"Art, Math, and Modernism: The Architectural Brilliance of Le Corbusier"

Le Corbusier, the architect who transformed building by fusing art with mathematics

He was always the most avant-garde, prolific, and liberated. or that he is. For even after he passed away, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, also known as Le Corbusier (born in Switzerland in 1887 and lived in France until 1965), is still remembered as the Picasso of modern architecture and a persistent cultural activist who rejected cubism because it was "too romantic," as he put it.

Le Corbusier's innovative philosophy and his five famous points—the ground floor on stilts, the open plan, the free façade, the elongated window, and the garden terrace—have made him one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. These points resulted from a new architecture that was created by fusing geometry and mathematics with art, and they also acknowledged him as a painter.

The architect was born on October 6, 1887, which is 134 years ago today. Despite not going to college, his style of architecture is rationalist. Having just a background in crafts, he constructed his first home at the age of seventeen. Later, he attended the La Chaux-de-Fond School of Art to master the trade of engraver and chiseller, where one of his instructors, Charles L'Eplattenier, encouraged him to pursue painting first, then architecture.Le Corbusier used his experience to sketch what would become his first piece of art right then and there: "Architecture must be the expression of our time and not a plagiarism of past cultures," he declared. The Swiss were among the first to support standardised construction as a means of balancing quality and sustainable growth, and they continue to inspire us with their contributions to the expressive and architectural use of colour, as well as their elimination of superfluous ornamentation and use of prefabricated materials like reinforced concrete.

World Heritage Site

The architect's creations were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites fifty years after his passing. Across seventeen locations in Germany, Argentina, Belgium, France, Japan, India, and Switzerland, the organisation recognised seventeen spaces as proof of the creation of a new architectural expression in "clear break with its previous forms": "The global influence achieved by Le Corbusier's architectural work on four continents is a new phenomenon in the history of architecture and demonstrates its unprecedented impact," they emphasised.

Among his creations are the Marseille Housing Unit, the Notre Dame du Haut chapel in France, the Capitol complex in Chandigarh, India, and the National Museum of Fine Arts of the West in Tokyo, Japan.

Le Corbusier himself described these works as the result of "patient research" spanning over 50 years. UNESCO states that these works show "the solutions provided in the 20th century by the Modern Movement to the challenge of renewing architectural techniques to meet the needs of society." These are examples of human brilliance at its finest and a testament to the globalisation of architecture." 

His most important works

Heidi Weber Cultural House (Switzerland, 1963)

Originally a residential home, the Maison de l'homme is now a venue for events and exhibitions. Gallery owner Heidi Weber commissioned the building, which was constructed in Zurichhorn Park between 1963 and 1967.

Church of Saint Pierre (France, 1960-2006)

Le Corbusier's final significant design, the Saint-Pierre church, sits at the bottom of a valley. Within the complex are a chapel, a football stadium with stands on one side of the field and a social centre named Maison de la Culture on the other, as well as an architect-developed version of the l'Unité d'Habitation residential typology concept.

Following its completion, the Church of Saint-Pierre was marketed as a model complex and a logical expansion of Firminy, thanks to the efforts of Eugène Claudius-Petit, the former Minister for Reconstruction and Urban Planning and mayor of Firminy.

Chandigarh (India, 1951)

Le Corbusier received a commission to construct a contemporary city in India in 1950. And the outcome was as follows. The architect's sole completed urban planning project during his career was Chandigarh. The Legislative Assembly, the Capitol, the Court of Justice, a cultural centre, and a few recreational areas are all housed inside one complex.

Notre Dame Chapel (France, 1950-1955)

The Catholic chapel known as Notre Dame du Haut, or Ronchamp, is located in Ronchamp, France. It is regarded as one of the most significant examples of ecclesiastical architecture from the 20th century.

Located on a hill around 150 meters high, with a view of the Ronchamp landscape, this reinforced concrete and masonry structure is among Le Corbusier's most photographed architectural creations.