Le Corbusier

  

Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut, UNESCO world heritage site

  Le Corbusier is best known as the founding father of distinctive American purism movements as well as The Five Points of Modern Architecture principle. Unprecedentedly, he cleared great restrictions that burdened architects when they are designing. I believe he is the most significant architect because of his humble beginnings, his artistic genius, and his magnitude of influence. Le Corbusier is amongst the first-generation of international schools of architecture. However, Le Corbusier has never received formal architectural education. As the son of a watchmaker enameler, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (birth name) was enlightened by an art school teacher to pursue architecture. It is crucial to notice that he devoted to architecture through self teaching (sketching buildings, reading philosophy, and reading precedent architects’ books) and later, direct application. Through his impactful employment with Auguste Perret, he understood the use of reinforced concrete (and would use this technique in some of his grand projects). Le Corbusier rose from his watchmaking roots to a multi-faceted scholar. It has been described that Le Corbusier’s immersion into the artistries complements his immersion into urban planning. Le Corbusier has the “spark” for the arts. Beginning in his earlier days, he has a keen eye for naturalism. In 1917, Le Corbusier delivered a new era to cubism: purism. Using his artistic eye, he discovered the classical proportions during his stay in the Balkans. Geometry, he learned, goes hand-in-hand with functionalism. He would apply this in his works. His wide array of influence is seen through his publications: the most important piece was the Five Points of a New Architecture. The five pillars are seen as the new aesthestics for modern architecture. His constructions such as the Villa Savoye (1928), Maison Guiette (1927), and Corbusier Haus (1927) are distinctive constructions that echo the five pillars. In Vers une architecture, he documents his notes and reflections in his travels in Europe in the 1910’s. Even his criticism for the ornamental style is held with great regard--- he comments about this topic in The Decorative Art of Today. Le corbusier incorporates elements of his life-long learning process into his work. As seen in Oeuvre Complete, he says his “compositions are structured by the landscape.” I have learned that great architects interact with the environment given. In his fifty years of active period, Le Corbusier pioneered in modern architecture.