About the artist
A master of geometry, he primarily utilised steel and reinforced concrete in his creations, reflecting this penchant for clarity and structure in his paintings too.
Le Corbusier's journey in art and architecture started at 13, when he left primary school to study enameling and engraving watch faces at Arts Décoratifs at La Chaux-de-Fonds, like his father. His mentor, L’Eplattenier, guided him from this path into a broader field of art, decoration, and eventually architecture.
In 1907, he designed his first house at age 20. This milestone prompted him to tour central Europe and the Mediterranean, visiting places like Italy, Paris, Vienna, and Munich. These voyages significantly shaped his architectural vision.
By the time World War I ended, he had started to conceptualise affordable, prefabricated housing to aid in city reconstruction. His innovative floor plans featured open spaces with no obstructive support poles, liberating interior and exterior walls from structural restrictions.
In 1917, he relocated to Paris and worked under government contracts, designing concrete structures. Yet, he was more engrossed in painting, which was more influential and profitable at the time.
His meeting with Cubist painter Amédée Ozenfant in 1918 marked a crucial turning point. They worked together, rejecting the popular cubism as irrational and romantic. Le Corbusier began to see the potential of applying assembly line manufacturing, like in automobile production, to housing.
Le Corbusier died while swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, from a suspected heart attack, on August 27, 1965.
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