Le Corbusier’s Dioramas

Abstract

AbstractLe Corbusier symbolizes the modern rational urbanism, whose rigorous effort of town planning demands a parallel effort of comprehension. It opposes to these contemporary urbanism that wish to perceive and to enjoy cities in a sensible way. Nevertheless, sentiment and reason are not adverses and Le Corbusier gives us at his moment keys to intent a synthesis, joined them in a singular way by means of his ‘boîtes à miracles’ or ‘magic boxes’: those "architectural spectacles of synthesis" that he defined in 1951 Ciam. Here we try to approach to the first of those ‘spectacles’: the ‘diorama’, considering it as a corbusean strategy of mediation between rational and sensible in modern and contemporary city.Key wordsLe Corbusier, diorama, Ville Contemporaine, Plan Voisin, Plan Maciá