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Le Corbusier: Le Cabanon Sur la Mer

By Peggy Roalf   Thursday June 13, 2013

When thinking about houses designed by the great Modernist architect known as Le Corbusier, images of stunningly articulated villas, expressions of pure geometry combined with deluxe furnishings of his own design spring to mind: Villa La Roche: Villa Savoye; Villa Stein to name a few. Yet the only house he ever built for himself was a 12-by-12-foot rustic cabin perched on a wooded cliff above the Gulf of Monte Carlo.

Le Corbusier designed Le Cabanon Rocquebrune-Cap-Martin with built-in furniture and fixtures as a gift for his wife Yvonne. Built in 1951, it was their retreat from his busy international architectural practice, and a manifestation of their worship of sun and sea. The interior is warm and inviting, swathed entirely in plywood, with skylights letting in light along with a couple of modest sized windows that allowed for a breeze and a view. The tiny seaside hut was quite a departure from his previous project, the Unité d'Habitation, the 12-story concrete apartment building in Marseille that went on to set the tone for post-war housing structures in Europe's urban centers.

Pared down to the essentials of minimalist comfort and convenience, Le Cabanon didn’t even have a kitchen; with L’Etoile de Mer, a charming little café located next door, it just wasn't necessary.

Invigorated by the salty air and daily swims—he was a devoted swimmer his entire life—Le Corbusier conceived many of his greatest works here: the chapel at Ronchamp; the monastery of La Tourette; and the government buildings at Chandigarh, in India.

One afternoon in August 1965, Le Corbusier left his cabin for a late-summer swim. He never came back.

Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes, the largest exhibition ever produced in New York of work of Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, French, b. Switzerland, 1887–1965), encompasses his work as an architect, interior designer, artist, city planner, writer, and photographer, and is on view from June 15 through September 23, 2013. The exhibition includes a reconstruction of Le Cabanon’s interior, manufactured by Cassina SpA, Milan. Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rdStreet, NY, NY. Information. On Sunday, June 30, there will be a gallery talk at 11:30 am. Information. Photographs courtesy Fondation Le Corbusier.


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