The CIAM Discourse
on UrbanismThe CIAM Discourse on
Urbanism, 1928-1960
Eric Mumford
The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, EnglandFirst MIT Press paperback edition, 2002
(© 2000 Massachusetts institute of Technology
[Alright served. No part of this Book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical
means Galuding photocopying, recorcng, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in
writing from the publisher.
‘This book was setin Meta Normal by Graphic Composition Inc. and was printed and bound nthe United
States of America.
Library of Congres Cataloging n-Publication Data
‘Mumford, ic Paul, 1958
The CIAM discourse 0 urbanism, 1928-1960 / Eric Mumford
pen.
Includes bibliographical references andindes.
ISON 978-0:262-19364-7 (i: alk paper), 970-262-63263-8 (pb)
4, Intemational Congress for Modern Azchitecture. 2. Architecture, Modemn—2oth century
5 City planning —History—zoth century. 1 Title
NA6B0.1¢75 M86 2000
724'6—de.
99-054625
109876543
Universidad
dade de) «.
Brasilia 72.036
M36a¢Contents
List of llustrations wi
Foreword by Kenneth Frampton
Acknowledgments i
Introduction 1
1: CIAM, 1928-1930 5
‘Modem Architects’ Congress, 19289
CIAM a, La Sarraz, Switzerland, 192816
LaSarraz Declaration 24
CIAM 2, Frankfurt, 1929: The Existenzminimum — 27
Le Corbusier, the Green City, and His “Response to Moscow” 44
CIAM 3, Brussels, 1930: Rational Lot Development «9
2: The Functional City, 1931-1939 so
The Theme of the Functional City so
Application Case: Barcelona, 1932 os
CCIAM 4, 1933: The Functional City 7
CIAM, 1933-1936 91
CIAM s, Paris, 1937: Dwelling and Recreation 0s
Transplanting CIAM, 1: England, 1937-1942 17
Transplanting CIAM, 2: America and Europe, 1938-1939 123
3: CIAM and the Postwar World, 1939-1950 0
CIAM as Propaganda: Sert’s Can Our Cities Survive? am
‘The New York CIAM Chapter for Relief and Postwar Planning, 1943-1945,
‘The New Monumentality 150
Le Corbusier and ASCORAL, 1940-1946 15
CIAM, 1966-1947 159
The New Empiricism 163
IAM 6, Bridgwater, England, 1947 168
IAM 7,Bergamo, Italy. 1949179
“Concerning Architectural Culture”: Zevi's Critique of CAM 1984; From the "Heart of the City" to the End of CIAM 201
