The Differences and Similarities between Le Corbusier's Radiant City and Frank Lloyd - Literature review Example

Architecture & Culture: Le Corbusier's Radiant City and Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City Name Institution Course Due date Architecture illustrates aspects of culture and subsequently identifies a particular nation. Modern cultures bring into being architecture along with preserving it. Besides, with culture it is likely to determine various cultural factors ranging from standard of living, arty sensibilities and societal organization. Different cultures are capable of motivating various types of architecture (Norwich, 2009). However, the most widespread influences in the day to day life are religion and family and they all simplify cultural aspects of a society and the buildings which house them signify the architectural aspects. Every culture is outstanding in its own right and over time we get to understand our surrounds and why certain things mainly in the cities appeal to us. Culture integrates the real meaning of all individuality of a person attempt. The awareness shaped by culture in various fields is synthesized in a Life’s approach that is reflected in traditions. This may be wisdom as well as knowledge. In this way it is culture that outline architecture. For the duration of diverse episodes of evolution, architecture has recorded the impact and influences of culture of its time and place and thus architecture provides us a great source of reference to the culture of different societies and nations (Porter, 2004). Cities continue to be designed and urbanized so as to be a sign of civilization of the people represented in the community. As long as architecture remains an activity of persons, it cannot but be influenced by customs of human societies. Sharr (2012) points out that culture is developing increasingly from time to time and in the process it provides inspiration to architecture to evolve to its higher creative expression and synthesis. Culture can be exemplified in architecture in a variety of way, for instance some constructions are designed to portray a specific cultural aspect which communicates important messages to the members of a society. Some too has past connotation of a definite humanity for example sovereignty as well as adding meanings to culture. However, due to many changes those are taking place in the world from time to time architecture and culture are unfavorably affected. To ensure that the society deals with the prospect challenges effectively, city infrastructure may as well be forced to go through some theatrical changes. These challenges include vibrant climatic variations, insufficiency of water resources in addition to ecological deprivation. This essay’s main focus is to examine the architecture and culture of two ideal cities, which are Le Corbusier's Radiant City and Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City. It examines their historical issues plus the similarities and differences that exist between them. Radiant City was built between 1947 and 1952 with unique and well established structures. Le Corbusier’s ideal city initially began as modern metropolis but before long it became the Radiant City. It is elegantly designed to a high standard; in the present day it's a stylish middle-class Mecca. Le Corbusier first presented his ideas in Urbanisme which was published in 1924. The radiant city was planned by Le Corbusier who was an architect and a designer. Up to date he is still famous for what is these days regarded as the contemporary architecture. He was totally devoted to good quality living surroundings to those who resided in congested cities. He believed that architecture could lift up peoples life’s through excellent housing, infrastructures and then improve their cultures and discipline. Due to inadequate steel and work shortage, the structures were first conceived in unrefined concrete (Bacon, 2003). Broadacre City was an uptown expansion notion which was projected by Frank Wright all through his lifetime. It was a rural, ultra decentralized city with secluded homesteads which were linked by the automobile through a network of superhighways. He was a renowned architect with a self-governing vision. His vision of the city was positioned in the countryside, as he wanted citizens to live free from centralization. The thought was made available in his book which was named as The Disappearing City. Many of his designs and models of buildings were new while others were concerned with refining the already existing old ones (Bacon, 2003). The progress of Broadacre city was enhanced by Wright’s strong social viewpoints and views on transformation. In addition the descriptions of Broadacre City were developed through a theoretical convergence of the natural and the inorganic. Furthermore, Broadacre City had various attributes which include the Usonian home situated on one acre of land housing each single family. The homes were simple and Wright devoted them to citizens of the United States. The homes were distant from each other but connectivity was facilitated by technological advances that telecommunication systems through the telephones. Another attribute of Broadacre City was the different institutions which had connectivity with functions and activities; for instance government, education, entertainment and religious buildings which brought people together. When people mingled together in these centers they exchanged ideas which helped to boost culture (Solomon, 2008). Through the use of organic architecture by Wright plus his dream of Broadacre City, the city was meshed into a landscape in a bid to conserve environment, individualism, and democratic organization. The two cities share some common similarities as is discussed below. One is that the ideas of both the Radiant City and the Broadacre city were generated by farsighted artists, architects and metropolitan planners who are Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright respectively (Bacon, 2003). The idea came with the main reason being to boost the livelihood values of the citizens as the two men were not pleased by the situation of modern cities and therefore they wished to convert the scenery of the cities. Likewise, the founders of both cities grew up far away from the great city centers which at the end they contributed fully to their revolutionizing. One of the major factors that enthused the setting up of these cities was the industrial rebellion as the modern technology made available