Le Corbusier
Pioneer of modern architecture
Most quoted
"The architect, by his arrangement of forms, realizes an order which is a pure creation of his spirit; by forms and shapes he affects our senses to produce plastic emotions; by the relationships which he creates, he awakens in us profound echoes, he gives us the measure of an order which we feel to be in accordance with that of our world, he determines the various movements of our heart and of our understanding; it is then that we experience the sense of beauty."
— from Towards a New Architecture, 1923
"Architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of masses brought together in light. Our eyes are made to see forms in light; light and shade reveal these forms; cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders, or pyramids are the great primary forms which light reveals to advantage; the image of these is distinct and without ambiguity. It is for this reason that these are beautiful forms, the most beautiful forms."
— from Towards a New Architecture, 1923
"Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light. Our eyes are made to see forms in light; light and shade reveal these forms; cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders or pyramids are the great primary forms which light reveals to advantage; the image of these is distinct and without ambiguity. It is for this reason that these are beautiful forms, the most beautiful forms."
— from Towards a New Architecture, 1923
All quotes by Le Corbusier (365)
The city must be a place of beauty and harmony.
Architecture is a question of harmony, a pure creation of the spirit.
The machine age is upon us, and with it, a new aesthetic.
The house must be functional, but also beautiful.
The city is a collective work of art.
The architect must be a poet.
The straight line is the symbol of human reason.
The house must be a place of peace and tranquility.
The city must be a place of progress and innovation.
Architecture is the art of making space speak.
The machine is a tool for liberation.
The house must be a reflection of its inhabitants.
The city must be a place of community and connection.
Architecture is the art of creating environments.
The straight line is the symbol of human aspiration.
The house must be a place of comfort and well-being.
The city must be a place of opportunity and growth.
Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light. Our eyes are made to see forms in light; light and shade reveal these forms; cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders or pyramids are the great primary forms which light reveals to advantage; the image of these is distinct and without ambiguity. It is for this reason that these are beautiful forms, the most beautiful forms.
The plan is the generator. Without a plan, there is disorder, arbitrariness. The plan is a rigorous and poetic ordering of space.
The city of today is a dying thing because its planning is not in proportion to the needs of the time.
Contemporaries of Le Corbusier
Other Architectures born within 50 years of Le Corbusier (1887–1965).