Le Corbusier (1887–1965)

Architecture & Natura Quarterly Document for the occasion of the exhibition Chandigarh: Forty Years After Le Corbusier at the Philips Competence Centre in the Evoluon.

The Indian city of Chandigarh was Le Corbusier's only successful attempt to implement his controversial ideas concerning the ideal city. His masterpiece has determined the shape of the city to the present day. Designed to reflect the spirit of India's new found independence and powerful nationalist feeling, its design and subsequent development has been beset by controversy over the years. "Chandigarh: Forty Years after Le Corbusier" is the result of a major study into contemporary life in the "City Beautiful" and its relationship to Le Corbusier's architectural designs. Illustrated with specially commissioned photographs and several of Le Corbusier's drawings, some published for the first time, it provides an exploration of one of the most significant urban development projects of the 20th century.… (more)

In the years 1942 to 1948, Le Corbusier developed a system of measurements which became known as “Modulor”. Based on the Golden Section and Fibonacci numbers and also using the physical dimensions of the average human, “Modulor” is a sequence of measurements which Le Corbusier used to achieve harmony in his architectural compositions. Le Modulor was published in 1950 and after meeting with success, Le Corbusier went on to publish Modulor 2 in 1955. In many of Le Corbusier s most notable buildings, including the Chapel at Ronchamp and the Unité d habitation, evidence of his Modulor system can be seen. These two volumes form an important and integral part of Le Corbusier s theoretical writings.… (more)

In the years 1942 to 1948, Le Corbusier developed a system of measurements which became known as “Modulor”. Based on the Golden Section and Fibonacci numbers and also using the physical dimensions of the average human, “Modulor” is a sequence of measurements which Le Corbusier used to achieve harmony in his architectural compositions. Le Modulor was published in 1950 and after meeting with success, Le Corbusier went on to publish Modulor 2 in 1955. In many of Le Corbusier s most notable buildings, including the Chapel at Ronchamp and the Unité d habitation, evidence of his Modulor system can be seen. These two volumes form an important and integral part of Le Corbusier s theoretical writings.… (more)

Le Corbusier was not content designing houses; he wanted to rebuild cities. Many critics, even to this day, blame him single handedly for the urban renewal projects executed decades after he first published this classic treatise on the contemporary city. Necessary reading, if anything for recognizing how later architects and bureaucrats misinterpreted many of his ideas.
(From my blog post on Le Corbusier: rel="nofollow" _target="_top">https://archidose.blogspot.com/2013/06/so-you-want-to-learn-about-le-corbusier.h...… (more)