new materials and ways of carrying out production. Mutually these supreme cities stand at the convention point of 19th century hopes and 20th century expertise (Solomon, 2008). Another point to note in both the Radiant and Broadacre City is that, their architectures attempts to bring together liberty and individuality with authority. On his side Wright emphasized on preserving creativity and the roots of communities through his concept of decentralization. Similarly Le Corbusier discussed out that social arrangement and organization was essential and that the society’s ideal ruled by truth (Porter, 2004). To add to this, both the cities accomplished their objective which was to safeguard the natural landscape. Entertainment was also an important part of both cities. Wright believed that labor, leisure and customs should be incorporated. He designed a New Theatre building to be a part of Broadacre City (Norwich, 2009). In the meantime he pleasured new technological progress that would give city residents a chance to enjoy social awareness through movies, opera, concerts and movies in their own houses instead of going out the public social facilities. In both the cities family aspects were given great emphasis. Even the two architects believed and highly documented the significance of the family. Le Corbusier desire was to see families live in apartment houses referred to as UnitT. Each high-rise would be assigned with regard to the size and needs of a family devoid of class characteristic. The Unit T would give its inhabitants a variety of collective services which would be more extensive than that available to the richest individual, including workshops, meeting rooms, day-care facilities, restaurants and shops (Herzog, 2006). In addition there would be a full-scale gymnasium; on the roof were tennis courts, swimming pools, and sand beaches. Wright supposed that each family ought to possess its own residence and that every individual should possess a certain size of land. Wright maintained that social equality was important and hence it should be comprehended. He suggested that upon birth of every male, female or kid they should be capable of stepping their feet on their own acres and any unborn child should find his acre waiting for him/her. Wright premeditated the Usonian house varying in sizes, with the least having a one-car garage and the biggest having five. Similarly, there exists some dissimilarity in both the cities. First, the ideas of transforming the Radiant City and the Broadacre cities were achieved absolutely unlike. The solutions Le Corbusier and Wright found to solve practical problems of urban development are a clear indication of their conflicting societal theories and value systems. Le Corbusier was born in Switzerland, while Wright was born in America hence they came from different cultural backgrounds. Wright grew up in the country side and hence lots of his principles and visions are rooted in his life experiences. This made him particularly critical of the city, which led to his vision being put into practice unless Corbusier who ended up being disappointed as he did not achieve most of his modern dreams (Bacon, 2003). In the Radiant City Le cobursier realized the need to augment the density of cities constricting mostly the living and the working areas. By doing this, there was a probability of acquiring more space for many parks and playing fields bearing in mind that the apartment houses occupied only fifteen percent of the city’s land. Contrary in the Broadacre City, Wright’s main objective was to spread out society and create a union between the town and country. His opinion was that there was no need of a city to exist if it was larger than a county seat. By escalating the concentration of cities Le Corbusier left additional land as landscape. He did see the need for an uptown zone, known as the Garden City. Those People who worked in the outer industrial region would live there, as well as some who would commute to the city (Kaplan, Wheeler, Holloway, 2004). The range of every sector would be designed, and they would have explicit margins. To connect the metropolis and the outer edge would rest a defensive zone of woods and fields. Wright alleged that diminishing concentration would safeguard the countryside. Another difference was in their aspects regarding transportation within the cities. Wright was determined to ensure private ownership in Broadacre City by all the residents. The rationale for this was because his community was semi-rural and had adequate provision of goods and hence they heavily depended on the market. This did not end well as transportation was available only in places with high populace and thus those from far and less inhabited places were not privileged to access transit means. He also supported the idea of owning private vehicles which only a few could pay for. On the other hand, Le Corbusier based his concept upon public transportation and that why he preferred an urban corporate industrialized system (Herzog, 2006). This would ensure ease of access of transit by all residents. While Le Corbusier’s conurbation accentuated for modernity, Wrights Broadacre City was of the contrary (Norwich, 2009). Wright gave the following reasons why he was not supporting modern cities. One is that centralization had created a communal class with the concept of paying rent and that property and work was given a financial worth that would have benefited only the few who were rich. He termed this as disparity of residents of the same society. The next problem he noted was that due to centralization there would be likelihood of excess skyscrapers due to overcapacity in the metropolis. The probable crisis of skyscrapers was that they would abuse the less privileged citizens, traffic concentration which led to contamination. Architecture and culture plays a very vast task in the lives of a society as discussed earlier. A case in point is the Radiant City and the Broadacre City whereby through architecture up gradation was necessitated hence sustaining their culture through building of new structures and at the same time renovating the old ones. In the course of their architectural undertakings, Wright and Corbusier were guided by their cultural background and life experiences. It assisted them to know what they aimed at and how to accomplish as they understood them fully since their childhood (Sharr, 2012).The two visional architects comprehended the architectural wants of their people through culture, for example every family