Le Corbusier & Lucio Costa Maison du Brésil - Paris Boulevard Jourdan 7L, Paris 1952 - 1959 |
The Maison du Brésil is located in the east corner of the Cité Universitaire in Paris. The building is in direct neighbourhood to the Pavillon Suisse, built in 1930 by Le Corbusier and still considerd a milestone of modern architecture. The first plans for the Maison du Brésil were designed by the brasilian architect Lucio Costa. The final project was realized by Le Corbusier and his staff. The rooms for the students are oriented to the west and are provided with brise-soleil, resulting in an elevation reminiscent of the Unité d'Habitation. The elevation on the opposite side is of a completely different design, a wide middle section with balconies is flankec by two large areas of concrete slabs which are perforated by small windows. The mentioned middle section is occupied in plan by study rooms while in the lateral parts of this facade are located the secondary rooms and the stairs. The main volume is elevated and is supported by pilotis. The ground floor occupies only little space below this volume, but extends to both sides. On the ground floor are located the special usages, such as the vestibule, auditorium, caféteria, administration rooms and apartment of the housekeeper. |