Author(s): Elisabeth Vedrenne

Architecture General

Le Corbusier is an architect of the 20th century. His perpetual interest in the lifestyle of his contemporaries andhis artistic dimension make him a stand out among other masters and constitute his genius. In the 1930s, he built the famous Purist Villas sculpture-houses that are still fascinating today. He invented comfort and space in the cells of his Unités d'habitation, radiant cities that are often deprecated but rarely equaled. He turned concrete into a noble material. He built a chapel as moving as a cathedral, a hut beyond perfection, and even an entire city in Northern India. A pragmatic and visionary architect, Le Corbusier shook up our era with his vast and ever changing body of work, which still permeates our everyday life. 60 illustrations