Pavillon Le Corbusier, Zurich Overview

Situated on the Zürichsee lakeshore, the Pavillon Le Corbusier is a Swiss art museum dedicated to the work of renowned Swiss architect Le Corbusier. It was the last building designed by the architect. It is made using only steel and glass all held together with 22000 bolts.

Located nearby Zürichhorn in the Seefeld quarter, the Pavillon Le Corbusier was built and designed in the 1960s The architect wanted to showcase his work but only in a place constructed t taste. The museum is complete work of art in and of itself and reflects the work of Le Corbusier, including his sculptures, paintings, designs and also his writings. Le Corbusier designed the whole structure based on the modular system using intense calculations concerning the human body and the golden ratio. One of the most colourful buildings on the lake in Zurich, one can sense the thought process of the architect by just staring at the structure. Le Corbusier had just one vision, which was to spread the idea and awareness of modern contemporary architecture. Using only glass and steel back then was definitely a tough task as even today, most structures are highly dependant on concrete while using glass and steel as enhancements. But due to Le Corbusier's intellect and determination, Zurich today houses one of the most unique attractions known to man.

Architecture of Pavillon Le Corbusier

A dominating structure of steel and glass and considered as the “ marriage of nature and geometry” by 73-year-old Le Corbusier, he was forced to use concrete in some places perhaps due to the influence of Jean Prouvé who consulted the project. Columns were used drastically to support the two storey structure. The most beautiful structure is, without doubt, the steel canopy shaped like an origami umbrella perched on the top of the building. All the beams and columns make a 3 - dimensional structure which Le Corbusier happily exposed. He also wanted to give the structure a slightly industrial vibe, which pushed him to borrow oval doors from ships and factory type rubber flooring. All of the exposed beams and pipelines contribute to the factory theme of the project.

Interesting Facts about the Pavillon Le Corbusier

The canopy of the structure, consisting of triangular aperture, gives any person sitting underneath direct views to the sky. The daily sunlight patterns cast different shadows throughout the day into the building from between this canopy. Since all the walls are made of glass, you can never miss the views of the mountains on all sides. A pond behind the building reflects sunlight onto the canopy which is placed in a way to light up the interior of the building.

Exhibitions at the Pavillon Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier`s works are always on display along with different exhibitions which change after a period of 1-2 months. Some partner artists of the Pavilion Le Corbusier are Rene Burri, Ernst Scheidegger, Alain Tanner, Thomas Flechtner and others.