Le Corbusier Le Grand
Phaidon
Jean-Louis Cohen / Tim Benton
| Type | Hardback |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Year | 2014 |
| Approximate size | 230 x 298 x 50mm |
| Approximate weight | 3260 g |
| Pages | 864 pages |
| Images | 1000 colour illustrations |
| 1000 black and white illustrations | |
| ISBN | 9780714868691 |
Le Corbusier Le Grand is a beautiful and heavy book, packed with archive material – much of it rarely found or unknown for the public – spanning his entire life. Texts are short, usually on the beginning of each chapter, so you should expect a graphic journey along hundreds of photographs, drawings and paintings, rather than a bibliographic work with references and written data.
Highlights
- Display of rare images
- Small captions to contextualize each project or life event
- Generous format and crisp details in printing
- Transcription of every written document shown throughout the book (at the end)
Contents
This book is organized around 10 main chapters, wandering from his childhood and early drawings to the main projects and periods, until his last days.
Each chapter begins with a one-page text, contextualizing only with the essential information what is going to be shown. The remaining pages are dedicated to the display of photographs, technical drawings, sketches, slides and correspondence, providing insights into his life through graphic material. All documents with text have a corresponding transcription at the end of the book, providing a basis to discover Le Corbusier’s work.
The kind of content of this book makes it unsuitable for those who are just searching for written information concerning the architect or those that need a first written introduction to his work. However, for the remaining public it is indeed a gorgeous book, full of important material that can be used as a solid basis to dive into Le Corbusier’s life and work. For those interested in exploring further, reference notes are listed at the end of the book, allowing a more detailed look.
The book as object
Le Corbusier Le Grand is a heavy book with a medium-large format, glossy printing and careful graphic design. Apart from the contemporary-looking electric green endpages, the rest of the book is designed with elements more contextualized in Le Corbusier’s work, recalling some graphic elements and shapes.
When closed, the book is a solid block; when reading, it is a pleasant book to hold and flip through, thanks to a thick hardcover and soft leafs.
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space bookshelf . architecture books in review