Notre Dame du Haut : Ronchamp, France : 1953-1955
principles + elements
Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut is relatively simplistic but features many design principles and elements. The outside of the church is constructed of sprayed concrete and whitewashed with a coat of plaster to give the walls TEXTURE. The stark white walls against the brown roof and various-sized windows provide the structure with CONTRAST. A few strong LINES in the building create movement and drama. SHAPE is apparent within the square and rectangular windows. The most prominent element displayed is FORM. This element is seen in the irregular, curved forms of the building, which act as if the building is in motion.
scale
The curves presented in the building mimic forms found in the landscape around the chapel. Each facade responds to different attitudes: welcome, celebration, service, and symbolism. The roof resembles a sail billowing in the wind currents on the chapel’s hilltop.
materials
The materials used to construct Notre Dame du Haut are pure and basic, demonstrating the way of life sought by those who came to the chapel. Le Corbusier mainly used reinforced concrete to create the curved structure. The lack of ornamental detail helps the building to truly exist as a sacred place, without the interference of tourists and worshippers.
light + color
Natural light and color are most notable, beaming through the chapel windows. The openings of the windows slant towards their centers at varying degrees, letting in light at different angles. The glass that closes the openings is set at alternating depths. Some of the windows are clear, while others contain pieces of stained glass, illuminating the interior with red, green, and yellow hues. Le Corbusier intended these complex windows to highlight the drama of light and enhance the sacred space.
experience
Le Corbusier intends all his designs to present the viewer with a different perception of the building from whatever viewpoint they see. This idea forces visitors to walk around the chapel to appreciate it truly. The forms used in Notre Dame du Haut influence the user’s highest sense of degree, provoking their emotions. Le Corbusier also created a sequence of spatial dramas in which light interacted with form and material to generate different moods at multiple intervals of the day.
theories
Sense of place is a prominent theory illustrated in the design of Notre Dame du Haut. According to Le Corbusier, “[T]he sight provided an irresistible genius loci, with the horizon visible on all four sides of the hill and its historical legacy for centuries as a place of worship.” The historical legacy dates back to the Romans and sun-worshippers, to a cult of the Virgin in the Middle Ages, right through to the modern church and the fight against the German occupation.
technology
The complex forms of Notre Dame du Haut exhibit a new technological advancement in architecture. Most structures before this took on simple, straight forms. It was uncommon for architects to use hard materials like concrete to create irregular shapes. The thick walls of the chapel also amplify the acoustics inside and outside.
finishes
Multiple finishes were used on the glass windows, including cold painting, grisaille, or stained glass, to reveal different colors and shapes when light passes through. A symbolic painting in enamel is also found on the entrance doors, painted by Le Corbusier himself.
furnishings
Wooden pews are found inside the main sanctuary for worshippers to hear the word of God and pray, along with an altar to provide the sacrament. Le Corbusier also built an outside altar and pulpit to accommodate the large crowds. A famous statue of the Virgin Mary, which was rescued from the ruins of the chapel destroyed in WWII, is displayed in a glass case, and it can be turned inward when the congregation is inside or faced outward to the vast crowds outside.
telling stories
Notre Dame du Haut is built upon thousands of years of history. Remnants of the previous chapel before WWII can be found inside the walls of the present-day Notre Dame du Haut. The chapel also tells religious stories, as the high-sloping walls create a link to the heavens.
links
Notre Dame du Haut, France by Le Corbusier: The first Post-Modern building
Le Corbusier’s Ronchamp chapel is one of the 20th century’s most important buildings
