The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, known informally as Ronchamp, is a chapel of Catholic worship that was built between 1950 and 1955. It is the creation of the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and one of the most important examples of religious architecture of the century.
The chapel in Ronchamp is unique in the style of Le Corbusier, who in this building abandons his principles of standardization and the aesthetic machine, giving rise to a specific response for the place. By Le Corbusier's own admission, it was the site that provided the geometry upon which his solution rested, along with its historical heritage as a place of worship. Le Corbusier also detected a sacred relationship of the hill with its surroundings, the Jura Mountains "Jura (mountain range)") in the distance and the hill itself, dominating the landscape.
The nature of the site gave rise to an architectural complex that for some critics has many similarities with the Acropolis, from the rise at the bottom of the hill to the architectural and landscape events along the way, since the building cannot be seen until the top of the hill is almost completely reached.
Architecture
The plan of the church is made up of a nave "Nave (architecture)") of curvilinear shapes, with two entrances on the sides, a main altar and three chapels under the towers. Outside, on its east façade and surrounded by the walls and roof, there is also an altar and a pulpit for celebrating open-air masses.
It consists mainly of curved walls, with the reinforced concrete shell that constitutes the roof also being curved. The building presents the massiveness typical of traditional construction made with load-bearing walls, accentuated by small rectangular flared openings, of unequal sizes and proportions, that pierce the south wall, the only thickness of the building. These gaps are closed with brightly colored glass, which provides weak lighting within the building, reinforcing its sacred nature. Added to this colored light is that provided by the narrow strip that separates the roof from the side enclosures, and the indirect light that slides through the interior of the three towers and illuminates the secondary chapels. The east wall is also perforated by small holes that from the inside represent a firmament of stars, in which the through niche stands out (seen both from the inside and from the outside) in which a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, under whose dedication the building is located, was placed.
Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut
Introduction
The Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, known informally as Ronchamp, is a chapel of Catholic worship that was built between 1950 and 1955. It is the creation of the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and one of the most important examples of religious architecture of the century.
The chapel in Ronchamp is unique in the style of Le Corbusier, who in this building abandons his principles of standardization and the aesthetic machine, giving rise to a specific response for the place. By Le Corbusier's own admission, it was the site that provided the geometry upon which his solution rested, along with its historical heritage as a place of worship. Le Corbusier also detected a sacred relationship of the hill with its surroundings, the Jura Mountains "Jura (mountain range)") in the distance and the hill itself, dominating the landscape.
The nature of the site gave rise to an architectural complex that for some critics has many similarities with the Acropolis, from the rise at the bottom of the hill to the architectural and landscape events along the way, since the building cannot be seen until the top of the hill is almost completely reached.
Architecture
The plan of the church is made up of a nave "Nave (architecture)") of curvilinear shapes, with two entrances on the sides, a main altar and three chapels under the towers. Outside, on its east façade and surrounded by the walls and roof, there is also an altar and a pulpit for celebrating open-air masses.
It consists mainly of curved walls, with the reinforced concrete shell that constitutes the roof also being curved. The building presents the massiveness typical of traditional construction made with load-bearing walls, accentuated by small rectangular flared openings, of unequal sizes and proportions, that pierce the south wall, the only thickness of the building. These gaps are closed with brightly colored glass, which provides weak lighting within the building, reinforcing its sacred nature. Added to this colored light is that provided by the narrow strip that separates the roof from the side enclosures, and the indirect light that slides through the interior of the three towers and illuminates the secondary chapels. The east wall is also perforated by small holes that from the inside represent a firmament of stars, in which the through niche stands out (seen both from the inside and from the outside) in which a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, under whose dedication the building is located, was placed.
The structure in the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut is made of reinforced concrete and masonry. The roof, a reinforced concrete shell, is the inversion of a traditional dome, being convex downward and concave upward. It is partially supported on pillars, so that there is a strip of separation between it and the enclosures, through which light penetrates.
The finishes of the chapel, both exterior and interior, are modest. The ground is inclined towards the altar, following the slope of the hill.
These organic forms may be related to the mid-century architectural context. After years in which straightness prevailed in the projects, in the 1950s there was a development of curves. Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum in New York marked the way forward, although Eero Saarinen, Jorn Utzon and Le Corbusier had already used organic forms in their villas of the 1920s.
The main part of the structure consists of two reinforced concrete membranes separated by a space, forming a shell that constitutes, at the same time, the exterior cover and the interior vault of the building. A space of several centimeters between the roof shell and the walls provides an entrance of light.[1] The altars are made of white Burgundy stone, the rest of the altars being made of polished precast concrete. The towers were built of stone masonry and reinforced concrete. The waterproofing of the roof was protected from ultraviolet radiation with an aluminum exterior coating. The communion bench was distinguished from the rest (made of wood) by being constructed of cast iron.
Extension
In 2011, the expansion of Notre Dame du Haut was inaugurated. It was carried out by Renzo Piano in collaboration with Michel Corajoud, a French landscape designer. Its presence does not interfere with the vision from the chapel and opens towards the landscape. A new building replaces the old visitor center.
• - Annex: List of works by Le Corbusier.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Notre Dame du Haut Chapel.
• - Site de l'association Notre Dame du Haut (in French).
• - The official site of the Ville de Ronchamp (in French).
References
[1] ↑ William Curtis, L'architecture moderne depuis 1900, Phaidon, 1982.
The structure in the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut is made of reinforced concrete and masonry. The roof, a reinforced concrete shell, is the inversion of a traditional dome, being convex downward and concave upward. It is partially supported on pillars, so that there is a strip of separation between it and the enclosures, through which light penetrates.
The finishes of the chapel, both exterior and interior, are modest. The ground is inclined towards the altar, following the slope of the hill.
These organic forms may be related to the mid-century architectural context. After years in which straightness prevailed in the projects, in the 1950s there was a development of curves. Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum in New York marked the way forward, although Eero Saarinen, Jorn Utzon and Le Corbusier had already used organic forms in their villas of the 1920s.
The main part of the structure consists of two reinforced concrete membranes separated by a space, forming a shell that constitutes, at the same time, the exterior cover and the interior vault of the building. A space of several centimeters between the roof shell and the walls provides an entrance of light.[1] The altars are made of white Burgundy stone, the rest of the altars being made of polished precast concrete. The towers were built of stone masonry and reinforced concrete. The waterproofing of the roof was protected from ultraviolet radiation with an aluminum exterior coating. The communion bench was distinguished from the rest (made of wood) by being constructed of cast iron.
Extension
In 2011, the expansion of Notre Dame du Haut was inaugurated. It was carried out by Renzo Piano in collaboration with Michel Corajoud, a French landscape designer. Its presence does not interfere with the vision from the chapel and opens towards the landscape. A new building replaces the old visitor center.
• - Annex: List of works by Le Corbusier.
• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on Notre Dame du Haut Chapel.
• - Site de l'association Notre Dame du Haut (in French).
• - The official site of the Ville de Ronchamp (in French).
References
[1] ↑ William Curtis, L'architecture moderne depuis 1900, Phaidon, 1982.