A highlight of my recent trip to the Villa Savoye was the relation between inside and outside, the mediation of architectural elements with nature. The Villa is so much more than an architectural journey and the thoughtful use of natural light. Every space provides a different phenomenological perception of nature. In the entrance lobby, pictured below, the opening is framed as a protective edge still subtly allows nature in, with the extension of the ceiling outside.
The size of the opening in this provides a meditative space, reinforced by the chromatic color of the accented wall and the blue writing table, and at the same time, it creates a certain tension with the outside. In contrast the bathroom below that lets nature fully in provides a calming feeling.
Careful use of ordinary architectural elements such as vertical mullions and horizontal louvers alter one’s relation with the outside,
