The Site of Vision in the Villa Savoye of Le Corbusier -'Fenetre en longueur' and the Internalization of a Distant View -
This study on the site of vision in the Villa Savoye of Le Corbusier, concentrates on the precise analysis of the meaning of 'fenetre on longueur' in the living room. A lots of architectural theorists have regarded the Villa Savoye of Le Corbusier as a symbol of modern architecture, and his 'fenetre on longueur' as products of modern technology. But Le Corbusier who defined himself as 'homme visuel', responded keenly to the vision conditions inherent to the human finitude, Indifferent to the modern technology, Such a response would be derived from the experience of Acropolis, where 'the scheme was designed to be seen from a distance.' Generally speaking, 'fenetre en longueur', contra to 'porte-fenetre', makes one to focus on the panorama effect of the horizon, including a distant view. Entering the living room of Villa Savoye, however, we may perceive this window in two ways. Firstly this window acts as a screen to obstruct not to see outside, because of the wall above pressing down the line of view. Secondly this acts as a frame to make us see a distant view as far as eye can reach. These two ways result in the abbreviation of near view, and a sudden shift between a inferiority(derived from 'screen effect') and a distant view(from 'frame effect'). Depending on such a observation, this study can evaluate 'fenetre en longueur' internalizing of a distant view as the highest compressed scene of Le Corbusier's architectural poetics.