Le Corbusier (Second) (World of Art)

Book excerpt: A revised and updated edition of a bestselling introduction to Le Corbusier, one of the leading architects of the twentieth century. Le Corbusier is one of the most famous architects of the twentieth century. The richness and variety of his work combined with his passionately expressed philosophy of architecture have had an immense impact on the urban fabric and the way we live. Weaving through his long and prolific life are certain recurrent themes—his perennial drive toward new types of dwelling, such as the early white villas to the Unité d'Habitation at Marseilles; his evolving concepts of urban form, including the Plan Voisin of 1925 with its cruciform towers imposed on the city of Paris and his work at Chandigarh in India; and his belief in a new technocratic order. The distinguished critic and architecture historian Kenneth Frampton reexamines all facets of the architect’s artistic and philosophical worldview in light of recent thinking and presents us with a Le Corbusier whose work is still relevant for the twenty-first century. This second edition of Le Corbusier features a new introduction and color illustrations.