Architects and Cars: More Rationality and Imagination than Beauty

Many car designers are architects by profession, such as Flavio Manzoni at Ferrari. Today, we want to explore the influence that architects who dedicate or have dedicated their lives to architecture have had on automobiles.

At first glance, it may seem that their impact has been limited, but such a conclusion would be superficial. One of the most significant examples is Le Corbusier, whose simple sketch, presented in 1936, had a profound effect on the “automotive world”. His approach was entirely rational and paved the way for the creation of highly successful vehicles that emerged during the same era. Notable examples include the Citroën 2CV, the Tatra V570, and the iconic Volkswagen Beetle.

The original schematic drawing of the Voiture Minimum from Foundation Le Corbusier

The key elements in Le Corbusier’s sketches were revolutionary for their time. Concepts such as the rear engine placement, a focus on aerodynamic efficiency, and optimal utilization of interior space became defining characteristics of the typical car of the post-war period. In the second design, the integration of the fenders into the body illustrated his forward-thinking design approach. The interior featured the innovative idea of three convertible front seats that could transform into a bed, without compromising the available luggage space, while the entire car was equipped with front and rear bumpers as well as side protections for enhanced safety.

The shapes of the Volkswagen Beetle, unveiled in 1938 in Berlin, incorporate the ideas of Le Corbusier's Voiture Minimum

Certainly not an insignificant contribution, considering they were merely sketches and concepts not intended for actual production.

Continuing the topic of space and aerodynamics, the architect, designer, and American philosopher Richard Buckminster Fuller also made an impact in 1933. Here too, his inspiration also revolved around dynamic efficiency: a three-wheeled vehicle with the rear wheel, of course, lacking a differential to enhance agility, and an aerodynamic shape resembling that of a dirigible or a modern aircraft. Another inspiring dream that, unfortunately, was never realized but nonetheless served as inspiration for models that emerged decades later. Among these is the Kar-a-Sutra designed by the architect Mario Bellini.

The 1933 Dymaxion designed by the American architect, designer and philosopher Richard Buckminster Fuller

Shifting to a more conventional approach, but not necessarily a more successful one, we encounter the model worked on by Walter Gropius, the founder of Bauhaus: the Adler Standard 6 Sedan. More attractive and original was the Lincoln Continental, ingeniously reinterpreted by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1940.

The reinterpretation of the Lincoln Continental by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1940

Full of inspiring ideas that became reality, we find the Diamante, another masterpiece by an architectural genius: Gio Ponti. In the early 1950s, as the automobile was becoming a mass dream, Ponti introduced sharp edges and large glass surfaces to his family car, aiming for maximum utilization of space and a pleasurable experience on board. Just like Le Corbusier, he proposed a protective band encircling the body of the car.

The family car, called “Linea Diamante”, designed by Gio Ponti in 1953

Many of Gio Ponti's ideas went on to inspire subsequent generations of automobiles. Notably, Roberto Giolito, also an architect, drew inspiration from Ponti’s concepts, not solely from the Diamante, when conceiving the ingenious Fiat Multipla. Featuring three front seats, generous visibility, and an abundance of interior space, the Multipla was a celebration of functionality and captivating design, defying convention and evoking a sense of undeniable delight.

Roberto Giolito's 1998 Fiat Multipla is an MPV with large interior space thanks to the rationality of the design