Le Corbusier by Jean-Louis Cohen surveys the landmark projects of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret — from early Swiss vernacular houses to the chapel at Ronchamp and the civic buildings of Chandigarh — tracing the full arc of the most influential architectural mind of the 20th century.
About This Book
Born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, Le Corbusier (1887–1965) reshaped not just individual buildings but the very concept of modern living. This volume moves through the distinct phases of his practice: the purist white villas, the mass social housing experiments, and the late expressionist works that fused art and architecture in ways few have matched since. As a founding member of the Congrès international d'architecture moderne (CIAM), Le Corbusier positioned architecture as a social art — a conviction that runs through every project covered here. Jean-Louis Cohen presents both realised and unrealised works, making clear that even his unbuilt proposals seeded decades of architectural discourse.
Key Features
- 96 pages of curated project surveys spanning Le Corbusier's full career
- Author: Jean-Louis Cohen
- Notable projects include the chapel at Ronchamp and the civic buildings in Chandigarh, India
- Published by Taschen, ISBN: 9783836560351
What You'll Discover
- How Le Corbusier's work evolved from Swiss vernacular beginnings to the dazzling white purist villas that defined his international reputation
- The tension between functionalist ideals and expressive form that characterised his mature architecture
- His role in founding CIAM and shaping the broader discourse around urban planning and architecture as a social practice
- Why his unrealised projects remain as generative for architectural thinking as his built works
About the Author
Jean-Louis Cohen is a French architectural historian and critic whose scholarship centres on modern architecture and urbanism. He has written extensively on Le Corbusier and is recognised internationally as one of the leading authorities on 20th-century architectural history.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 96
- Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9783836560351
- Publisher: Taschen
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architecture students and practitioners seeking an accessible but substantive introduction to Le Corbusier's career, as well as design enthusiasts tracing the roots of modernist urbanism and social housing.