Raumplan versus Plan Libre : Adolf Loos and Le Corbusier, 1919 - 1930

Any comparison between Loos and Le Corbusier is fascinating. In the work of both architects there is creative tension between two specific attitudes. On the one hand, their work is concerned with the autonomy of architectural means. On the other, each architect tries, in his own way, to place his work in a context. These contexts frequently overlap. To Loos, the starting departure is traditional craftsmanship, the task being socially determined. In Le Corbusiers case, the division of labour between design and realisation forms the core of architectural process. The assignment and means of realising it are formulated in terms of new technologies. The issue is further complicated by a consideration of the cultural backgrounds of the architects in question. Space embraces the notion of continuity and distance, as well as the idea of enclosure. Their respective vocabularies, Raum and espace, may have partly formed their visions.