Le Corbusier Le Grand

Description

A spectacular visual biography of one of the greatest architects of the 20th century.

Jean-Louis Cohen is undoubtedly France's most authoritative and knowledgeable historian of twentieth-century architecture and urbanism. He divides his time between Paris and New York, where he is the Sheldon H. Solow Professor in the History of Architecture at the Institute of Fine Arts of NYU University. Tim Benton, a highly regarded Le Corbusier scholar, is a Lecturer in the History of Art, Open University, Milton Keynes, England.

'the man who designed the 20th century - [Le Corbusier] arguably had more of an influence on the form of the modern world than any other architect - Le Corbusier Le Grand collects together his diverse achievements for the first time. You couldn't make a book like this about just any architect. - Beyond the architecture, reveals a great deal about the man himself. - It all points to a life lived enviably fully.' The Guardian online, 17 July 2008 '5 reasons to read Le Corbusier Le Grand: 1. - contains more than 2,000 images - 2. give[s] a chronological survey of Le Corbusier's life and work. 3. .. reveals Le Corbusier's inspirations - 4. Le Corbusier's paintings and sculptures [ - ] offer a new perspective on his work. 5. - Le Corbusier's funeral eulogy, delivered in 1965 by French cultural minister Andre Malraux, sheds new light on his famous axiom, 'The house is machine for living in.' Malraux remembered another, softer version: 'The house should enshrine life, a machine for emotion.' Elle Decoration, August 2008 'The writing is excellent, concise and approachable; authors Jean-Louis Cohen and Tim Benton wear their extensive knowledge lightly. ...The reproduction of original project drawings, confirming his excellent draftsmanship, is certainly a highpoint of this book; another is the insights revealed in letters written by Le Corbusier and others. ' David Wild, Architecture Today July 2008 'The impact of all the illustrations is undoubtedly fascinating - a real joy [ - ] to browse through - conveys the experience of a day at a really well organised archive - Building Design, July 2008 'The depth and quality of the material is breathtaking - a valuable insight.' Blueprint, September 2008 'amazing - an invaluable reference for both the professional and the amateur' Modern Painters, July 2008 'formidable and wide-ranging - Le Corbusier Le Grand is a feast. - Every page is dense with ideas. - a source book for the modern world.' Jonathan Meades, News Statesman, 25 August 2008