B 5     Word and Image

Le Corbusier, Architect of Books

An extremely productive author, Le Corbusier even described himself in his passport as an “homme de letteres,” or writer. During his lifetime, he published at least 35 books. If one includes all the works he contributed to, however, the total rises to 79. Le Corbusier also wrote between 500 and 700 articles. Some of them appeared in the journal L’Esprit Nouveau, which he himself published.

To this day, his publications are among the most-read books on architecture. Le Corbusier was involved in every aspect of the production of his books, from the content and selection of images to the design. His books are, therefore, an integral part of his artistic and architectural work.

Le Corbusier combines art, architecture, and theory in his publications to weave captivating and often provocative narratives. In them, he makes demands and discusses problems, promising his architecture would solve them. He used these publications for marketing and to expand the vocabulary used to think, write, and speak about art, architecture, and urban planning.