By Julietta Jameson
Pavilion Le Corbusier was the last building designed by its namesake before he died in 1965.
More than 50 years after his death, a museum dedicated to and designed by Swiss giant of architecture, Le Corbusier, is finally open.
Pavilion Le Corbusier in Zurich, Switzerland, was the last building designed by its namesake before he died in 1965. For various logistical and financial reasons, it was opened only occasionally over the next half-century, and maintenance was little more than licks of paint, resulting in extensive corrosion in the steel structure.
In 2014, the city, in collaboration with designers Museum fur Gestaltung Zurich, set about a full, and meticulous restoration.
The opening exhibition, Mon univers, explores Le Corbusier's personal passion for collecting.
Visitors can now wander through the 600 square metres and four storeys, including a rooftop terrace of the ship-like construction based on Le Corbusier's Modulor system of proportions, and other design principles for this he is famous, such as prefabrication and "promenade architecturale".
The legendary Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, otherwise known as Le Corbusier, revolutionised urban planning and was a pioneer of modernist architecture.
The opening exhibition, Mon univers, explores Le Corbusier's passion for collecting, and provides insight into his many creative pursuits: architecture, architectural theory, urban planning, painting, draftsmanship, sculpting and furniture designer.
Visitors will also be able to attend a varied educational program with guided tours, exhibition talks and workshops, as well as a concert series specially designed for the pavilion. Pavillon Le Corbusier is open May to November, run and managed by the Museum fur Gestaltung Zurich on behalf of the City of Zurich.
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