Abstract

Abstract: The present work aims to recover the part of Le Corbusier´s theoretical production that can be defined as Manifesto to analyze it since its comparison with the analogue written by Rem Koolhaas. Due to the brevity of the present paper it will be focus on the analogies between two main Manifestoes: Towards an Architecture (Le Corbusier, 1923) and Delirious New York (Rem Koolhaas, 1978). The dialectic between these two Manifestoes is summarized in four main points: the intention of the text -rasion d´être-, its structure, the tone they used for the correspondent Manifesto and the relationship with the architectonic work of the authors. As we will see, theoretical and audiovisual strategies are duplicated from the master to the pupil who, on top of that, is able to reinterpret and manipulate them in a way that makes possible for his Manifesto to be considered even more efficient than Le Corbusier´s, at least, in its intention to involve the largest number of people. This is possible thanks to the knowledge that Koolhaas has over media, cinema and latests technologies that allows him to express what could be identified with Le Corbusier´s original ideas but in a contemporary way, so they seem to be brand new and much more understandable for today´s society. In this way, Koolhaas could be understood also as a kind of Le Corbusier living in the world Through the Looking-Glass organized as Lewis Carroll did in his famous book Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Keywords: Manifesto; Le Corbusier; Koolhaas; theory; architecture; communication. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/LC2015.2015.931

Highlights

  • In 1923 Le Corbusier wrote Vers une architecture, a collection of essays which, acting as small pieces of a big Manifesto, were trying to establish a theoretical foundation for the architectural revolution that the author felt as pioneer and responsible for

  • The present work aims to recover the part of Le Corbusiers theoretical production that can be defined as Manifesto to analyze it since its comparison with the analogue written by Rem Koolhaas

  • Koolhaas could be understood as a kind of Le Corbusier living in the world Through the Looking-Glass organized as Lewis Carroll did in his famous book Alices Adventures in Wonderland

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Summary

Introduction

In 1923 Le Corbusier wrote Vers une architecture, a collection of essays which, acting as small pieces of a big Manifesto, were trying to establish a theoretical foundation for the architectural revolution that the author felt as pioneer and responsible for. All of them were looking for the citizens commitment with the new cause they proposed and, because of that, the language they used was direct, clear and understandable for the whole society so they were able to join the particular revolution It is precisely the search for this complicity the main goal for the theoretical production of Rem Koolhaas, possibly one the most influential architects of the contemporary architectonic scene who, taking advantage of his previous background as journalist, has developed a rich theoretical production following the steps of Le Corbusier in form and substance. Going back to review their Manifestoes maybe we have the chance to come back to the times when they were much more than marketing tools

Characteristics of the Manifestoes
Manifesto
Influences of the Manifesto in the architectonic works
Conclusions
Source of images

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