Following the exhibition at TU Delft in 1986-1987 'Raumplan Versus Plan Libre' (curator Max Risselade), third-year bachelor students 'Architectural Design' from the Maastricht Academy of Architecture went in search of the contemporary meaning of Loos's designs and Le Corbusier.

The floor plan as prototype: Loos and Le Corbusier

The homes of the architects Adolf Loos (1870-1933) & Le Corbusier (1887-1965) have long played an important role in architectural discourse and architectural education. The principles of the designs of Adolf Loos - oriented on spatial experience - and of Le Corbusier focus on the open structure, which allows free movement. Each design has great quality, but could be considered prototypical in its differences in structure and spatial effect, thus showing the fundamental difference in design attitude and the role of the user.

What do these designs mean for these young architecture students?

Students investigated the work by making models of the various houses. Every student has developed a fascination for a specific house. After this research, they responded to the qualities of this space through an intervention in a room of the house that was meaningful to them. A 1:20 model shows how to intervene in space through materiality, light and color.

Different insights

The result is an exhibition of models and model photos, which provides insight into the spatial experience of the homes of Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier. The exhibition also provides insight into how contemporary architecture students view these designs and how they can intervene in the designs of these two greats from their contemporary world of experience. It shows the contemporary relevance that lies in the essence of the work of both architects. 'Raumplan Versus Plan Libre' also provides insight into architectural education, where, in addition to working with the computer, the traditional building of models to scale is indispensable to approximate the real experience of a space as faithfully as possible. 

For more information about the exhibition, click here