The Unite in Marseille (1945-1952) was a pioneering achievement at a time when social housing in the post WWII years posed an immense problem. Freed from restrictive regulations for the first time Le Corbusier was able to put into practice his concept of modern social housing. A milestone of modern architecture and subject of controversial debate, the Unite in Marseille continues to attract numerous visitors and students of architecture. This volume is the latest addition to Birkhauser's series of guides to Le Corbusier's most acclaimed buildings, and includes an additional chapter on his Unites in Reze-les-Nantes, Briey en Foret, Firminy and Berlin. The author, a practising architect and well known le Corbusier specialist, lives in Marseille and teaches at the Ecole d'architecture de Marseille-Luminy.

The construction of the apartment block at number 24, rue Nungesser et Coli in Paris, between 1931 and 1934, was an important milestone for Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. It was the first opportunity offered to them in France to put to the test theories on urbanism and architecture, which they had been working on since the 1920s ("cinq points de l'architecture moderne"), and marks an important stage on the path to Brutalism. And it is of all the more interest because of the apartment and art studio Le Corbusier designed for the top two floors of the building and in which he lived from 1934 until his death in 1965. Historical documents and drawings make this handy-sized volume an invaluable guide for visitors and a practical introduction for all architectural enthusiasts.

Par son architecture d'une nettete absolue, la Villa Savoye achevee par Le Corbusier en 1931 est un embleme de l'architecture du XXe siecle reconnaissable entre mille. Elle realise de maniere subtile la fusion des cinq points de la nouvelle architecture: plan libre, fenetre bandeau, facade libre, pilotis et toit-terrasse. Tout en integrant manifestement des elements de l'architecture classique, elle fait partie des oeuvres pionnieres de l'architecture moderne. Andre Malraux la classa d'ailleurs monument historique en 1965. Avec des documents d'epoque et des photographies recentes a l'appui, ce guide presente les nombreuses facettes de cette villa aussi bien au visiteur qu'au lecteur amateur d'architecture.

Le Corbusier: "La Roche, when one owns such a splendid art collection as yours, one must construct a house that does it honour." - La Roche: "Very well then, build this house for me." This was the genesis of the Villa La Roche (1923-1925), a brilliant synthesis of residence and private gallery, as recounted by the Swiss banker and collector of Cubist art, Raoul la Roche. The developmental leap which Le Corbusier made in his architecture and the liberty of expression in his use of colour, light and spatial organisation which he discovered during the final stages of this project inaugurated his rise to one of the giants of 20th century architecture. This guide leads the reader through both the Villa La Roche and the attached Villa Jeanneret, which houses the Fondation Le Corbusier.

Die kompromisslose klare Bauweise macht die 1931 fertig gestellte Villa Savoye von Le Corbusier zu einer unverwechselbaren Ikone in der Architektur des 20. Jahrhunderts. Andre Malraux stellte sie denn auch 1964 unter Denkmalschutz. In diesem Guide wird sie anhand historischer Dokumente und neuer Aufnahmen sowohl dem Besucher vor Ort als auch dem architekturinteressierten Leser zuhause umfassend vorgestellt."

Die kompromisslose klare Bauweise macht die 1931 fertig gestellte Villa Savoye von Le Corbusier zu einer unverwechselbaren Ikone in der Architektur des 20. Jahrhunderts. Andre Malraux stellte sie denn auch 1964 unter Denkmalschutz. In diesem Guide wird sie anhand historischer Dokumente und neuer Aufnahmen sowohl dem Besucher vor Ort als auch dem architekturinteressierten Leser zuhause umfassend vorgestellt.