Architecture
Le Corbusier: The Modernist's Lasting Influence on Today's Interiors
Contemporary interiors are still heavily influenced by Le Corbusier's progressive design ideals from the 1920s – and we couldn't be happier
In 1920s Europe, a group of progressive architects and designers broke free from tradition and established a new vocabulary of design and architecture. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (1887-1965), better known as Le Corbusier, was one among the group that included Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Charlotte Perriand and many more. Le Corbusier established a purist aesthetic and ideology that endures today.
Famous for his statement, “the house is a machine for living”, Le Corbusier challenged the ‘old-world home’ and advanced a revolutionary vision of the modern house that embraced prefabrication, mass production, technological advancements, new materials and abstract design. He sought efficiency in manufacture, construction and ways of living and ultimately defined a new interior design that proves to remain influential and relevant today.
Here’s some background on Le Corbusier’s purist manifesto and how he influences the houses we live in and homes we make today.
Famous for his statement, “the house is a machine for living”, Le Corbusier challenged the ‘old-world home’ and advanced a revolutionary vision of the modern house that embraced prefabrication, mass production, technological advancements, new materials and abstract design. He sought efficiency in manufacture, construction and ways of living and ultimately defined a new interior design that proves to remain influential and relevant today.
Here’s some background on Le Corbusier’s purist manifesto and how he influences the houses we live in and homes we make today.
MODERNISM
The ‘new-world home’
Modernism emerged after the turmoil of World War I when European governments had to rebuild society and reconstruct infrastructure. Architects and designers participated with a utopian vision, seeking social reform through design. They sought to transform the urban environment aesthetically, morally and socially and designed high-quality goods and spaces to foster new – and better – ways of living. Indeed, the mantra ‘function before form’ lead the way.
Groups, schools, and collectives such as the Bauhaus and De Stijl proposed a new aesthetic that did away with historic references and representational elements. Instead they called for abstraction, simplicity and clarity in design, believing it would lay the way for a more utopian world.
Pictured: Interior of Le Corbusier’s Maison La Roche-Jeanneret in Paris (1923-25); photo by Flickr user Leon, used under Creative Commons license
The ‘new-world home’
Modernism emerged after the turmoil of World War I when European governments had to rebuild society and reconstruct infrastructure. Architects and designers participated with a utopian vision, seeking social reform through design. They sought to transform the urban environment aesthetically, morally and socially and designed high-quality goods and spaces to foster new – and better – ways of living. Indeed, the mantra ‘function before form’ lead the way.
Groups, schools, and collectives such as the Bauhaus and De Stijl proposed a new aesthetic that did away with historic references and representational elements. Instead they called for abstraction, simplicity and clarity in design, believing it would lay the way for a more utopian world.
Pictured: Interior of Le Corbusier’s Maison La Roche-Jeanneret in Paris (1923-25); photo by Flickr user Leon, used under Creative Commons license
LE CORBUSIER
A Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer and a pioneer of modernism, Le Corbusier dedicated his career to creating better living conditions, particularly for those who lived in crowded cities. He spent his early career developing a purist theory – a traditional classicism with a formal focus on clean geometries and the embrace of new technologies and materials – that he advanced into several single-family house models.
Le Corbusier founded the periodical magazine L’Esprit Nouveau in 1920 with Amédée Ozenfant and advocated for, and explored, the concept of modern architecture. In 1923, he assembled essays from L’Esprit Nouveau into his design manifesto, Vers Une Architecture, published in English as Towards a New Architecture, in which he encouraged architects to design for a new way of life and to embrace the ‘engineer aesthetic’, by which he meant new technologies and simple, effective structures that serve their purpose and are honest in construction. Indeed, according to Le Corbusier, a home is most beautiful when it is most functional.
Pictured: Le Corbusier; photo by Flickr user orionpozo, used under Creative Commons license
A Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer and a pioneer of modernism, Le Corbusier dedicated his career to creating better living conditions, particularly for those who lived in crowded cities. He spent his early career developing a purist theory – a traditional classicism with a formal focus on clean geometries and the embrace of new technologies and materials – that he advanced into several single-family house models.
Le Corbusier founded the periodical magazine L’Esprit Nouveau in 1920 with Amédée Ozenfant and advocated for, and explored, the concept of modern architecture. In 1923, he assembled essays from L’Esprit Nouveau into his design manifesto, Vers Une Architecture, published in English as Towards a New Architecture, in which he encouraged architects to design for a new way of life and to embrace the ‘engineer aesthetic’, by which he meant new technologies and simple, effective structures that serve their purpose and are honest in construction. Indeed, according to Le Corbusier, a home is most beautiful when it is most functional.
Pictured: Le Corbusier; photo by Flickr user orionpozo, used under Creative Commons license
PAVILLON L’ESPRIT NOUVEAU
In 1925, Le Corbusier participated in the Paris World’s Fair creating Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau. It was a fully outfitted model home that proved to be his ultimate manifesto, bringing Vers Une Architecture to life. It was the culmination of Le Corbusier’s purist program in architecture, design, furnishings, decorative arts and artwork.
Le Corbusier created an aesthetic of refinement that rejected excess and sought visual and physical clarification and purification. He sought to demonstrate the comfortable, elegant and practical virtues of standardisation, pre-fabrication and industrial materials in housing; and the ‘new spirit’ was ultimately found in an interior that was repetitive, rectilinear and anti-historical.
In 1925, Le Corbusier participated in the Paris World’s Fair creating Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau. It was a fully outfitted model home that proved to be his ultimate manifesto, bringing Vers Une Architecture to life. It was the culmination of Le Corbusier’s purist program in architecture, design, furnishings, decorative arts and artwork.
