The Le Corbusier Pavilion in Zurich, Switzerland, has reopened to the public after architects Silvio Schmed and Arthur Ruegg restored the Art Museum to its original state. The colorful museum was the last project to be built by a pioneer of modernist architecture, and its glass and steel structure differs from Le Corbusier's preference for concrete. The four-storey glass and steel structure began in 1964 and was completed in 1967, two years after le Corbusier's death, for Swiss gallery owner and interior designer Heidi Weber. Heidi Weber commissioned the building to commemorate the art work of her friend Le Corbusier.
Le Corbusier designed every detail of the pavilion, including an hourglass-shaped bronze concealed door handle and a cloud-shaped oak handle on the glass door. Schmed and Ruegg restored the pavilion, which reopened in the spring of 2019, bringing it up to current building codes. The architects also copied Le Corbusier's original tree-trunk furniture design and huge light sculptures to fill the museum.
Originally known as the Heidi Weber Museum, the Le Corbusier Museum was intended as an exhibition space for the works of Swiss architects. Heidi Weber is an enthusiastic supporter of Le Corbusier's artistic work. "I have only one wish: to help Le Corbusier get the recognition he deserves in painting and sculpture," Heidi Weber wrote. "His paintings and sculptures should be known around the world, but they should never fall into the hands of speculators."
- Architect: Le Corbusier(1887~1965)
- Photos: Samuel Ludwig
- Words: Qianqian