Le Corbusier.
A pioneer of Modern Design.
Le Corbusier. ( 1887-1965)
Born Charles Jeanneret in a
small town in Switzerland, he
became a pioneer of Purist
Modern design.
In 1922 he published “ Vers
une Architecture “ (Towards a
New Architecture) in which
he argued that a house was
“ a machine for living in “
free of all decoration,clear,
transparent,modelled on the
forms of aeroplanes and
ships.
“The Modulor.”
Le Corbusier was fascinated
by Renaissance ideas of
scale and proportion,and
devised his own ,modern
system based upon the
proportions of the human
body. He called this the
Modulor, and based the
proportions of his furniture
and buildings upon it.
His vision extended to social
housing and town planning:
He was one of the first to
propose high-rise blocks of
flats set in parkland, the model
for estates world-wide
including the famous
Roehampton estate in
S.W.London.
He built experimental houses
for the Great Exhibitions of his
day, including the Paris Art
Deco exhibition in 1925.
Le Corbusier, together with
his cousin Pierre Jeanneret
and Charlotte Perriand
also designed innovative
new furniture in steel and
leather with which to
furnish his light, bright
interiors.
These have now become
design classics, and
originals can command
very high prices at auction:
Famous designs include
the “Confort ” chair and
the lounger, seen on the
right.
Villa Savoie, 1929.
In 1929 he designed this
house which fully
embodied his ideas: A
concrete box, open at
the corners, raised on
columns ( “pilotis” ),
white, and set in open
countryside.
The interior was openplan, sparsely furnished,
and fitted with all
modern conveniences.
Villa Savoie: Exterior. Poissy, France.
This Modernist monument has recently been
restored to its original state and houses a
museum dedicated to the work of Le Corbusier.
Ronchamp, France.
In later years, Le Corbusier moved towards more
organic forms, such as the stunning chapel at
Ronchamp and new Parliament buildings in
Chandigarh in India.
His early architecture
and designs were
often criticised as
being too cold and
clinical, but later works
showed a warmth and
spiritual side.
The interior of
Ronchamp makes
dramatic use of
stained glass and
simple materials to
evoke a calm and
contemplative mood.
Le Corbusier was hugely
influential and his work was
much imitated, although
often his more Utopian
ideas were rejected for
economic reasons:
Post-war housing schemes
across Europe saw highrise as a quick, cheap, and
modern solution to slumdwelling, and an easy way
to reconstruct cities
devastated by bombing.
The International style.
Influenced by both the
Bauhaus and Le Corbusier, a
generation of young
designers began to work in a
similar manner: They
exported the theories and
produced functional Purist
designs for a huge variety of
products.
Many Continental designers
had been forced to move
due to political unrest, and
found their skills much in
demand in Britain and
America.
Penguin Pool, London Zoo: Berthold Lubetkin.
One of the first Modernist buildings in Britain.
Lawn Road Flats,
Hampstead,London.
This block, styled like
an ocean liner,
housed the
sophisticated clients of
the day: Agatha
Christie lived here, as
did several Bauhaus
refugees.
There was a bar and
restaurant in the
basement so residents
didn’t have to cook!
Isokon Furniture:
The block also contained a
furniture factory, called
“Isokon”, where all the
furniture for the flats was
made.
Isokon also sold their
products from showrooms
here.
Furniture was very simple,
often made from cheap and
easily available materials like
plywood, as steel was still in
short supply.
Isokon “Long Chair” ( 1936 )
This chair, made from
bentwood and thin ply, was
designed by Marcel Breuer
and made at the
Hampstead factory.
“Ekco” radio designs:
The E.K.Cole radio
company
commissioned the
young designer Wells
Coates to create a
modern style product.
Coates used Bakelite
( an early type of
plastic) to make simple
and stylish casings.
These examples date
from 1932 (top) and
1934.
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill,
Sussex ( 1935 ).
This seaside ballroom and
sun deck was designed by
Erich Mendelsohn. He had
been forced to leave Nazi
Germany, but found work in
Britain, pioneering the
International Modern style
here.
This building has recently
been restored to its original
condition.
Trellick tower,
Queensway, London.
This tower, designed by
Lubetkin, has been
much-derided in the
past, but has now been
renovated. It is a listed
building, and flats here
are much sought after
and command very high
prices.
A late example of
Modernism in Britain.