Le Corbusier Butterfly Roof

Twenty eight years before krisel designed tract homes for the alexander construction company in palm springs swiss french architect and modernist pioneer le corbusier first came up with the soaring architectural feature.

Le corbusier butterfly roof.

The v shaped feature also known as an inverted gable roof was popularized in the. We have french architect le corbusier to thank for the distinctive feature. According to a piece published by curbed this winter the butterfly roof design was originally conceived by famous swiss french architect le corbusier in 1930. The butterfly roof is a result of deliberation to satisfy two design conditions.

Le corbusier s first attempt at the butterfly roof took place in chile where he was commissioned to build a vacation home in zapallar for eugenia errazuriz heiress to a bolivian silver mining. In 1930 he proposed it for a chilean vacation home for heiress and arts patron eugenia errazuriz but she went bankrupt before it could be built. Topping it off is an asymmetrical le corbusier style butterfly roof that gives the home its distinctive form while creating soaring spaces on the second floor. Of all southern california s signature architectural elements the most distinctive may be the butterfly roof.

But it was not built by le corbusier the designer was czech architect antonin raymond. Typically found atop homes in the southwestern united states the butterfly roof is an iconic feature of mid century architecture. To make a pitched roof following planning guidelines and to make a flat roof matching the square plan. The most significant element to the home is the show stopping asymmetrical le corbusier style butterfly roof that allowed for additional square footage and expanded views.

Le corbusier s butterfly roof finally became real just three years later in karuizawa japan.