Carpenter Center For The Visual Arts - Le Corbusier's Five Points

Le Corbusier's Five Points

During his career, Le Corbusier developed a set of architectural principles that dictated his technique, called "the Five Points of a New Architecture" which were most evident in his Villa Savoye. These were:

• Pilotis – The replacement of supporting walls by a grid of reinforced concrete columns that bears the load of the structure is the basis of the new aesthetic.
• Roof gardens – The flat roof can be utilized for a domestic purpose while also providing essential protection to the concrete roof.
• The free designing of the ground plan – The absence of supporting walls means that the house is unrestrained in its internal usage.
• The free design of façade – By separating the exterior of the building from its structural function the façade becomes free.
• The horizontal window – The façade can be cut along its entire length to allow rooms to be lit equally.

Because the Carpenter Center was to be his only building in America, he felt it should be a synthesis of his architectural principals and therefore incorporated his Five Points into the design of the building.