It was then our studiomaster who introduced us to this genius. He revered him like a god, a school of thought, an institution and I was just curious who this man was. Le corbusier, What a name? Sounds like a mafia movement,a Hollywood badass guy or even a master of some propaganda. I couldn’t help but deploy my googling skills which led me to Charles-Édouard Jeanneret aka Le Corbusier,born in Switzerland but lived most of his life in France.
This guy had the guts to provoke the status quo in the design world reinforced by his signature look and with glasses that still bear his brand name today. Fast forward only a trip to the French cities could help to understand his world, his thoughts and what we know today about modern architecture.
Our journey started at the Institute Cite de’ Architecture, overlooking the mighty Eiffel tower. Here his mass housing projects in Marseille are on display with a full scale model to match. As pictures tell thousands of words, I will let them do so. He termed the house to be a machine for living which is true as his original furniture design is at display too.
The model apartment revealed us to a master who dedicated his life to research and design, further influencing human behaviour spatially while leaving us with instagrammable moments with their work. Only great minds do so.
Further in the gallery is the Modular man, Le Corbusier’s dedicated research towards ergonomics in design and his reflections on the body and its movements. He is truly a primary symbol of modern architecture of the 20th century.
In his quest for purest architecture, are structural models of concrete frameworks and beams used in the Marseille housing scheme and also in his urban design projects in Chandigarh, India where his mastery of concrete is at utmost expressions.
Having consumed enough of the French capital, we hopped into the suburban train to the middle- class town of Poissy, home to the Peugeot and Citroen automobiles.It’s here we found his most profound work. Villa Savoye.
What a sight, what a place to be? My dreams came to reality transporting me back to my studio master Micheal, daily reference to this god of architecture.
It must have been a great moment for the owners’ of this country home, the project architect and even the envious neighbours? I pondered.
The five points of architecture are at full throttle display here validating all the theories that have lived with for four years of architecture. My mind goes, This is it! I do not need to sketch or cram anything, I just need to sit,admire, smell and hear the presence of the villa. What if we came here for the introduction of the unit? I can only imagine. More pics.
On to Marseille for his next project.
Mercie Beaucoup Monsieur Charles-Édouard Jeanneret
