Architect Le Corbusier: Life, Works and Contributions

Running head: ARCHITECT LE CORBUSIER
ARCHITECT LE CORBUSIER
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1ARCHITECT LE CORBUSIER
The aim of this essay is to discuss the life of Le Corbusier who was a famous architect
with huge contribution in the modern architecture style and kind. The life of this famous
architect, has been divided into three precious segments. One is associated with the first
period and experiments of his life. The second is related with his condition in the war time
and third the second period where the architect has recorded more maturity through his
works.
Le Corbusier was born in the year 1887 in Switzerland1. He was an internationally
influential architect and city planner. His design combines functionalism of the modernist
movement with bold as well a sculptural expressionism. Among the first school of modern
architectures, he has a prominent position as he pioneered the use of rough-cast concrete. It is
a technique which perfectly satisfied his taste for the asceticism as well as for the sculptural
forms. His own ideology as well as style have always remained a propaganda of his writings.
17 of his works have been named as world heritage sites in 2016 by UNESCO2.
Since his birth in the mountainous Jura region of Switzerland, Le Corbusier suffered
the harshness of the puritanism of a Protestant environment. Le Corbusier at the age of 13 left
study to pursue his passion that was learning the method of enameling as well as engraving
watch faces. There he was taught art, drawing, history and the natural aesthetics of Art
Nouveau by Charles L’Eplattenier, whom he called his teacher. This man was the godfather
in the life of Le Corbusieras he was the one who suggested Le Corbusier to be an architect
and practice on the local projects. This man also suggested Le Corbusier to gather knocked
by visiting several places which could be found in the works of this self-taught architect.
These travels taught him three major architectural discoveries first the contrast among the
huge collective places with the living cells of the individuals which can be found in his
1 Gonçalves, Clara, and Maria João Soares. "Le Corbusier: architecture, music, mathematics: longing for
classicism?." LE CORBUSIER. 50 AÑOS DESPUÉS. Editorial UniversitatPolitècnica de València, 2016.
2 Cohen, Jean-Louis. The Future of Architecture Since 1889: A Worldwide History. Phaidon, 2016.

2ARCHITECT LE CORBUSIER
designing of residential buildings, secondly, he was inspired by the beauty of renaissance
architecture of Greece from which he learnt the classical proportion. Finally, a repertory of
the geometric forms taught him to handle the light properly in the architectures designed by
him and perfect use of landscape matching with the architectural background.
By visiting Paris, he came across Amédée Ozenfant one of the most famous painter
and designer and learnt contemporary art.After this, Le Corbusierleaned to the purism which
was to follow the natural, simple and pure geometric patterns instead of the complicated
abstractions of Cubism. During 1918, Le Corbusier started to write about his experiments
with the art of architecture. With Amédée Ozenfant he published Purist manifesto, Après le
cubisme and with famous poet Paul Dermée, he wrote a polemic avant-garde review,
namely L’Esprit Nouveau3.
From 1922 to 1950, the career of Le Corbusier was remarkably rich in the city
planning as well as architecture projects. The popularity of his works was so much that before
he could finish, his works created stir among the people4. Le Corbusierdid not keep his
projects concentrated in one area but had more radical nature. For example, in 1922 he had an
exhibition that captured his idea of the social environment that contained the origin of all
important works of that period. This period was important as at this period, Le Corbusier had
the most successful projects where he incorporated various innovations like the concept of
green parks at the foot of huge of skyscrapers. This time he gained huge support from the
industrialists and corporation authorities who had trust upon him and allowed him to build the
workers house of the organizations. Despite the fact that Le Corbusier was most interested in
forming buildings for a large numbers of people from the beginning, his course changed
3 Livesey, Graham, and Antony Moulis. "From Impact to Legacy: Interpreting Critical Writing on Le Corbusier
from the 1920s to the Present." LE CORBUSIER. 50 AÑOS DESPUÉS. Editorial UniversitatPolitècnica de
València, 2016.
4 Peters, Walter. "Absorbing the influences of Le Corbusier: RoelofUytenbogaardt and the architecture of the
Werdmuller Centre, Claremont, Cape Town, 1969-1973." South African Journal of Art History 30.4 (2015): 45-
68.