For the artist, mathematics does not consist of the various
branches of mathematics. It is not
necessarily a matter of calculation but rather of the presence of a sovereign
power; a law of
infinite resonance, consonance, organisation. Rigour is nothing other
than that which truly results
in a work of art, whether it be a Leonardo drawing, or the fearsome exactness
of the Parthenon
(comparable in the cutting of its marble even with that of
machine-tools), or the implacable and
impeccable play of construction in the cathedral, or the unity in a
Cézanne, or the law which
determines a tree, the unitary splendour of roots, trunk, branches, leaves,
flowers, and fruit.
Chance has no place in nature. Once one has understood what mathematics
is – in the
philosophical sense – thereafter one can discern it in all
its works. Rigour, and exactness, are the
means behind achieving solutions, the cause behind character, the rationale
behind harmony.Le Corbusier, 1948Probably everyone reading this article has heard of Le Corbusier, no
doubt the most
famous architect this century, but the images he will arouse in their minds
may vary
greatly. Some will blame him for those theories promoting standardized
high rise
construction, which have dominated town planning policy in post-war Europe.
Others will
admire his highly individual, sculptural buildings such as the church at
Ronchamp
(1950–55) (see Figure 1), the revolutionary public housing scheme
of the
Unité d'Habitation
at Marseilles (1946–52) (Figure 2), its ground-level pillars
(pilotis) and roof-level service
stacks alike transformed into enigmatic statues, or his pre-war Purist
villas in the Paris
suburbs (1920s). His work displayed a wide variety of forms and spaces
at any one time,
and his career spanned almost sixty years, during which he was constantly
questioning, and
reformulating theories, and in consequence changing his formal language.
Classification of High-Rise Residential Building Facilities: A Descriptive Survey on 170 Housing Scheme in Klang Valley