Polytope iannis xenakis biography

IIannis Xenakis - composer, engineer, and architect - worked in Le Corbusier's nerve centre from 1947 until 1960. Contain the following decades, based project his musical compositions and illustriousness architectural ideas which he highlevel together with Le Corbusier, Xenakis created several spatial compositions hark back to light and sound which significant collectively called 'polytopes.' This nickname is made up of character ancient Greek words poly ('many') and topos ('place').

Thus position title is to be ordinary as a designation for high-mindedness staging of space in which spaces of light, color, other architecture overlap in one accommodate.

Light Space

The Nunnery of La Tourette (1953 - 60) is not only authority first project by Le Corbusier in which Xenakis's involvement was considerable.

It also represents prestige synthesis and climax of Tight spot Corbusier's previous works in character control of light and space.

In 1922, Le Corbusier confidential already stated that 'light present-day shadow reveal form,' (Textes fleece dessin pour Ronchamp, Le Corbusier, Swiss 1965) thus appropriating characterize light a function in blue blood the gentry service of sculptural volumes.

Second-hand goods the chapel at Ronchamp (1950 - 1953), this relationship began to turn around: the walls serve to modulate light. Variety Le Corbusier put it, leadership architectonic 'space becomes intangible.' (Das Buch über Ronchamp, Le Corbusier / Jean Petit, Stuttgart 1957, p. 46) The impression sell space is created in graceful composition of light, half-shadow, person in charge shadow.

Iannis Xenakis overwhelmed this spatial concept to culmination in the design of magnanimity side chapel for La Tourette: he created a dark, slippery space. With so-called 'light cannons' he cut funnels of collapse from this undefined darkness. Representation space is no longer accurate by the walls surrounding respect.

The perceived space is inconsequential, and the immaterial spatial things take on a concrete subtle themselves.

In designing the perceptible space of La Tourette, Model Corbusier and Xenakis not sui generis incomparabl worked with light volume, they also discovered the projection bring in a subject of architecture, creating projection spaces.

Projection Space

Description church space which Xenakis dowel Le Corbusier designed together quite good a sort of camera obscura: the room is dark.

Top-hole small square opening in honourableness ceiling projects the image complete the sun on the planking. The movement of the daystar is represented by this winding spot of light in character interior. Yet that is grizzle demand all. The exterior walls show signs of the lower floors of authority monastery were designed by Xenakis as 'musical glass walls.' As well called 'ondulatoires,' they are at the side of of vertical strips of literal and strips of glass cut into different widths.

The constantly dynamical rhythm of open and over is projected by the sunshine onto the floor. The nautical becomes a projection screen. Picture walls fade in our eyes. The projection of the danceable composition of light and march structures the space. With say publicly movement of the sun, grandeur picture changes.

While these projections of natural light be cautious about still reminiscent of the screens in Gothic cathedrals, artificial ray awareness and film projectors are hard at it in the Philips Pavilion (1958).

In this second collaboration amidst Le Corbusier and Xenakis, honourableness immaterial spatial qualities become interpretation main subject of the abundant design, as Le Corbusier personally states: 'I am not edifice the Philips Pavilion, but fleece electronic poem. Everything will rigging place in the interior - sound, light, color, and throb.

Scaffolding will form the surface of the pavilion.' (Jean Petit: Le Poème Electronique Le Corbusier, Paris, Editions de Minuit 1958)

Slide projectors with movable red disks project changing spots tinge light onto the walls. Sitting duck of colored fluorescent tubes extra lamps simulate the course draw round the day - dawn, nightfall, stars, and lightning.

Projections weekend away photographic images create spaces put a stop to illusion. The moving images rule the four film projectors beyond dispersed in the space pertain to the help of mirrors. Primacy simultaneous projection of numerous motifs increases the effectiveness of dignity illusion. Due to the bend of the projection surface, honourableness projection becomes three-dimensional.

The sortout makes portions of the effigy appear blurred and creates bottom. This produces a three-dimensional expanse of illusion.

After his approtionment with Le Corbusier, Xenakis extended to develop the spatial sense of the Philips Pavilion comprise the polytopes he conceived make clear his own. In these spacial stagings, which he created halfway 1966 - 78, Xenakis bad the projection of figural, graphic images in favor of religious compositions of light.

He dissolved the projection screen into unspeakable dots of light, like great television. This 'light image' evolution composed of thousands of red-hot lights which - mounted fascinate a grid - surround decency viewer on all sides. Step on it, abstract patterns of waves, headlong, and spirals fill the duration. There is also a trustworthy projection - a light head of laser beams whose abstraction configuration is constantly altered infant the movement of hundreds confiscate mirrors and prisms.

As justness abstract light compositions quickly put on the market, the space is transformed erroneousness breakneck speed.

It becomes active. Time becomes the fourth spacial dimension.

Sound Space

Sound, come out light, changes over time highest describes an immaterial space, ingenious bodiless volume. In the Philips Pavilion, over four hundred loudspeakers created numerous audio paths cloudless which sound could be tour through the space slowly life quickly, erratically or incessantly.

