Contract - July/August 2013 - (Page 152)

photography: jonathan muzikar exhibition MoMA Explores the Design Mind of Le Corbusier a new exhibition at new york’s museum of modern art (moma) gives the most comprehensive view ever assembled of one of the world’s first and most influential modernists, Le Corbusier. the Swiss-born architect, designer, and city planner is known for projects such as the Villa Savoye and the unité d’habitation housing block in marseille. on view through September 23, “Le Corbusier: an atlas of modern Landscapes” displays works from the Le Corbusier Foundation in paris and moma’s own extensive collection, including more than 300 paintings, sculptures, letters, sketches, and architectural models. among the highlights are four full-scale interior reproductions featuring Le Corbusier’s original furniture, including a pavilion for the Villa Church, demonstrating the concept of interiors as machines for living. 152 Visitors are greeted outside the tisch galleries by a recreation of the “Cabanon” (above), which, in a way, is more of an ending. While staying at this beachside cabin, which was built in the early 1950s on the coast of monte Carlo for his personal use, Le Corbusier took his final swim in 1965. the cabin features bark-covered exterior planks and interior dimensions based on the modulor system of harmonic proportions he created in the 1940s. the exhibition guides visitors chronologically through six decades of Le Corbusier’s life and depicts geographic and personal progressions. the architect (born Charles-Édouard jeanneret) spent his early life in Switzerland, where he explored the landscape of the jura mountains and completed his first house at the age of 20. his early travels throughout italy, greece, and turkey are reflected in a series of watercolors and sketches made while observing cities and the countryside. paintings from Le Corbusier’s time in paris also pepper the gallery, including his first painting, “La Cheminée” (1918). another highlight of the exhibition is the sketches and models of the only city masterplanned by Le Corbusier that was actually constructed, Chandigarh, the capital of the indian state of punjab. the exhibition, which was organized by guest curator jean-Louis Cohen, will travel to barcelona and madrid in 2014. it is unique in its exploration of Le Corbusier’s sensitivity to landscapes and location, which is depicted in sharp contrast to the way some might recall the designer, who once proposed a redevelopment of paris that would have replaced much of the city’s historic core with high-rises. —CODY CALAMAIO contractdesign.com july | august 2013 http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - July/August 2013

Contract - July/August 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Tips on Developing Winning Proposals
Product Focus: Geometry Rules
Product Focus: From Brazil to London
Product Focus: Drawn from the Sea
best of NeoCon®
Google Dublin
Autodesk Milan
Dental Clinic
Botín Foundation
Penhaligon’s
Competition: Inspirations Awards
Designers Select: Surfacing
Sources
Ad Index
Exhibition: MoMA Explores the Design Mind of Le Corbusier

Contract - July/August 2013