Gloomy silence embraces us at Rue de la Tourette. This street leads to a place of contemplation and architectural innovation. We are about to explore the Sainte-Marie de la Tourette monastery. It is a building designed by the renowned Le Corbusier.
The Dominican Order sought a new training center in the Lyon region in the early 1950s. Father Marie-Alain Couturier entrusted the commission to Le Corbusier in 1953. Construction started in 1956. The monastery opened its doors in 1960.
Le Corbusier designed the monastery to house one hundred monks, pupils and teachers alike. The complex includes a church, chapter room, classrooms and a library. There is also a refectory, visiting rooms, kitchens and individual cells. The program supports the three primary functions of monastic life. These are living, studying and praying.
Le Corbusier used raw concrete and geometrical volumes. He deployed devices to control natural light. He sculpted the interior space. Light cannons, machine guns, and horizontal slits illuminate the space. Sun shields, loggias, and glass panels add to the effect. The monastery is organized on a square plan. It is inspired by Cistercian monasteries. Sainte-Marie de la Tourette has two main buildings. The U-shaped monastery and the church, which closes it off to the north. The monastery’s three wings rest on concrete posts and beams.
The upper levels contain the living quarters and the monks’ cells. These cells are functionally organized. They follow the natural decrease in luminosity. Each has a loggia for meditation. Then comes a well-lit workspace. Finally, a resting place with a bed separates from the toilet area by a wardrobe. The cells reflect Le Corbusier’s research on minimal living spaces. Their dimensions follow the Modulor system.
The lower floors serve shared activities. Classrooms, the library, the oratory, the chapter room, refectory and kitchen are all located here. The cells are recognizable by their loggias. These have prefabricated panels incorporating stones. The supporting structure allowed Le Corbusier to vary his treatment of the elevations. Towards the courtyard he used Z or H shaped glass panels. These are prefabricated modules with concrete and glazed sections. Towards the outside he used undulating sections made up of concrete mullions. These form waves. Iannis Xenakis helped design these undulating sections. Sainte-Marie de la Tourette was the first place they were used.
The monastery is topped by a roof terrace for meditation. A high concrete parapet protects praying monks from distraction. The structures connect at ground level by cross-shaped corridors. These are called conduits. Construction on pilotis solves the problem of the steep slope.
The church is a concrete parallelepiped. It has meticulously designed formwork. Light comes in through a light well, horizontal and vertical slits and coloured surfaces. The crypt and sacristy have oblique light sources called light cannons or machine guns. Some of them are polychrome.
The monastery is open to visitors today. Some cells are available for guest stays. Extensive renovations occurred between 2006 and 2013. Safety improvements and restoration work were carried out. The monastery ceased being a studium in the late 1960s. It opened to the outside world in the early 1970s. It became a conference center. People can make a spiritual retreat here. A dozen Dominicans inhabit the monastery now. They organize a cultural program called Les Rencontres de La Tourette and art exhibitions annually.
Le Corbusier’s masterpiece stands as a testament to modern architecture. It embodies silence, poverty, and preaching. It offers a space for introspection, contemplation, and spiritual enrichment. The monastery reflects Le Corbusier’s nonconventional spirituality. Sainte-Marie de la Tourette continues to inspire.