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We present the TPJ essay “Pouillon’s Practical Theory. A Design Method for Contemporary Architectural Practice” by author Emilio Mossa. Mossa aims to “underline the currency and modernity of Fernand Pouillon’s method for contemporary architectural practices.” Specifically, Mossa “analyzes the theory hidden behind Pouillon’s practice, and the motivation influencing the final quality of his works in order to make this method implementable to the current conditions of architectural design related to the management of complexity, buildability and quality of buildings.” Mossa looks at Pouillon’s 200 Logements project as a case study to demonstrate his keen ability to make “theory through practice.”
We conclude by sharing The Stones of Fernand Pouillon: An Alternative Modernism in French Architecture (2014) and “Revisit: Climat de France, Algiers by Fernand Pouillon,” The Architecture Review, April 12, 2022.
>> We encourage you to browse The Plan Journal and explore for yourself
The 200 Logements of Aix-en-Provence, the internal landscape between buildings. Images by courtesy of © the Author.
In the essay “Pouillon’s Practical Theory. A Design Method for Contemporary Architectural Practice,” the author Emilio Mossa claims that because Fernand Pouillon’s buildings unify “technological and humanistic culture” his projects were:
“intended as ‘practical theories,’ the models and the approaches proposed by Pouillon represent a design method that can still be used today.”
He aimed for minimum costs, quick construction, maximum quality of finishes, and largest number of dwellings. This concept was new and quite innovative for his particular period in time.
The 200 Logements of Aix-en-Provence, Choisy’s worm-eye view showing the Pouillon’s bays of the 200 Logements. Drawings by courtesy of © the Author.
Pouillon’s work also emphasized the role of building as the element establishing consistent existence with history. We encourage you to learn more by investigating Mossa’s insightful contribution to the criticism section of TPJ!
We thank the author!
Emilio Mossa is an architect and a PhD candidate at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering of Politecnico di Milano.
>> The abstract is available in THE PLAN Journal vol. 3/2018, no. 1
The book The Stones of Fernand Pouillon: An Alternative Modernism in French Architecture edited by Adam Caruso and Helen Thomas about architect, teacher, urban planner, and writer Fernand Pouillon (1912-86) is the first book of its kind written in English. The book includes beautiful photographs of many of Pouillon’s architectural work and pays appropriate tribute to this design icon.
Additionally, Pouillon’s influence to post World War II housing design in France is captured in detail in the following article by Brittany Utting and Daniel Jacobs: "Revisit: Climat de France, Algiers by Fernand Pouillon". Particularly interesting are the descriptions of his three project designs: Land of Happiness/Diar es-Saada (1953–54) for European inhabitants, Land of Plenty/Diar el-Mahsul (1954–55) for European and Muslim inhabitants, and Climate of France/Climat de France (1955–59) for Muslim inhabitants.
English
192 pages
gta publishers
August 15, 2014
6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10: 3856763244
ISBN-13: 987-3856763244
To learn more, check out: The Stones of Fernand Pouillon
The combination of Mossa’s “Pouillon’s Practical Theory. A Design Method for Contemporary Architectural Practice,” Caruso and Thomas’ The Stones of Fernand Pouillon: An Alternative Modernism in French Architecture, and Utting and Jacobs’ “Revisit: Climat de France, Algiers by Fernand Pouillon” provides a comprehensive look at Pouillon’s exemplary career.
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The Plan Journal is intended to disseminate and promote innovative, thought-provoking, and relevant research, studies, and criticism related to architecture and urbanism. The journal grew out of an awareness that academia is all too often engaged in research that’s disconnected from the real-world challenges that face different professions, and that research is only possible for a small number of professional organizations, and, even then, with limited platforms for its dissemination. The overarching aim of TPJ is therefore to enrich the dialogue between researchers and professionals so as to foster both pertinent new knowledge and intellectually driven modes of practice.
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Prospective contributors are encouraged to submit proposals or complete manuscripts to the Editor-in-Chief. Subject to positive feedback, proposals can then be developed into complete manuscripts and submitted for review, using the dedicated portal on the TPJ website.
After preliminary approval, manuscripts will be forwarded to suitably qualified people for commenting. TPJ is committed to following a rigorous double-blind peer review process using at least two reviewers. The Editor-in-Chief may also occasionally invite recognized academics, critics, or professionals (including members of the editorial board) to contribute to the journal without going through the peer review process, if warranted by the author’s reputation.