having a home would ensure privacy and efficient working conditions to improve the society production. Additionally, architecture acts as a source of the physical belongings in the society such as buildings, monuments and other communications that make life easier (Gelernter, 2001). Buildings ought to therefore be treasured as cultural artifacts. Presence of buildings satisfies various wants of the population ranging from ethnically, educationally, economically, religiously, socially, physically and so forth. For example in the Broadacre City there were religion buildings where people went to do their spiritual rituals as it was a cultural requirement; education centers were used to pass knowledge from one generation to the other; entertainment spots were used to exchange various cultural ideas as well as to socialize; government buildings were occupied by the state officials so as to provide lawful services to its people. Architecture display the morals concerned in its inhabitation, construction, and plan. It traces the opinion of the individuals who have played a part in it, their interactions, and their involvement in the cultures where they lived and worked. In this way, buildings, their details, and the documents used to make them, can be read closely for cultural insights. To achieve a successful architectural arrangement in the cities, it requires cooperation among the residents, architects or designers, government and other relevant bodies. The representatives from the residents presents the funding organizations with their current needs and wants plus the effect they have on the society in regard to their culture. It pays greatly to institute small communal projects so as to advance the people particularly in the case of a historic area within a city. It not only preserves structures but also the culture of a society and place (Solomon, 2008). Architecture has the power to communicate to the city residents and this made possible by telephones and superhighways which are constructed contemporary to conform to the needs of the ever rising population of the cities. Most of the superior architectural buildings are preserved for years for historic purposes and this is passed from a generation to the next. So many public places continue to flourish a decade by decade as it inspires the people of a certain community who use it (Norwich, 2009). Furthermore, historic architecture gives people a sense of belonging hence increasing a meaning in their lives and ensures that they discover various issues concerning their early origins. To show historical relevance in their nation for example, people of Paris protested against demolishing of historical architectures, this led to Le Corbusier’s disappointments and he was not able to accomplish all his visions (Kaplan, Wheeler, Holloway, 2004). In his metropolitan preparation, he supported current architecture and this could have led to demolishing of old structures and replacing them with high rise towers with light, modern and functional structures. Though he advocated for independency of families and excellent living conditions with all facilities close to homes, it could have led to destruction of famous world’s historic districts which have significance meanings to date. Another challenge that could have resulted through Le Corbusier’s urban plans was social dislocation of its inhabitants. City developments are an ever ending process due to ever changing population size as well as the environmental needs that arise from time to time. As Herzog ( 2006) express cities acts as a symbolic connection to the entire society; it is in the city where people of distinct origins, characters, beliefs and religion converge to carry out various activities channeled towards building the nation. These activities include official jobs in both state and private organizations, trade in the city markets, entrepreneurship and not to forget arts and architecture designs. This togetherness gives each person a sense of the local character of the city or a place. To ensure a modern movement in architecture good planning, allocation of enough resources to enhance developments is essential. To achieve these spacious cities need to be put in place as it makes certain that the residents will be comfortably accommodated especially on the streets where movement is high throughout. Growth is evident in the cities on a daily basis. In his planning model, Wright predicted that growth in the Broadacre City would one day cause cities to spread horizontally and not vertically. Contrary he underestimated the size of prospect uptown settlement. Up to date these effects are seen whereby people live in suburban rings around the city. (Gelernter, 2001).The transport remains a major challenge in most parts as vehicles are wedged in one urban region due to congestion and in low density regions there are no enough transit options. The Broadacre city was criticized for ignoring civic interests like the pedestrian walking areas. Consequently, architecture and culture are important in every nation and they demonstrate the key historical matters of communities involved. They as well explain the influences they have on people’s lives and the relevant importance in the future generations. Well designed cities contribute in a great extent to the growth of financial system as is described above in the Le Corbusier's Radiant City and Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City; they accommodate residents comfortably thus promoting conducive living and working settings thus a productive society (Porter, 2004). References John Julius Norwich, 2009. Croatia: Aspects of Art, Architecture and Cultural Heritage. London: Frances Lincoln Inc Adam Sharr, 2012. Reading Architecture & Culture: Researching Buildings, Spaces and Documents. New York: Taylor & Francis Ltd Mardges Bacon, 2003. Le Corbusier in America: Travels in the Land of the Timid. New York: The MIT Press Nancy B. Solomon, 2008. American Institute of Architects. New York: Visual Reference Publications Lawrence, Arthur Herzog, 2006. Return to the Center: Culture, Public Space, And City Building in a Global Era. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press Tom Porter, 2004. Archispeak: An Illustrated Guide to Architectural Terms. New York: Rout ledge David H. Kaplan, James O. Wheeler, Steven R. Holloway, 2004. Urban Geography. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Mark Gelernter, 2001. A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context. New Hampshire: UPNE Read More