A 4     Imagined Compositions

Drawing and Sculpture

After German troops invaded France in 1940, Le Corbusier initially went to the village of Ozon in the Pyrenees. He did not receive any more architectural commissions until the end of the war. Writing and drawing became his main occupations. In Ozon, he made abstract drawings revealing his interest in forms and spatial effects. At the same time, they anticipate the further development of his architectural ideas. Technical and natural forms, abstract and figurative elements merge into images that suggest space.

With their irregular forms, these drawings and sculptures sometimes resemble heads or figures. Le Corbusier used the term “formes acoustiques” (acoustic forms), to describe forms that “emanate” and “listen.” In drawings and sculptures, Le Corbusier conceptualized architecture as a multisensory experience. In the postwar period, he drew upon this idea to create a deeper connection between people and architectural spaces.

At the end of 1944, Le Corbusier began to collaborate with the Breton carpenter and sculptor Joseph Savina. The latter asked Le Corbusier if he could “translate” his drawings into sculptures. Together, they developed sculptures that were assembled from various elements. Savina made the sculptures while Le Corbusier was responsible for the color scheme.