ARCH 1201 PROJECT 2: ANALYTICAL STUDIES OF VILLA SAVOYE (Circulation and Movements)

As in all Le Corbusier’s work, the circulation and movement route which are the kind of means of connecting the successive experiences provided by Villa Savoye have special significance. The sequence of these movements becomes a kind of thread to hold the design together, and Le Corbusier references the various relationships of elements with the way these are perceived along the movement route.

In threading experiences together, the route is a linear element with a dynamism and sense of continuity which contrasts with the static symmetry of the raised box which is the dominant perceptual image of the villa. Unlike the arrangement of the villa, the route has a time dimension and a potency which is increased by the form taken by the movement sequence.

As we can see from the first image, the route is a linear element with a dynamism and sense of continuity which contrasts with the static symmetry of the raised box which is the dominant perceptual image of the villa. Unlike the arrangement of the villa, the route has a time dimension which is increased by the form taken by the movement sequence. I use the difference of the interval between two little model people or cars to show the time dimension.

From the second and third images, the sense of dynamism is encouraged by the way the route curves around the access volume and by the dramatic exploitation of the ramp. This important symbolic element does more than reinforce the main axis, cutting through the layers and becoming like an escalator on which the observer is conveyed through the very heart of the design.

In last image, following the initial impact of the form, successive experiences take in the external transitional zone where the route first moves under the box; ceremonial entry is followed by the internal transitional zone of the entry volume, in which contact is preserved with the exterior, in which there is no sense of rest, and in which the ramp exerts a strong directional pull. Stable rectilinear spaces create a holding zone and movement concludes with the enclosed spaces of the roof deck. Continuity is maintained by the opening enframing the distant view.