A dimension of landscape. Urban planning by Le Corbusier: infrastructure, contemplation, and poetics

Introduction On the topic of Landscape, in any form, certain projects by Le Corbusier (LC) may be said to have unquestionably maintained a sense of both development and continuity with the modern era. Projects such as the Rio de Janeiro and Algiers ones prove that certain concepts LC engaged with remain valid to this day and that current approaches to urban planning still rely on his same composition dynamics. Landscape may be natural, urban, industrial, etcetera; its importance is crucial in the process of architectural composition, whether on a large or small scale. LC’s writings are a source of instruction on how to directly confront landscape and enhance it through design that is mindful of urban context. An intimate poetic of landscape contemplation arises from his work, as well as a specific positioning of his constructions (and infrastructures) towards the best possible spot for observing the natural and urban context, so that it may pervade his residential buildings and thus be admired. At the same time, LC morphs landscape into a dynamic set for vehicle routes and itineraries, where the point of observation is endlessly shifting. Several of LC’s ideas continue to live on in the present, namely his principles for the creation of “urban condensers”, various examples of layered functions, and the idea of a diverse typology of roads as a means of improving both a neighbourhood’s outer perception, as well as its living conditions, without forcing discontinuities.