0 The Character of Fallingwater and Villa Savoye

Erik Anderson Art History 102 Ryor

1 By the 1930s in the United States and Europe, the progressive ideas about architecture had changed quite dramatically in the past century. In this paper, I consider two of the architects who contributed to and embody these changes in architectural ideals: Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Specifically I consider the well know houses of Fallingwater and Villa Savoye which they each designed respectively. With consideration to a variety of factors, I find that Fallingwater conveys a natural character while Villa Savoye conveys a more mechanical one. I also the architectural style of each house is modern. In Fallingwater, Wright succeeds in giving the building a natural character. One of the most important ways he communicates this culture is through the relationship between the building and setting. With the knowledge that the Kaufman family enjoyed their property in great part because of the waterfall, he chose to integrate the house with the falls rather than simply build the house across from the falls as might have been the more obvious option. The placement of the house over the falls is very important in communicating this character. Another way Wright communicates the natural character of the house is through the way the house fits in with the setting. Rather than creating a completely independent structure, Wright integrates the house with the hill next to the stream. The long horizontal planes which make up the house embody Wrights Prairie style and help the building fit into the landscape. Also, his use of the grey stone quarried on site so that it blends in with the surroundings makes the house fit in with the natural setting as well, further communicating the natural character. Inside the house as well, Wright works to communicate the houses natural character. His inclusion the Kaufmann familys favorite boulder for sunbathing as the fireplace helps bring nature inside the home, further communicating this character. He also incorporates similar stone on the floor of the first

2 story, instructing for it to be waxed to emulate the wet rocks and the stream below. These architectural decisions of Wright combine to give the house its natural character. While Wright communicates a natural character with Fallingwater, Le Corbusier communicates a mechanical character in Villa Savoye. This far different character from Fallingwater is evident even in the relation between the house and its setting. Unlike Fallingwater, Villa Savoye does not interact with its surroundings. Placed in the middle of a field, the closest Le Corbusier does to interacting with the setting in his construction is his arrangement of the terraces to ensure a pleasant view of the countryside. This more mechanical, lack of interaction with the environment around the house is the first way in which Le Corbusier communicates his mechanical character for the house. Also different from Fallingwater, the consistent, almost formulaic design of the exterior of the house contributes too to the mechanical character of the building. On the first level, evenly placed pilotis surround the edge of the structure. Moving up to the second level, the white lines of the pilotis continue, consistently separated by windows between them. The large cylinders on the roof of the structure give the exterior almost the look of a factory, adding to the mechanical character which Le Corbusier whishes to communicate. Finally on the exterior, the domination of the color white is quite different from Fallingwater and adds to the mechanical character of the building. Le Corbusier continues to communicate this mechanical character in the interior of the building as well. In his decoration and furnishing of the interior he chooses utilitarian furniture and is careful to include as little as possible. To deter future inhabitants from disturbing the mechanical character with unfitting shelves or cabinets, he builds simple storage areas with sturdy sliding doors into the house. In sum, these architectural decisions by Le Corbusier work communicate the mechanical character of Villa Savoye.

3 I conclude with a discussion of the ways in which each building is modern. Both buildings are modern in that their structures are created through new and innovative techniques for the time. When Edgar Kaufmann showed the plans for Fallingwater to his friends in the engineering and architectural communities in Pittsburgh, all were convinced that Wright would not be able to create a building as his plans suggested. Using innovative cantilevers to build the house over the falls, Wright was able to complete the building as planned with no problems. The modern aspect of Villa Savoye is Le Corbusiers use of pilotis and pillars above them as the structural supports. This means that neither the exterior nor interior walls are needed to provide support for the building. This allows Le Corbusier to place windows and include patios as he wishes throughout the house without limitation. In addition to their different modern aspects in construction, both buildings are stylistically modern as well. The Villa Savoye is the more extreme example, but neither building has elaborate exterior decoration. The sharp corners and crisp edges of both houses are modern stylistic aspects as well. In both technique of construction and style, both of these houses serve as examples of modern architecture. In this paper I have considered several aspects of Villa Savoye and Fallingwater. I have demonstrated the natural character that Wright communicates in Fallingwater and the much different mechanical character that Le Corbusier communicates in Villa Savoye. I have also shown the similarity between the two in that they both serve as examples of modern architecture.

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