- Cartesian skyscraper
The Cartesian sky-scraper, designed by
Le Corbusier in 1938, is a type of towerbuilding known for its modern and rational design. This type of modern administration building has its source in the first sketches for thePavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau in 1919, which proposes acruciform form forskyscraper s, radiating light andstability . In principle the cruciform plan (with two axes) does not adapt itself to the path of the sun, which has only one axis. Studying further, it was seen that with this formsymmetrical about twoaxes , the cruciform skyscraper does not receivesunlight on its north facades.As a result, a new form was introduced: the "chicken claw". This is the insertion of many bays along both axes in plan, allowing for more light and air. With this everything became more alive, more true, more harmonious, more supple, more diverse, more architectural. Cases for its application were found in the plans for
Anvers-Rive-Gauche ,Barcelona ,Buenos Aires ,Manhattan , etc. Such a form and its dimensions become a true urbanistic work, the fruit of modern techniques. The innovation right from the start was to oppose the purely formal and romantic conceptions of American skyscrapers (with their pyramidal forms and needle-like terminations).References
External links
* [http://www.nyu.edu/classes/reichert/sem/city/lecorbu_img.html Website featuring images]
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