Le Corbusier created an aesthetic of refinement that rejected excess and sought visual and physical clarification and purification. He sought to demonstrate the comfortable, elegant and practical virtues of standardisation, pre-fabrication and industrial materials in housing; and the ‘new spirit’ was ultimately found in an interior that was repetitive, rectilinear and anti-historical.
MODERN INTERIORS
Even in 1929, Le Corbusier recognised Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau as a turning point in the design of modern interiors and a milestone in the evolution of architecture. Indeed, he had created an interior style that would prove to endure nearly a century (so far).
Here are some of the key characteristics of Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau and how they are still evident in many contemporary interiors today.
Even in 1929, Le Corbusier recognised Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau as a turning point in the design of modern interiors and a milestone in the evolution of architecture. Indeed, he had created an interior style that would prove to endure nearly a century (so far).
Here are some of the key characteristics of Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau and how they are still evident in many contemporary interiors today.
Indoor-outdoor
Large windows incorporate the outside world into the interior. They visually and physically merge the indoors and outdoors, as well as enhance spaciousness, airiness and a sense of fluidity.
Large windows incorporate the outside world into the interior. They visually and physically merge the indoors and outdoors, as well as enhance spaciousness, airiness and a sense of fluidity.
Ventilation and natural light
Large windows provide abundant light, and factory window frames with adaptable panes reduce manufacturing costs – as well as boost ventilation.
Large windows provide abundant light, and factory window frames with adaptable panes reduce manufacturing costs – as well as boost ventilation.
Large spaces
Architecturally, spaces should be open and flexible and have clarity through rectangular lines and planes. Functionally, larger spaces are easier to move in, around, and through, and they can serve a variety of purposes. One large space is also easier to clean and is lighter than a series of smaller spaces, helping with energy-efficiency and hygiene.
Architecturally, spaces should be open and flexible and have clarity through rectangular lines and planes. Functionally, larger spaces are easier to move in, around, and through, and they can serve a variety of purposes. One large space is also easier to clean and is lighter than a series of smaller spaces, helping with energy-efficiency and hygiene.
Universal style
Interiors should do away with traditional, historic and nationalist styles. Rather, they should embrace a universal style that distills spaces and objects to their geometric foundations, incorporates cubic and architectonic forms and eliminates clutter.
Interiors should do away with traditional, historic and nationalist styles. Rather, they should embrace a universal style that distills spaces and objects to their geometric foundations, incorporates cubic and architectonic forms and eliminates clutter.
Practical furniture
Furniture should be practical instead of decorative. It should be light and flexible in order to move it, store it, stack it and nest it. Plus, simple lines and thinner forms increase the sense of airiness, spaciousness and fluidity in a room.
Furniture should be practical instead of decorative. It should be light and flexible in order to move it, store it, stack it and nest it. Plus, simple lines and thinner forms increase the sense of airiness, spaciousness and fluidity in a room.
Hygiene considerations
Furniture and cabinetry should be raised off the floor to make it easier to clean underneath and therefore meet better hygiene needs.
Furniture and cabinetry should be raised off the floor to make it easier to clean underneath and therefore meet better hygiene needs.
Standardised, prefabricated units
Interiors should have an ample supply of drawers and cabinets for odds and ends. Storage should be in modular cabinets that are standardised and repeated forms for manufacturing efficiency and economy.
Interiors should have an ample supply of drawers and cabinets for odds and ends. Storage should be in modular cabinets that are standardised and repeated forms for manufacturing efficiency and economy.
Beauty in materials
Beauty should come from architectural unity, proportion and industry. Indeed, the inherent characteristics of materials – the sheen of chrome, the polish of concrete, the patina of leather – bring beauty to a space.
Beauty should come from architectural unity, proportion and industry. Indeed, the inherent characteristics of materials – the sheen of chrome, the polish of concrete, the patina of leather – bring beauty to a space.
Minimalist decoration
Walls should be a blank canvas to hang well-selected pictures and to provide a backdrop to sculptures and other choice decorative objects.
Walls should be a blank canvas to hang well-selected pictures and to provide a backdrop to sculptures and other choice decorative objects.
No. B9 Le Corbusier Thonet chair
The Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau also featured the No. B9 chair designed by August Thonet. This bentwood armchair was widely used by Le Corbusier, who admired its clean, curved form – a warm paradox in his minimalist and cubic interiors.
TELL US
Do you live in a house in which the interior is obviously influenced by the manifesto of Le Corbusier in the 1920s? Tell us about it in the Comments section.
MORE
Iconic Homes That Showcase Modern Architecture
Italy’s Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect: Renzo Piano
The Making of an Icon: George Nelson’s Coconut Chair
The Pavillon L’Esprit Nouveau also featured the No. B9 chair designed by August Thonet. This bentwood armchair was widely used by Le Corbusier, who admired its clean, curved form – a warm paradox in his minimalist and cubic interiors.
TELL US
Do you live in a house in which the interior is obviously influenced by the manifesto of Le Corbusier in the 1920s? Tell us about it in the Comments section.
MORE
Iconic Homes That Showcase Modern Architecture
Italy’s Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect: Renzo Piano
The Making of an Icon: George Nelson’s Coconut Chair
The ‘old-world’ home’
While the modernist wave swelled in the late-1910s and throughout the 1920s, the majority of households remained traditional.
Gas-lit interiors featured things of old based on status, history and tradition. This included dark and heavy wood or upholstered furniture; highly patterned carpet, fabric and long drapes; and a clutter of objects. Architecturally, houses commonly had small windows, and joinery details that proved to be great dust catchers.
Pictured: 19th-century Victorian interior; photo by Wikimedia Common user Jorge Royan