Leon Krier: The Architectural Tuning of Settlements

The term ‘tuning’ is well known in the world of musical instruments. Introduced in the realm of architecture and urbanism it describes a phenomenon, a set of relations, which is little spoken of, discussed, let alone mastered, i.e. firstly, the relationship and adequacy of architectural objects with the particular geometric nature of geographic networks, secondly, the dosage of vernacular and classical geometries and/or elements within a building, a group of buildings forming a larger ensemble or indeed an entire city, region, country, continent, civilization. It is the architectural and artistic parallel to Andres Duany’s Urban Transect identifying building- and settlement-patterns, ranging from the rural to the urban. Léon Krier is an architect, architectural theorist and urban planner. He is considered “Godfather” of New Urbanism and New Classical Architecture. Krier is committed to the importance of design in creating community. The ideal built environment, to Krier, is the small- scale town o