On this day: Le Corbusier was born

Monday, 6th October 2014 by Ian Brown

On October 6, 1887, architect Le Corbusier was born, though at the time he was known as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris. He was a pioneer of modern architecture, and was determined to improve life for residents of crowded cities. Amongst his creations was the Unité d'habitation, such as this one in Marseille which is being considered for designation as a World Heritage Site. With large apartments and good communal spaces, the design was very popular, though unfortunately not copied very often by other architects who preferred to cram as many flats as possible into each building.