Unfolding the oblique architecture's trajectory from 1963 to the present

Date

2024-6-26

Author

Erpek, Ertuğ

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This thesis unfolds the understudied trajectory of the Oblique Function Theory developed by French architect Claude Parent (1923-2016) and philosopher Paul Virilio (1932-2018) of the Architecture Principe Groupe (1963-1968) from its initial manifestation in 1963 to its contemporary reflections. Detailed in nine issues of the Architecture Principe manifesto magazine in 1966, Parent and Virilio criticized horizontal pre-industrial and vertical industrial urban forms of Rationalism and Modernism but drew inspiration from the latter’s focus on circulation, as seen in Le Corbusier’s work. They articulated that conventional architectural forms were inadequate to meet the contemporary urban complexities and mobilities. Instead, they proposed a “third urban order” on oblique planes, breaking away from Euclidean spaces that inhibit movement and separate it from habitation. They emphasized the inclined variations, fractured forms, and fluid compositions, introducing concepts like “habitable circulation.” The oblique function theory influenced Deconstructivism, The Fold, and Landscape Urbanism. However, the connection between the theory and these remains obscured due to the theory’s sporadic trajectory. This research aims to reclaim the theory’s role in shaping contemporary architecture by reconstructing its interwoven and latent trajectory. Utilizing archival documents and case studies, it seeks to elucidate how the oblique function theory has been inherited by subsequent architectural approaches and transformed through different paradigms. Additionally, this study attempts to bridge the gap between modernism and deconstructivism, revealing the oblique’s progress as an architectural element. Ultimately, it aspires to renew the understanding of the oblique and serve as a foundational study for future inquiries into oblique architecture.

Subject Keywords

The Oblique Function Theory, Architecture Principe, Claude Parent, Paul Virilio, Contemporary Oblique Architecture

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/110337

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis