Lecture 9 - MORE PARIS.02.10.2021

Introduction to Parisian Architecture

• Focus on exploring the evolution of architecture in Paris over the semester.

• Examination of how buildings reflect changes in societal order and knowledge systems.

Humanist Cultural System of the Renaissance

• Represents a shift towards ancient Rome as a source of knowledge.

• Emphasis on using architectural knowledge to improve life in this world, contrasting medieval perspectives.

• Conflict between new knowledge systems and medieval urban fabric in Paris exemplified through statue squares.

Epistemology in Architecture

• Study of knowledge: questioning truth, utility, and reliability of knowledge systems.

• Claude Perrault's east front of the Louvre Palace as a case study.

  • A symbol of the emergence of the nation-state in France.

The Emergence of the Ecole des Beaux Arts

• Establishment of the first architectural school to train architects for a new societal structure.

• Development of a curriculum and orthodoxy to standardize architectural education.

  • Increased public space and urban order seen through the extension of avenues like Place Vendôme.

  • The Paris Opera as a technological and cultural achievement.

Nineteenth Century Urban Transformation

• Paris reworked with new spatial orders and infrastructure reflecting modern state techniques.

• Impressionist artists grapple with the transformation of societal experience in the growing city.

• Shift from small neighborhoods to more complex social dynamics and the dislocation felt by residents.

Enlightenment Influences on Architectural Thought

• Diderot's Encyclopedia as a reflection of the era's expansive knowledge.

  • Detailed documentation of practices, inventions, and architecture.

  • Increased complexity in modern architecture compared to Roman models.

The Role of Claude Perrault in Modern Architecture

• Perrault's Ordinance of the 1680s as a foundational text defining architectural order.

• His notion of beauty included both physiological and arbitrary aspects, expanding aesthetic understanding.

  • The east front of the Louvre as a controversial symbol of neoclassical architecture.

Revolution in Architectural Reasoning

• Abbe Loget's An Essay on Architecture highlights reason over historical precedent.

  • Advocates for clarity in understanding architectural function and form based on rationality.

• Transition from tradition to reason marked by revolutionary architects like Antiette Louis Bouley and Claude Nikolay Ledoux.

Antiette Louis Bouley and Visionary Concepts

• Bouley's cenotaph design for Newton emphasizes grandeur and the experience of space.

  • Utilizes architectural form to evoke emotional responses.

• Exploration of positive beauty through overwhelming scale and masterful use of light.

Claude Nikolay Ledoux: Innovations in Architectural Language

• Ledoux known for inventive and imaginative designs that embodied ideas of order and control.

  • Designs for tax barriers symbolize state authority and administrative power.

• Ledoux's vision included modern concepts that diverged from tradition.

Parc de la Villette: Contemporary Responses to Urban Order

• Competition in the 1980s led by President Mitterrand prompts innovations in park design.

  • Bernard Tschumi’s winning design involved layered orders and grid-like distributions.

  • Integration of natural elements with urban structures reflects an evolution of contemporary architecture.

Conclusion: Influence of Reason and Order in Architecture

• Architecture transforms, mirroring societal evolution from the Enlightenment to modernity.

• Ongoing exploration of how order and rationality inform architectural practices today.