France's best-known 20th century architect, Le Corbusier, was a "militant fascist" who was far more anti-Semitic and a fan of Hitler than previously thought, two new books reveal.
[...] the latest, far more damning, revelations have shocked admirers and threaten to cast a shadow over commemorations of the 50th anniversary of his death. [...]
"Hitler can crown his life with a great work: the planned layout of Europe."
— telegraph.co.uk
32 Comments
Uh whut is this
do we have to re-hash this every time a new book review comes out?
extra extra! bored journalist discovers Corbu's letters just in time for 50th anniversary exhibition!
seriously, i'm far more disturbed by Corb's criticism of freemasonry.
...Mr Chaslin said the current controversy corresponded to what psychoanalysts call "le retour du refoulé" (the resurfacing of suppressed memories), saying: "When you hide something too much, one day it explodes."
The Barbara Streisand Effect as it's called here in the States. All these groups and foundations do is build people like Corbu up as a hero, and fail to mention their shortcomings, at their own peril of course. He may have been a great architect, but was a deficient human being in many other aspects, the Pompidou exhibition would be all the better to touch on these as well, it adds to the complexity of a person and makes for a more educational and enjoyable experience for those who come to see.
cool.
we get to judge each other's humanity now.
why do i care what a Mr. Chaslin might have said?
how do i say this politically correct......thanks for the info, i don't care, still one of the best architects ever. ....but go on with your dumn selves.......reminds me of this one time in Kansas my prof was helping host a Martin Heidegger lecture and some stupid journalists brought up his staying in Germany days during WW2 and a few nut jobs should up, sat through the whole lecture which was very specific to Heideggers thought, and at the end the only assinine commentary these ignorant assholes could come up with was - so did he believe in God....30 philosophy students palm to face...
Idk... assuming the letters aren't some kind of salacious hit job (lies spread faster than truth on the net), you sort of have to put this with Philip Johnson, IBM, Ford, etc. he probably changed his mind when he found out Hitler wasn't into modern architecture.... and he said Jews were only partially responsible (?) so his heart doesn't sound like it's into it. But you know, on with the protests since we are looking for a hobby....yawn. I just hope everyone's thoughts and Twitter feeds are clean so you don't get a revisionist history rewrite circa 2050.
Indefensible if true. However, even if it was, show me were it is manifested in his work. I do not see it. I do not see it in Mies' work either.
Correct me if I'm wrong but a off color note doesn't exactly carry the same weight as active participation. Not even as bad as PJ. Everyone was a kind of fascist in Europe at that time (was a dissillusioned time of "utopian thinking" with lots of good and bad ideas... but it's a leap to say he was a nazi because of a sort of anti-Semitic note to mom. But you know, everyone is looking for something to be angry about or at....
Whats wrong with Hitler?:)
Philip Johnson was a Nazi too.
http://arbitat.com/discussion/004/index.htm
mussolini and marinetti hung out back in the day....
let's write off all Futurist Architecture now! this will not be tolerated.
we should probably write off VW cars because Hitler liked them, wait nevermind, let's write off the entire nation of Germany.....
we can't look through the lens of 2015 at a time when most Americans were anti-semitic. Lindbergh was, probably the entire Roosevelt cabinet was anti-semitic. Hell, I think the Vatican was probably selling the same jews-killed-jesus bullshit.
is this what journalism has amounted to? click bait bullshit and dig up mainly irrelevant to their work on the masters to discredit a lifetime of achievement! you lazy fuckin' journalists!!! if i was a conspiracy theory person I would suggest the Illuminati are trying to shut modernism down and Justin Shitshow is in charge with his Illuminati bat phone - dialing all journalist who are members of the illuminati lets take out Arch for Humanity.....um wait, lets talk shit about dead men Philip Johnson and Corb.....
journalist 1 "kevin roche, we need to find something on him."........ .... journalst 2 "he is still alive its only ethical to talk shit when dead."........ j1 "i think he used a number 2 pencil once." .... ......j2"spin it! spin it!"......
"if i was a conspiracy theory person I would suggest the Illuminati are trying to shut modernism down and Justin Shitshow is in charge with his Illuminati bat phone "
It's a good thing you're not suggesting that. Actually, you don't need this to discredit old Corb, just look at just about any of his urban designs and a great deal of his architecture to realize he was a no talent poser. Changing his name to the aristocratic LeCorbusier and calling a column a piloti, he was a marketing genius with very little actual talent. His one eyed 'vision' has a lot in common with autocrats of any political persuasion, which is why he seems to have been drawn to them, both Nazi and Communist. And his obsession with cleanliness is not to far removed from the obsession with 'cleansing' society that was going around back then. Can't wait to read more.
I blame perez hilton
I heard that Mies liked to club baby kittens for the fun of it.... or was it Aalto. The point is, famous person + controversy = clicks. Let's do this!
Cue the info graphics team from FastCoDesign, Curbed and Gizmodo! All of the best journalists are on the case.. Those brutalism stories don't get the clicks they used to.
"I'm not at nazi, but...." Oh no you didn't !
^ awesome. All we need is Kim and Kayne.
Le Corbusier: No Talent Poser
the jig is up, girls and boys . . . we've been found out.
everybody scram! back to the hide out!
lets increase click count.... Kardashian butt jenner drunk hilton sex tape clinton cigar illuminati weed...........archinect where is my check? i just tripled this news post viewership....i am a journalist now, woohooo.
article should have this picture:
no... wait... this picture:
that butt will break the internet!
nice one toasteroven
i think the conspiracy is to make twitter the only reliable news network.
Funny how people go on about an architects ethics like Zaha and that sports stadium when this guy and Mies where ready to look the other way, or even look straight. He's a funny guy who wanted to destroy Paris, a city even Hitler had a hard time destroying. But did he ever have talent...his love of art and humanity shines through in all his work. Dat boy cray cray, as my daughter says (sometimes)
How we can talk of Corbusier's "humanity" or his legacy of great design when there were so many clear examples that contradict this narrative. A number of opinions in this thread take to journalist bashing as though the article is an attack on architecture. It is not. It is an attack on the man, who aligned himself with those in power (Vichy, France), and which by default is the act of a coward. No amount of design or expressive talent can overcome this shortcoming. Tear down our false idols.
no Jayness its a distraction and you took the bait.
Don't think I've ever admired any architect as a person, just the work.
/\ Carrera summed it up. case closed.
Nothing to see here kids...move along.
Its Official.
Le Corbusier is the new Hitler of the Internets.
..150425..
NEVER FORGET
1+5+0+4+2+5 = 17
17 is the 7th prime number
7 is the divine number
Boy in a well has noted today the truth has been written.
HAHAHAHA!
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