During the industrialisation of the 19th century, living conditions in many European industrial cities were very poor. People lived in overcrowded and poorly built houses without sanitation or access to light, fresh air, and recreation. Due to poor sanitary conditions, diseases like tuberculosis or cholera spread.

When Jeanneret moved to Paris in 1917, the city had already been modernised through radical interventions: the urban planner Georges-Eugène Haussmann built large boulevards in the 1850s and 1860s. Nevertheless, many neighbourhoods still consisted of narrow alleys and dark courtyards.

Jeanneret believed these historical structures partly caused the social unrest of his day. The desire to overcome it and thus contribute to societal development was the basis of modern architecture and urban planning.

This sparsely furnished room is reminiscent of a monk’s cell. The idea of limiting one’s life to the essentials and freeing it from unnecessary baggage fascinated Le Corbusier. He was also captivated by medieval monastic architecture. Later, he used the term ‘cell at human scale’ to describe his idea of a modern apartment. Living in small spaces was a necessity in many cities where housing was scarce. Le Corbusier believed, however, that such limited spaces presented the opportunity to focus on the essentials and avoid distractions.

Le Corbusier was critical of cities that had expanded over time because they generally had few green spaces. Most people looked out of their windows at walls or into dark courtyards or air shafts. Le Corbusier’s concepts of architectural and urban planning shared an emphasis on large windows, generous green spaces, and access to light and open spaces for everyone. These were, for him, prerequisites for a ‘healthy’ life. This early work, which shows an unobstructed view through a window onto nature and the Jura mountains, anticipates this central theme. It was probably created in the vicinity of La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Although he had no formal training, Jeanneret gained his first experience as an architect in his hometown of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The city was an important centre of the international watchmaking industry, which created a demand for stately villas among wealthy industrialists. Jeanneret’s teacher, Charles L’Eplattenier, facilitated the young architect’s first building commission in 1906. By 1917, he had completed five more villas and a cinema. Jeanneret also built a villa for his parents. His earliest houses were chalets in the regional Art Nouveau style. However, even in La Chaux-de-Fonds, he integrated innovative principles of design and construction, such as columns and flat roofs. When the first volume of his catalogue raisonné was published in 1929, these early buildings were not mentioned – probably because they did not fully represent the break from tradition that he championed.

In this first chapter, Le Corbusier addresses ‘volume,’ the spatial form of architecture. He explains that architecture has nothing to do with ‘styles’ but is the ‘artful play of volumes brought together under light.’ He criticises the architecture of his time, which was largely characterised by different styles: Art Nouveau, Neoclassicism, Neo-Gothic, National Style, and so on.

The volumes that humans find pleasant are cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders, and pyramids. We perceive them clearly and distinctly. Le Corbusier illustrates this idea with American grain silos, which consist of these very forms but are hardly valued for their aesthetics. In some cases, he edited and retouched images to remove distracting decorative elements.

In this chapter, Le Corbusier discusses the historical significance of geometry in architecture and elevates it to a central principle of new architecture. Geometry is a primal human instinct, he writes – everything else is coincidence. Since time immemorial, tracés régulateurs (‘regulating lines’) have been used in architecture to harmoniously structure buildings and façades. In this way, they satisfy the deep human need for order and harmony. Le Corbusier demonstrates this with historical examples, such as Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Petit Trianon Palace at Versailles.

In this chapter, Le Corbusier admires the efficiency, functionality, and beauty of modern cars, seeing them as models for architecture. He praises the automotive industry and the art of engineering for their ability to create functional and aesthetically pleasing machines. By using standardised building elements, architecture could be revolutionised, leading to more efficient and cost-effective buildings.

Le Corbusier further argues that the form of a car directly results from its function. These principles should also be applied in architecture to create buildings that are both functional and beautiful. He even compares modern cars to classical Greek architecture. The enigmatic subtitle Des yeux qui ne voient pas (‘Eyes that do not see’) refers to the architecture of his time, which was blind to the achievements of engineering.

In the powerful final chapter of Vers une architecture, Le Corbusier evokes the adverse conditions in cities. At the same time, he responds to the acute threat of a violent revolution like the one in Russia.

Industrial development had completely changed people’s living conditions and torn them from their traditional environments. These changes extended from the organisation of work to family life. Yet design of homes and cities remained largely the same. People longed for sun and air, for mental and physical distraction. If society could not respond to these needs, it risked revolution. Modern architecture that corresponded to the new spirit, however, could prevent such upheaval.

In this richly illustrated book, Le Corbusier presents his visions and theories on urban planning. The modern city must meet people’s needs for light, air, space, and order. Le Corbusier proposes radical changes, including the demolition of historical districts to make way for modern high-rises and wide roads. He sees these measures as necessary to adapt the city to the demands of modern times. Since vast power is required to make such profound interventions in people’s living environments, Le Corbusier introduces the book with praise for authority: the book is "dedicated to authority."