Le Corbusier : architecture et politique

Le Corbusier, certainly the most iconic representative of modern architecture, always had ambivalent connections with the political power. Although he constantly claimed that he wants to promote the idea of an everyday happiness for the people through architecture, he was in the same time trying ver...

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Main Author: Mickaël Labbé
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: École Normale Supérieure de Lyon 2017-05-01
Series:Astérion
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/asterion/2879
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author Mickaël Labbé
author_facet Mickaël Labbé
author_sort Mickaël Labbé
collection DOAJ
description Le Corbusier, certainly the most iconic representative of modern architecture, always had ambivalent connections with the political power. Although he constantly claimed that he wants to promote the idea of an everyday happiness for the people through architecture, he was in the same time trying very hard to be in the circle of power, regardless of its ideology. Through a series of paradoxes, I aim to show that Le Corbusier’s political attitude can not only be explained by historical and empirical arguments, but that it also has to be referred to a particular theoretical and philosophical conception of the nature of power. He always considered power in a purely formal and an extremely individualistic manner. Moreover, he reduced power to a simple means of efficiency in order to realize the only valuable revolution, i. e. the architectural one. Le Corbusier’s conception of power thus allies a profound reflection on the potencies of architecture and a noticeable lack of political intelligence.
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spelling doaj-art-a7acc134750341ccad10cfe989d07c8a2025-08-20T03:07:47ZfraÉcole Normale Supérieure de LyonAstérion1762-61102017-05-011610.4000/asterion.2879Le Corbusier : architecture et politiqueMickaël LabbéLe Corbusier, certainly the most iconic representative of modern architecture, always had ambivalent connections with the political power. Although he constantly claimed that he wants to promote the idea of an everyday happiness for the people through architecture, he was in the same time trying very hard to be in the circle of power, regardless of its ideology. Through a series of paradoxes, I aim to show that Le Corbusier’s political attitude can not only be explained by historical and empirical arguments, but that it also has to be referred to a particular theoretical and philosophical conception of the nature of power. He always considered power in a purely formal and an extremely individualistic manner. Moreover, he reduced power to a simple means of efficiency in order to realize the only valuable revolution, i. e. the architectural one. Le Corbusier’s conception of power thus allies a profound reflection on the potencies of architecture and a noticeable lack of political intelligence.https://journals.openedition.org/asterion/2879politicsphilosophypowerarchitecturetheoryLe Corbusier
spellingShingle Mickaël Labbé
Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
Astérion
politics
philosophy
power
architecture
theory
Le Corbusier
title Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
title_full Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
title_fullStr Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
title_full_unstemmed Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
title_short Le Corbusier : architecture et politique
title_sort le corbusier architecture et politique
topic politics
philosophy
power
architecture
theory
Le Corbusier
url https://journals.openedition.org/asterion/2879
work_keys_str_mv AT mickaellabbe lecorbusierarchitectureetpolitique