Le Corbusier, UNESCO World Heritage

The famous Franco-Swiss architect, Charles Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (1887-1965), better known under the pseudonym “Le Corbusier,” was recently recognized by UNESCO. One year after the 50th anniversary of his death, 17 of his works were added to the organization’s World Heritage of Humanity list, ten of which are located in France.

The defining feature of this candidacy, which was first put forth by France, is its international dimension, bringing together seven different countries (Germany, Argentina, Belgium, France, India, Japan, and Switzerland).

An Avant-Garde Architect:

A visionary in his time, Le Corbusier’s creations rarely leave audiences unmoved or indifferent. Even today, Le Corbusier remains one of the most well-known architects in the world, a precursor to a new wave of modern architecture. The city was his favorite playing field, and concrete, his preferred material.

His works, brought into being over the course of half a century, bear witness to a new conception of architecture breaking with the past. France was his principal location of expression, and is thus home to ten of the works on UNESCO’s list – including one of the most well-known, the Cité Radieuse in Marseille. Le Corbusier designed it to seem like an actual village, with a commercial street, a school, a gym, and even terraces for residents to admire the sea views.