Le Corbusier Talks with Students

by Le Corbusier

First published in France in 1943 and translated for English-speaking readers in 1961, Le Corbusier Talks with Students presents advice and commentary from the master of modernism for young architects-to-be.
In chapters ranging from "Disorder" to "The Construction of Dwellings" to "A Research Workshop," Le Corbusier discusses his views on architectural history and offers opinions on the future of the profession, while touching on his own projects for the Villa Savoye, the Cit Universitaire, and the Radiant City. Topics such as architecture's role in our directionless society; the balance between spiritual values and technical factors; and the importance of space, proportion, and color are explored by this renowned architect, and still resonate today, almost 50 years later.
Our reprint of this classic text is a facsimile of the 1961 edition, now available as an affordable paperback.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Design, Art, Essays

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known as Le Corbusier; was an architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930. His career spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout Europe, India, and America. He was a pioneer in studies of modern high design and was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. He was awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal and AIA Gold Medal in 1961.
Le Corbusier adopted his pseudonym in the 1920s, allegedly deriving it in part from the name of an ancestor, Lecorbésier.

Reviews

[Lucía · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I loved this book because, then, I'd be lying. I've never really liked Le Corbusier, from the first time my professors introduced him to me; I've always felt this snotty entlitement to him that he tries to disguise, but it doesn't work for me.

Of course I appreciate his work and how he changed the world we live in, but there's always in his person somehting that makes me stir away.

Half of this book was okay, another half of it was unbearable. I enjoyed the way he generally describes architecture and how it influences people's lives, but when he started analyzing it in depth I just wanted to rip my hair off. As I've said, with him there's constantly that snotty entlitement that I can't bear.

I feel like I would have passed without reading this. It's still a good book, of course, but it requires a knowledge that a lot of freshmen in architecture don't have. When you write a book, specially one of this kind, conceived to spread knowledge, you just can't use weird metaphors and change the course of your dialogue every two sentences. Once I met an architect, who told me "and if they tell you things about 'liquid space' and 'provocative space', don't worry about it. They just don't know how to put it in words". And that's what it feels like. I must insist, he makes some interesting points and metaphors, but I still believe that, if your reader isn't able to understand you, and thus, gain your knowledge, then you're not a good writer.

[Damian Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Oh!Este último capítulo de Le Corbusier fue un reencuentro idílico. Un golpe franco a una realidad existente a 81 años de su concepción. De forma simple, abierto y natural, cuestiona la enseñanza académica e incita a los arquitectos a una experimentación que las escuelas limitan.

"Le ruego abra bien sus ojos, ¿los mantiene abiertos continuamente y útilmente...?

[Mariana Hernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al principio encontré que la forma en que Le Corbusier expresaba sus ideas era un poco... ¿enredada? El uso de palabras "elaboradas" y demás, pero me fui acostumbrando y me gustaron sus reflexiones, comparando arquitectura con naturaleza, desglosandola y para mi lo mejor fue el fracmento final, con eso compaginé en todos los aspectos, fue una linda lectura, me inspiró un poco más a seguir queriendo mi carrera

[Lucas Sorrentino · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es un laburo complejo hacer de la arquitectura un tema aburrido

[martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take this book for what it is - talks to students about the state of architecture. If you love and know architecture, you will like this book. It's a fascinating point-in-time read from a famous architect.

[Sümeyye Yıldız · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bir sevgi eylemi olarak mimarlık... Akdemizm-in zorbalığına uğramış diplomasız bir mimarın genç öğrencilere kendi deneyimlerini/düşüncelerini anlattığı kısa bir metin. #lecorbusier #L'espritNouveau

[Kristoporus Primeloka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suatu hari ketika pendudukan Nazi di Perancis, Le Corbusier diminta sekelompok mahasiswa arsitektur Ecole de Beaux-Arts, Paris untuk mengajar studio perancangan. Ia langsung menolak dan selalu menolak. Namun di kemudian hari ,sebagai gantinya ia membuat sebuah buku tipis untuk mereka. Sebuah buku yang kurang lebih merangkum pengalaman arsitektural Le Corbusier melewati masa dua perang dunia.

Ini buku yang menarik yang sayangnya baru saya baca jauh setelah saya lulus kuliah S1 arsitektur. Tidak apa, lebih baik daripada tidak sama sekali.

