Le Corbusier and Britain: An Anthology

The architectural design of Le Corbusier (1887-1969) influenced public building in the twentieth century all over the world. In this volume, Murray and Osley, both of the British Architectural Library, document the reaction of a variety of people in Britain from the Twenties through the Fifties, to the work and philosophy of Le Corbusier. The essays, by people as diverse as Evelyn Waugh, Herbert Read, Peter Smithson and Gavin Stamp, cover Le Corbusier's reception in Britain, the storm his theories of Modernism caused and the passionate excitement of his supporters. There are several articles by Le Corbusier himself, explaining his position. Several illustrations show the best and worst of Le Corbusier's influence, especially in the use and misuse of concrete in building. While negative opinions are not neglected, the attitude of the editors may be summed up in a line quoted in one of the essays, "Blaming Corbusier for [massive, ugly housing projects inspired by his work] is like blaming Mozart for Muzak." Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Irena Murray is an architectural historian and Sir Banister Fletcher Director of the British Architectural Library at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London

Julian Osley is Special Projects Librarian at the British Architectural Library