Contents
Le Corbusier
Shaping modern architecture through buildings such as Villa Savoye and the urban design of Chandigarh.
Villa Savoye · Unité d’Habitation, Marseille
- Born
- 6 October 1887
- Birthplace
- La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
- Died
- 27 August 1965
More people
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier treated architecture as a way to reorganise modern life. His houses, housing blocks and civic buildings influenced architects worldwide, while the social consequences of his planning ideas remain debated.
Early life
Watchmaking surroundings
Born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, he grew up in a Swiss watchmaking town and studied decorative arts.
Learning by looking
He travelled through Europe and the Mediterranean, drawing buildings and learning in architectural offices rather than completing a conventional architecture degree.
Career
- 1905–1917
From decoration to buildings
Early Swiss houses and travel gradually shifted his attention towards architecture.
- 1920s
A modernist programme
Writing as Le Corbusier, he promoted new forms of housing and designed experimental villas.
- 1940s–1950s
Housing at a larger scale
The Unité d’Habitation in Marseille combined apartments with shared facilities.
- 1950s–1960s
Civic and sacred spaces
Work in Chandigarh and the chapel at Ronchamp developed a more sculptural use of concrete.
Selected work
Villa Savoye
Raised on slender columns, the house demonstrates open planning, horizontal windows and a roof garden.
Unité d’Habitation, Marseille
A large residential block integrates homes, circulation and communal services.
Notre-Dame du Haut
The chapel at Ronchamp uses curved walls, a sweeping roof and carefully placed light.
Beyond work
Painting alongside architecture
He painted throughout his life and developed Purism with Amédée Ozenfant.
Collaborative buildings
Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand and other colleagues contributed to projects often associated primarily with his name.
Sources & photo credit
Life and career ↗Institutional or specialist reference ↗Featured contribution ↗Photo: Joop van Bilsen for Anefo. CC0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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