[Sara Alves · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Arquitectura e a música são irmãs, ambas conferem proporção ao tempo e ao espaço. A ferramenta que dá forma ao fascínio é a proporção, à qual estão intimamente ligadas as sensações que, no extremo das suas possibilidades, tocamos o esotérico, a linguagem dos deus. A sensação, em arquitectura, é-nos dada pela medição de distâncias, de dimensões, de alturas, de volumes"

De vez em quando não faz mal reler estes manifestos para agitar as águas

[Merve Karasu · Rating 5 out of 5]

'' Her şeyde mimarlık: iskemlesi ve masası, duvarları ve odaları, merdiveni, asansörü, sokağı, kenti. Büyüleyicilik ya da sıradanlık, ya da sıkıntı. Korkunç bir yan da bulunabilir tüm bu nesnelerde. Güzellik ya da çirkinlik. Mutluluk ya da mutsuzluk...
Çökmüş bir uygarlıktan yeni bir uygarlığa geçtiğimiz bu dönemde mimarlığa yönelmenin, bir dine girmek gibi bir şey olduğunu, bunun için inanmak, kendini adamak, vermek gerektiğini kavrayamadılar.'' s.31

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se nota que le Corbusier era arquitecto y no escritos, por la forma de presentar sus ideas, algo enredado y no muy claro, pero ese último capítulo, es increíble; solo por este último vale mucho la pena. El reto de los capítulos, a pesar de la forma de expresarse, son recomendable u se pueden rescatar algunas ideas.

[Sophia Saliba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es cierto que al principio su forma de explicar las cosas resulta confusa, o más bien termina siendo un enriedo.
Pero uno se acostumbra y entiende al punto al que va, en el último capítulo deja unos ejercicios que tienen correlación con lo anterior y uno termina de entender todo.
Al principio uno capaz lo quiere dejar, pero es un libro que funciona como una unidad. Una linda lectura <333

[Asher · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the first, confusing section, Le Corbusier's writing becomes clear and poignant. His meditations on what considerations should inform architecture (sun, land, culture, etc.) and how architecture in its best form is 'town planning' are deeply inspiring.

[Jazmín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me llevo frases e ideas de Le Corbusier para comenzar con mi carrera de arquitectura.

[Giovana Matsuda · Rating 3 out of 5]

acho que todo estudante de arquitetura iludido tem que ler, pra ficar mais iludido e depois aprender que modernismo uma ova.

[PS · Rating 2 out of 5]

ทั้งลุ่มลึกและล่องลอย

[delfifiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siento que no me dejo mucho mas que los fragmentos finales.

[Mualkit Chieowatanakul · Rating 5 out of 5]

หนังสือที่พูดถึงความจำเป็นของงานสถาปัตยกรรมทำให้เราเกิดความเข้าใจในอีกแง่มุมหนึ่ง ในฐานะของผู้อ่านผมอาจจะกล่าวได้ว่า แนวคิดของเลอ คอร์บูซิเอร์เป็นแนวคิดเชิงการพัฒนาที่มีความเป็นสากลวัตร (universal) เป็นแนวคิดที่ควรค่าแกการศึกษาและรับรู้ แลกเปลี่ยนและถกเถียง ผมหวังว่าถ้ามีโอกาสทุกท่านควรจะหยิบมาอ่านและขบคิด แล้วท่านก็จะตระหนักคุณค่าของงานสถาปัตย์มากขึ้น ใหม่-เก่า นามธรรม-รูปธรรม ล้วนมีอยู่ในหนังสือเล่มนี้ทั้งสิ้น

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guided tour through ‹‹La cité radieuse›› and expo on the Marseille docks last year were far more enlightening than this book. Le Corbusier clearly intended to express himself to his students, but without the marvelous visuals of his works and models, these transcribed words fall flat.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must!!& for sure inspiring

[Gazi Tuğrul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimarlığın tüm sanat dalları ile olan ilgisini o kadar ustaca aktarmış ki; sözleri bugün hala keşke mimarlığa bu şekilde bakılabiliyor olsa tüm dünyada dedirtiyor. Okunmalı okutulmalı.

[Kathy Escalona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un esencial

[Münevver]

"Daha kötüsü (ya da iyisi), hiçbir zaman gerçek bir eğitim görmedim. Her şeyde kendimi yetiştirdim ben; sporda bile. Kendimi yetiştirirken, otuz beş yaşıma kadar büyük bunalımlar yaşadım; [...]"