The planetary garden. Where natural and human intertwine

Abstract

Spring 1935. After twenty-five years of fascination for heights and six of flying, stimulating experiences, Le Corbusier published Aircraft, a real “Manifesto for a New Era”, according to his own words. Even though Vers une architecture had limited the aeronaoutic model validity to the framework of housing and easthetics ten years before, the reference then was expanded to the city and its fitting within the natural framework, to the definition of a new global habitat in which public space became the focus. The flying experience allowed him to look into the past and find the subtle balance of man and nature. Revelation and rebellion at the same time. Thanks to the new visual as well as mental perspective provided by height, he would drive his reflections towards “geoarchitecture”, a definitive, Humboldtian approach to Earth.

His aerial observation of the Algerian M’Zab valley or the layout of the settlements along the Paraná crystallised both into texts such as Sur les quattro routes, Aircraft or Les trois établissements humains, and a series of proposals for Rio, São Paulo, Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Algiers. Epic adventures through which, and connecting with the interest of those geographers worried about reclaiming human action on the writing on the Earth through his “establishments”, Le Corbusier tackled the configuration of a new public space beyond the limits of the traditional city, claiming for a new planetary order.

Keywords:

• contemporary architecture
• geoarchitecture
• Le Corbusier
• public space
• heritage
• historical landscape

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ramón Pico

RAMÓN PICO

Associate Professor of Contemporary History and Landscape Studies at the School of Architecture in Seville University. Has been fostering a parallel design practice and research activity, focused on the historical intersections of architecture, land-scape and urbanism, through experiences as Visiting scholar at Harvard GSD, Lunds Tekniska Högskola (Sweden), École D’Architecture de Nancy (France), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Tongji University (Shanghai) and SWUST (Miangyang).

Active member of DoCoMoMo in Spain, lecturing and exhibiting at many universities and conferences, including the 3rd European Landscape Biennale (First Prize), 7th Spanish Biennale and Ibero-American Architecture Biennale. His works and writings have been published in journals as El Croquis, Bauwelt, Lotus, Garten + Landschaft or Detail.