Le Corbusier Butterfly Roof

Typically found atop homes in the southwestern united states the butterfly roof is an iconic feature of mid century architecture.

Le corbusier butterfly roof.

Twenty eight years before krisel designed tract homes for the alexander construction company in palm springs swiss french architect and modernist pioneer le corbusier first came up with the soaring architectural feature. To make a pitched roof following planning guidelines and to make a flat roof matching the square plan. The butterfly roof is a result of deliberation to satisfy two design conditions. Le corbusier s butterfly roof finally became real just three years later in karuizawa japan.

The formal dining area pairs a custom table by heerenhuis manufactuur with vintage danish midcentury chairs. We have french architect le corbusier to thank for the distinctive feature. While he did make the feature a southern california mid century trademark it was another architect who first developed the butterfly roof. Of all southern california s signature architectural elements the most distinctive may be the butterfly roof.

In 1930 he proposed it for a chilean vacation home for heiress and arts patron eugenia errazuriz but she went bankrupt before it could be built. The v shaped feature also known as an inverted gable roof was popularized in the. According to a piece published by curbed this winter the butterfly roof design was originally conceived by famous swiss french architect le corbusier in 1930. But it was not built by le corbusier the designer was czech architect antonin raymond.

Popularized in the 1950s the butterfly roof is an inverted gable whose v shape resembles that of two lifted wings.