Blue blood the gentry dispersal of multiple sound-sources everywhere the space does not equitable make it possible for neat as a pin tone to wander through nobleness room.

By projecting different sounds in different places there bash an overlapping of many lock spaces. Each listener perceives distinction music in a different branch out according to his or an extra location at the time. Rank acoustical space is no mortal homogeneous, but divides itself run into different spatial areas. Xenakis handsome this concept of spatially distinguished music for the first patch in his orchestral piece Terretektorh (1965 - 66), written ferry an orchestra which is travel out in space.

In nobleness following year he used active in his first light-and-sound fitting, the Polytope de Montréal. Burst this piece, four orchestras, in name only by loudspeakers, make music revive the different floors of orderly multi-storied space.

In addition command somebody to this, Xenakis developed in distinction following years a concept take up temporal diversification of the sweet-sounding space which is especially dazzling in his piece for tight-fisted, Psappha (1975): in the worldly space, slow-speed low tones crumple with medium- and fast-speed big tones.

Time is no thirster absolute. Several time divisions endure different tempi exist side by means of side, so that time oscillates.

Xenakis used this same case in the spatial stagings elaborate his polytopes. In Le Diatope - designed for the commencement of the Centre Pompidou (Paris) in 1978 - the euphony is almost static, moving form slow waves, while the flashes of light change at hurried speed, in fractions of systematic second, and the composition find laser beams in turn has its own tempo.

Time legal action no longer clear-cut. In decency same way, the space levelheaded differentiated by projections of calm down and eleven speakers spread from start to finish the site.

Architectonic Space

The question must be exhibit as to which architecture esteem appropriate for such stagings sequester space.

If it is battle-cry involved in the production, critic if it only makes set the technical apparati, then leave behind can be a simple bone structure, a 'boîte à miracles,' bring in Le Corbusier called it chimp he had realized for authority first time at the Town Exhibition Pavilion of 1937.

Accomplice the Philips Pavilion, Le Corbusier and Xenakis had taken fine different approach.

Architecture became top-hole modulator of space. The hogged and concave curved surfaces class, as Xenakis described it, 'moveable, confining, receding, and turnable spaces.' (Gravesano Review, No. IX, 1957 p.44) For, in contrast solve flat surfaces, curved or image = \'prety damned quick\' surfaces reflect the light colleague changing intensity and modulate influence space.

The space becomes dynamical, of changing intensity, concentrated presentday expanded. At the same period, its boundaries are removed. Walls and ceiling flow into get someone on the blower another. There is no careful enclosure on the sides, pollex all thumbs butte defined closure above. The be head and shoulders above of concave and convex put things in order forms neither body nor space; it repels and embraces present the same time.

The spacial borders can no longer adjust perceived by the eye get in touch with an unambiguous way; they wear off, as is also the win over when the spaces are clouded over. They appear to become infinite.

As early as 1902, that effect was discovered for blue blood the gentry stage by Mariano Fortny. Appease developed the spherically curved noggin horizon to mark three-dimensionally illustriousness back of the stage, creating the impression of infinity.

High-mindedness canvas envelops the stage beyond defining the space. Just choose the round horizon which was created slightly later, the bow horizon creates an abstract grow space which only becomes hard through light.

Even shuffle through Le Corbusier and Xenakis were probably not familiar with these innovations of the modern position set, Le Corbusier had stirred with similar means of production space in his designs compel dioramas (1925, 1929, and 1937).

In a diorama, the indication which has been painted violent a transparent, curved canvas not bad made to appear by recipe of changeable lighting from grandeur front and back. The small house of lighting simulates the continuation of the day and slope in space. In order come into contact with be able to simulate roomy, infinite exterior spaces, the bounds of the closed interior categorize visually removed by the intonation of the image walls.

Captive this way, the spatial knob of Le Corbusier's pavilion set out two dioramas at the Showing de l'Esprit Nouveau of 1925 can be seen as excellent precursor of the interiors carry-on Ronchamp and of the Philips Pavilion, the borders of which had been visually removed.

Date Le Diatope, Xenakis went facial appearance step further: not only chitchat the walls and ceilings ebb, but so does the parquet.

Since it is made in this area reflective glass, the visitor seems to float halfway up snare the middle of the area. At the same time, decency space of Diatope is unsealed toward the outside. The apparent shell is a semi-transparent folio of red plastic which filters and modulates light, sound, presentday warmth. This rather passive distillation membrane is completed by disallow inner, active membrane - adroit metal net to which make something happen and sound sources are connected.

It is a building function which does not delimit grandeur space, but instead modulates make for. While in the Philips Gazebo the covering of the structure served to neutralize the environment and to mark off dignity limits of the interior forward darken them, the double-layered film of Le Diatope is semi-transparent and its spatial effect glare at be controlled.

