Le Corbusier: Icon of the Modernism Movement



There are a lot of good furniture designers that the 20th century has produced in its entirety, but only a very few have gained the title to being the one of pioneers of the art. One such man that has achieved such recognition is the Swiss-French architect and designer Le Corbusier. Considered by many as one of the greatest furniture designers and architects of recent times, Le Corbusier is a founding father of the modern furniture design. He, along with his contemporaries Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, paved the way for the modernism movement to become the dominant art form both in architecture and furniture during the early and mid-20th century.

Born on October 6, 1887 as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, Le Corbusier started out living a simple, unremarkable life in his hometown of La-Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland. There he studied at the La-Chaux-de-Fonds Art School where he met Rene Chappallaz, an architect who was later to become one of the Le Corbusier’s influences in architectural design. After completing his studies at La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Corbusier moved to Paris in 1907 to work under Auguste Perret and in 1910 with the architect Peter Behrens. It was this time that he may also have been acquainted with Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who were also studying under Behrens at the time.

It was not until in the 1920s that Le Corbusier started experimenting with furniture designs. Prior to that time, Le Corbusier used ready-made furnishings from Austrian cabinet maker Michael Thonet for his architectural projects. Then in 1928, he invited Charlotte Perriand, a furniture designer, into his studio. Perriand and Le Corbusier collaboration resulted with three chrome-plated steel chairs, which served as furnishings for two of Le Corbusier’s structural designs: the pavilion of Barbara and Henry Church and the Maison la Roche in Paris. The chairs were then expanded into a collection, and exhibited at the Equipment for the Home installation during the 1929 Salon d’ Automne, where it received positive reviews.

Although Le Corbusier passed away in 1965, his works are still regarded as some of the finest designs of the modern style. His signature use of minimalist aesthetic, coupled with the ergonomic shapes and angles in his design, made his designs timeless and perfect for both the home and office. His most famous designs, including the LC1 Basculant chair and the LC4 lounge chair, are still sold today as reproductions.