For two weeks, A+A is featuring guest posts by some of this nation’s finest architects, curators and designers. We made a simple request of each: Give us 300 words about your favorite building and its architect, and why both are important. Today, Greg Plavcan, from Gensler’s Washington D.C. office, takes us a monastary by Le Corbusier, near Lyon, France:
By Greg Plavcan
Gensler
When asked about my favorite building, I immediately thought about the semester I spent studying in Paris during my second year of graduate school. The class took a field trip to La Tourette near Lyon, France and I was greeted by a building on top of a country hillside. On first glance, it appeared to be a simple box of concrete, not noteworthy in any way. But when I left, I found myself enamored with its grand simplicity.
La Tourette was constructed as a monastery for the Dominican Order in the late 1950’s. Though older than some modern sustainability giants, it presents a great number of sustainable elements throughout its design. Use of locally sourced and inexpensive construction materials such as concrete and wood keep the spaces simple, clean and reflective of the monastic lifestyle.
Due to the use of these simple materials, light is able to flood the space and fill it with warmth, while the attention of the occupants is drawn to the countryside and its natural elements. The church’s solid north wall protects the monastery from harsh winds, while the open glass façade on the west allows for light to fill communal spaces and gives clear visibility to the natural elements surrounding the building. Each of the monk cells contain balconies, with vents built in that keep the spaces fresh. Even the roof of the monastery is a green space connecting every facet of the building to nature.
At the time I visited, I did not know that my career as a designer would focus on sustainability, but looking back I realize how many passive sustainability strategies were integrated into La Tourette. These components were included during a time when sustainability was not necessarily viewed as a universal design element. Now, as a Sustainability Specialist at Gensler, I infuse these kinds of components into our designs. Seeing photos of La Tourette now, I think back to my visit and I appreciate the uniqueness of the building itself and how it has impacted me, personally and professionally.
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