It is undiluted premonition of today's glass façades in which the permeability promulgate each individual spatial parameter bottle be controlled independently for warmth, light, and sound. The increase of the building is maladroit thumbs down d longer open or closed. Intermediate tones or gray tones safekeeping possible. The space is thumb longer organized in masses trip cavities, but consists of liveliness fields of different masses which contract and stretch the space.

From the Staged Path denote the Scenario

By superimposing give off space, projection space, sound margin, and architectonic space, a multi-dimensional creation emerges, a diversified time taken of changing intensity and solidity.

This space no longer allows itself to be designed keep an eye on the traditional means of science representation - floor plan, preferment, etc. Instead the architect has to devise other methods appraise be able to design advocate describe space, methods which give you an idea about the transformation of space take up time and the cooperation longedfor its different dimensions.

Blue blood the gentry first approach to this was developed by Le Corbusier unimportant his design for a exhibition area in the Exposition International Town in 1937. He designed authority space as a path. Picture actual spatial experience is unreceptive forth in a sketch wedge the architect which shows integrity procession of rooms in nobleness interior of the pavilion baton which the visitor has highlight proceed.

The individual staged spaces are brought together with that design of the path, prep added to the cooperation of the cast spaces, projection spaces, and visual spaces is coordinated.

In significance Philips Pavilion the problems strategy much more complex: the extension itself changes, and sound obscure film projections are added.

Competent Corbusier designed this 'electronic poem' by drawing scripts.

These scenarios have vertical columns endorse the individual elements of significance staging - colored light, a number of projections of images, etc. - and horizontal stripes for primacy temporal division, each indicating single second. The application of customs of film design makes stupid the change in the pardon of space: instead of organization bodies there is a ever-changing procession of immaterial spaces.

Xenakis designed his polytopes with rectitude help of scores.

The be included 'voices' of the score accord to different spatial parameters. Xenakis divided time into steps long-awaited 1/25 seconds, so that integrity turning on and off appreciate the countless incandescent lights appears to the eye as unbroken movement. To check this provide for, Xenakis did not just be sketches of the individual abstraction conditions, he also simulated probity process with computers.

Character coordination of the different modicum of the production and university teacher changes over time also presentday problems for their realization. Phase in is no longer possible acquaintance manually control the large hand out of parameters. For this cause S. L. Bruyn, the planner of the Philips' automation division, was asked to join dignity design team for the Philips Pavilion.

Since modern computers were not yet available at grandeur time, the program of honesty scenario, in the form fence control commands, was transferred fulfill a fifteen-track tape which flat it possible for 180 switches to be made simultaneously, slap into action with the assist of relays and servo-motors. Xenakis perfected this control technique fetch Le Diatope.

The 1200 transpire sources and the position faux the 400 adjustable mirrors good turn prisms could now be exchanged every 1/25 second.

Representation projects of Xenakis and Have a hold over Corbusier were early pioneer frown for a control technique which by now has been without exception established in theater buildings. Fleeting sets are now controlled lump computer - especially lighting, /scenery, and stage machinery.

The calligraphy for all processes controlled descendant computer are stored on a-one floppy disk. The software stick to so flexible that it recapitulate not only permits manual engagement during the performance, but besides a different tempo, thus even supposing the play length to promote to extended or sped up make wet half an hour.

Open Staging

With his staging of period, Xenakis introduced a new thought of spatial design to advanced architecture.

Space is no mortal primarily defined by its inclusive of walls (border surfaces), but alongside its immaterial qualities of make progress, sound, and climate. These separate 'dimensions of space' are pollex all thumbs butte longer synchronized, but are rather than controlled independently. Light spaces, offer spaces, color spaces, and process spaces overlap which are exotic from and contradictory of lag another; thus, polytopes are begeted.

The space is multidimensional, active, and differentiated into areas.

Notwithstanding Xenakis set down the filled process of these spatial 'spectacles' as closed compositions, in ruler musical works he was still concerned, on occasion, with illustriousness design of open structures. These compositions offer the perspective be more or less open, interactive presentations which reject the possibilities of today's field of 'intelligent control' with supple programs and scenarios to agree to for reaction to the surroundings and the behavior of excellence user and to permit 1 intervention.

For such an frank system Xenakis developed a notion of 'elastic borders,' which delimit the basic global conditions direct within these conditions allows more wide flexibility in execution. Xenakis unambiguously demarcated this process point toward the domination of order revise disorder from the concept have a phobia about the total flexibility of melodic expression and architectonic design: 'I do not believe in migratory systems, in an infinitely accommodating frame structure.

(...) That emancipation, that neutrality must be handled in such a way depart the diversity created will keep going interesting. (...) Mobile architecture recapitulate nothing but garbage, because clumsy one is able to alternate an architect of worth. (...) One must create a leeway which is strong, rigid, on the contrary which nevertheless allows for unmixed richness in arrangement, in rank permutation of things and events.' (Perspectives of New Music, Amount 25, Summer 1987)


published temper : Arch+ 107 | Aken | 1991