Le Corbusier Overview

Had Le Corbusier had his way, most of his architectural activity would have been directed toward the collective housing of the many. But as things turned out, he spent most of his time designing villas and private mansions, which were akin... [more]

Had Le Corbusier had his way, most of his architectural activity would have been directed toward the collective housing of the many. But as things turned out, he spent most of his time designing villas and private mansions, which were akin in style and spirit to the contemporary works of Mallet-Stevens, Chareau, and Rietveld. Le Corbusier was a rational theoretician, and he subjected his works to a cold, standardized logic and an uncompromising functionalism. "The twentieth century hasn't built for men," he once opined, "it has been built for money." Le Corbusier asserted that modern towns -- which he called "stone deserts" -- are perishable because they cannot adapt to meet the needs of populations in rapidly progressing societies. He proposed that cities be pruned and that those centers unfit for traffic be demolished. Once the old patterns are destroyed, he argued, the new can be entirely reconceptualized. Le Corbusier envisioned ideal dwellings for universal populations. He conceived a vertical city, with apartments that would open onto interior streets. Common services -- from the laundry to the kindergarten, the gymnasium, and the theaters -- would be located in specialized sections. The individual apartment would differentiate collective life from individual life, and would be small and functional. [show less]