| Description |
This thesis explores the place of the human body in architectural design during the modern period. A brief history of using the human body as design inspiration is given, which includes a discussion on our tendencies as humans to use anthropomorphism, cognitive patterns, and our body to understand the world around us. Key features of modern architecture are identified, and its perceived failures are introduced. This is followed by an analysis of two 20th century schools of psychological thought and their impact on body perception and architectural theory. The first was the prevailing Gestalt theory that showed humans favored rational patterns and simple geometry (i.e. the machine aesthetic), the basis for the strain of modern architecture called techno-rationalism, historically embodied by Le Corbusier. The second was the emerging phenomenological view, which showed that the rational and irrational thought processes of people could not be separated. This resulted in the organic functionalism of Alvar Aalto's work. This analysis shows the context in which modern architects thought about the human body, and explains how Le Corbusier might come to see the human body differently than his contemporary Aalto. Hospital buildings from both architects are then explored as a case study. The hospitals are compared to see how each architect's sensitivity to the human body-and more specifically, a sick body- influenced their respective concepts and how these concepts then play out in plan, section, and elevation. This case study serves to illustrate a fine distinction between these two modern masters: Le Corbusier used the human body only as initial inspiration, while Aalto constantly referred back to the body to orient his designs. |