IAM 8, Hoddesdon, England, 1951: The Heart of the City 2
In Search of “Habitat”: Sigtuna, Sweden, 1952715
CIAM 9, Aix-en-Provence, 1953: The Charter of Habitat 225
Team 10 and CIAM 10, Dubrovnik, 1956 238
CIAM’s9 in Otterlo and the End of IAM 258
S:After CIAM 267
Appendix: Chronology of CIAM and CIAM-CIRPAC Meetings 275
Notes 277
Bibliography 38
igure Credits 381
Index 300
ContentsMlustrations
1.4 Winning scheme for the Palace of the League of Nations, Geneva, 1931, as presented by
Alberto Sartoris, 1932, 14
42 Sch
and Arataria, Colnaghi House, Basel 13,
1.3 Group photograph, First CIAM Congress, La Sarraz, Switzerland, 1928 36
1.4 Guéviékian, project fora hotel for auto tourists, 192317
15 Bourgeois, La Cité Modeme, Berchem-sur-Bruxelles, Belgium, 192218
1.6 Opbouw (with Stam), project for the Hofplein, Rotterdam, 1927 23
+7 CIAM “battle plan” drawn by Le Corbusier forLa Sarraz meeting, 1928 24
1.8 Cover of io issue that included the “Declaration of a Sarraz," 192828.
19 Cover of Giedion, Befreites Wohnen, 1929 32
1.10 Window and room in Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret’s addition to the Palais du
Peuple ofthe Salvation Army,Paris,1927 33
1.11 Housing settlement designed by Gropius and Bauhaus faculty at Dessau-Térten, Ger-
many, under construction, ca.1927 33,
1.12 Cover of Das Neue Frankfurt 10 (1928), which included photographs of CIAM 2 35,
1.3 Advertisement on back of Oas Neue Frankfurt 11 (November 1925) showing Stam’
Hellechof settlement, Frankfurt, 1929 36
1.14 “Die Wohnung fr das Existenzminimum" exibition, Frankfurt1929 40
1.15 Plate 146 from Die Wohnungfirdos Existenzminimum 4x
116 Die Wohnung frdos Existenzminimum book cover, 93043
1.17 Group photograph, CIAM 3, Brussels, 193050
1.18 Neutra llardinette] apartments Los Angeles, 1928 52,
1.49 Site plan from Rationelle Bebouungsweisen, 193155
1.20 Gropius, model of aneleven-story steeHframed slabapartment 57
2.1 Gropius, highrise metropolitan housing exhibit, 3931 60
2.2 Analytical map |of Amsterdam for Functional Cty Congress, 193362
2.3 Analyticalmap ilofAmsterdam 63,
2.4 Analyticalmap lof Amsterdam 64
2.5 GATEPAC, Casa Bloc, Barcelona, 193269
2.6 Group photograph, Barcelona, 19327027 Giedion, “Protest Collage” sent to Stain,1932 72
2.8 Le Corbusier and GATCPAC, Macid plan forBarcelona, 193272
2.9 Mustration from Le Corbusier, Croisade, ou le crépuscule des académies, 932 74
2.10 CIRPAC Room Fith Triennale, Milan,1933 75
2.at Le Corbusier speaking onthe Paris, IAM 441933 80
212 Tertagni analytical plan of Como fr Functionality Congress, 193382
213 Le Corbusier, frontispiece toLa Vile Rodieuse, 935 86
214 Cover ofAC12 (1932), Barcelona 88
235 Lurat,KartMarxSchool in Viljul, Pars, 1933 93
2.16 Coates Lawn Road Fats,London,1934 95
237 Coverof quent, ca.1935 96
218 Coverofdeen Opbouw,1935 97
2.19 Group photograph, Amsterdam CIRPAC meeting, 193598
2.20 “Functional iy" exhibition, Amsterdam, 393599
2.21 Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Brel
rocco, 1935 100
3 engineer, Functional City plan for Nemours, Mo-
2.22 Stam, plan for Orsk, USSR, 1934108,
12.23 Van ijen, Brinkman, and Van der lugt, Bergpolder Apartments, Rotterdam, 1932-1934
102
2.24 La SarrazCIRPAC meeting, 1936 106
2.25 LaSarrazCIRPAC meeting, 1936 107
2.26 CIAMFrance, diagram of production of proposed CIAM 4 volumes, ca. 1936 108,
2.27 CIAMFrance, diagram of CIAM organization, 1936 109
2.28 Group photograph, CIAM s, Pars, 193711
i, Gardella, Minolet
12
Pagano, Palanti, Predaval, Romano, “Milano Verde" plan,
2.30 Sert and Lacasa, Spanish Pavilion, Paris Exhibition, 1937183
2.31 Le Corbusier, “La Charte d’Athénes," 19385,
2.32 Le Corbusier “Habiter" photomontage from Temps Nouveaux pavilion, Paris Exhibition,
193716
2.33 Gropius and Fry proposed slab blacks fort. Leonards Mill Windsor, England, 1937117
2.34 Cover of madel of proposed CIAM volume presenting the results ofthe Functional City
Congress,ca.1938 18
2.35 Samuel,house in Bromley, London 120
stations2.36 MARS Group Exhibition, New Burlington Gallery, London, 1938121
2.37 Cover of Focus 3 (1939) 125
2.38 Sert and Weissmann, East River Crescent (project), New York City, 1941128
2.39 Zurich CIRPAC meeting, July 1939129
2.40 Sketch probably by Le Corbusier, ca.1939 130
3.1 Original cover design by Herbert Bayer for Sert, Should Our Cities Survive? ca. 1941
333
3.2 Four modern housing types illustrated in Sert, Can Our Cities Survive? 136
3.3 Industral areas, means of communication, and the central city, from Sert, Can Our Cities
Survive? 337
344 Le Corbusier, plan ofthe civic center forthe reconstruction of St-Di8, France, 1945
57
345 Letter from Oscar Niemeyer to Giedion announcing the formation of a Brazilian CIAM
gyoup,