Le Corbusier's project for the French parish church of Saint-Pierre at Firminy-Vert is an architectural work which embodies the modern concern for individual accessibility. The following thesis examines Saint-Pierre in this light, showing how it was created as a reaction against the imposing and manipulative natures of both a reductive perspective manifestation of art, and a dogmatic form of ritual. These themes, being particular to modern art, may be seen as a desire for a more accessible and individual participation. The reading of Saint-Pierre proceeds on three levels, addressing divergent aspects of the work's nature, ranging from its formal character, to its symbolism split between the natural and cultural realms. Each level contributes to the image of an open place of worship, that is, an accessible architectural setting intended to frame an individual and inward form of worship. This reading also reveals the inherent conflict involved in attempting to reconcile a monumental disposition--evident at Saint-Pierre and understood as forming part of the poetic integrity of the work--with the accessibility that tends to compromise such integrity. This points to the problematic nature of monumental architecture in modern society.

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