which was colorist and abstract, came into the fore of Parisian culture. Unanism was another Parisian movement, and was exemplified by Albert Gleizes, who was the leading visual creator of unanism. Futurism in Paris was founded by Gino Severini. Severini was influenced by the Italian futurists, including Filippo Marinetti, who was the father of futurism, as he established in his influential article, the “Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism.” The ethos of futurism was, basically, out with the old and in with the new, as they eschewed older works of art and older artists, and looked to a world where art, music, literature and dance would be entirely new and entirely created by young, fresh faces. Out of this movement came cubism, which is most closely associated with Pablo Picasso. Some artists fused unanism, orphism and futurism. One such artist was Francis Picabia. Picasso, in addition to being influenced by the futurists, also incorporated elements of primitivism, as he studied African sculpture. Other artists who were influenced by the African sculpture include Delaunay, Gleizes, Picabia, and Severini (Blake, 1999). Therefore, during the time that the Theatre des Champs-Elysees was constructed, there was a renaissance of sorts in the art world. This influenced the building itself. While the building did not necessarily show the influences of the Primitivism, in that it does not have any vestiges of African art or design, it does show that it was built during the period of time when art, itself, was changing. The futurists were trying to bury the past, as they believed that the future was theirs to claim, and they put their mark on artistic endeavors of all types. And the other art movements were just becoming popular, including cubism, orphism and unanism. These ethos was what was in the environment for Perret as he designed his Theatre des Champs-Elysees, and this is evident in the fact that the building blended the classical elements and reinforced concrete, which are the hallmarks of Perret’s work, with elements such as art deco, which was itself a modern phenomenon, and the avant-garde. This shows that, even though Perret was, at his core, a classical-gothic architect, he was influenced by the modernism ethos that pervaded Paris during this time, as avant-garde and art deco were both modern movements that had their genesis around this time as well. Theatre des Champs-Elysees The history of this building began with a bit of intrigue, according to Ayers (2004). Namely, the chief architect that was originally hired to complete this project was Henry van de Velde, who was a Belgian architect. Van de Velde was also a leading art nouveau exponent. The work was commissioned by Gabrial Astruc, who wanted a theatre that would be dedicated to opera, dance and music, and the theatre was envisioned to be modern. The job for van de Velde was initially to decorate the theatre, but it soon became clear that his designs went further than this, and van de Velde became the lead architect. Van de Velde soon realized that the best material for the job would be ferro-concrete, so he hired Perret Freres to execute the design that he had in mind, because this was Perret’s specialty. Perret then took the designs given to him by van de Velde, modified them, impugned their logic, and submitted his own design for the project. This design was what was accepted, so van de Velde resigned. As Ayers (2004) notes, the theatre was conceived with multiple parents, so it was a case of design first, structure afterwards. While Perret’s style was based upon rationalism, classicism and gothic architectural styles, the Theatre des Champs-Elysees was based upon another style - art deco. Art deco, as a concept, according to Bayer (1992), is marked by a combination of traditional and innovative styles, stylized floral panels and spandrels, curved streamlining, geometric elements, ornamental metalwork, and the combination of classical with the modern. Other elements that comprise the art deco design are the sculptures and reliefs on the building; the use of colour; and elements which are juxtaposed together, including light and dark and smooth and textured. At the same time, according to Collins (1959), the building also was seen to have avant-garde elements, which combines the modernist perspective with the classical perspective. The building attained the characteristics of modernist classicism because it used a concrete frame and had a modernist structure. The reinforced concrete that Perret used in this structure was clad in white marble, which is an homage to his Greco-Classical roots. However, this building diverged from the Greek roots, in that it was not perfectly symmetrical. This is because the right corner is rounded with three reliefs above the side doors. The left bay, however, is a continuation of the planar line of the center. The left bay does not have three relief like the right, but only two. It also has classical elements, namely the heavy cornice and simplified plasters (Collins, 1959). Perret also imbued the structure with columns, which is another Greek element. According to Collins (1959), the columns in the structure were marble or plaster veneered, and they terminated on the top with a narrow decorative band. According to Ayers (2004), the auditorium in the Theatre des Champs-Elysees is circular, and is suspended by eight columns and four bowspring arches. This auditorium is also an integral part of the trabeated frame which delineates the entire building. The frame, which resembles complex carpentry, is also a work of art, and it is considered to be based upon Perret’s vision of timber construction. The main facade is enormous, and is made of reinforced concrete that is clad in white Auvergene marble. However, this also diverges from the classical Greek ideal, as it is only a partial mirror to the underlying structure. Inside the structure, however, the concrete is left exposed in parts, and the structural elements are a point of emphasis. The suspended balconies are made of supple concrete in the main chamber (Ayers, 2004). The inside of the theatre also features decorations of the artists Maurice Denis and Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, and the paintings are Classically inspired and feature mythological figures. Ayers (2004) state that further classical influences in the building lie in its proportions and the handling of the details. The classical details include the “residual expressions of the base, capital and architrave in the foyers” (Ayers, 2004). This makes the structure coherent, which is remarkable, according to Ayers (2004), because of the collaborative difficulties that marked the early days of the project. Conclusion The Theatre des Champs-Elysees is an architectural marvel – a blend of the old and the new. It has classical elements, such as the fact that the structure is coherent, and this is the spirit under which it was built. Yet it also blended some of the very newest elements of the time – avant garde and art deco. It is therefore a way of bringing the past into the present, and, since it was made in reinforced concrete, it will go forward into the future. It is exemplifies the perfect continuity that was the ideal of Perret himself. Bibliography Bayer, Patricia. Art Deco Architecture: Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992. Print. Blake, Jody. Le Tumulte Noir: Modernist Art and Popular Entertainment in Jazz-Age Paris, 1900-1930. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999. Print. Collins, Peter. Concrete: The Vision of a New Architecture: A Study of Auguste Perret and His Precursors. London, UK: Faber and Faber, 1958. Fitchen, John. The Construction of Gothic Cathedrals. London, UK: The University of Chicago Press, 1961. Print. Frampton, Gerard. Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture. New York, NY: MIT Press, 1995. Print. Gabriel, J. Francois. Classical Architecture for the Twenty-First Century: An Introduction to Design. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. Print. Grodecki, Louis. Gothic Architecture. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1976. Print. Jencks, Charles. Iconic Buildings. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 2005. Print. Stern, Robert. Modern Classicism. New York, NY: Rizzoli, 1988. Print. Read More