Le Corbusier

In 1952 Le Corbusier was commissioned "to dwell in the silence of men of prayer and study and to construct a church for them". The result was his impressive Convent of La Tourette, marking a significant step in modern religious architecture. Beginning with the rectangular form common to the Cirstercian monastic tradition, he created a building whose stark form contrasts beautifully with the organic elements of the interior court and the grasslands surrounding it. The church itself is a model of simplicity, the cement has been left rough and the well located sources of light evoke a feeling of silence and reflection. The order's precept of prayer, study and reflection is aptly mirrored in the architecture. Like the other Le Corbusier Guides published by Birkhäuser, this volume provides a wealth of plans, details, photographs and information on this building which today is also a conference centre.