The rational logic of Le Corbusier's designs also led many critics to accuse his architecture of being too 'cold' and having little 'humanity' about them.

His rationalism is the aspect through which Le Corbusier has most often been introduced to the public. For a large number of his critics, 9 sympathetic or otherwise, he remains the theoretician who perfected a rigorous system and whose works are subjected to a cold, standardizing logic and an uncompromising functionalism.

Choay 14)

However, for Corbusier there was a sense in which a revolution in the arts and architecture had began in the early years of the twentieth century. "A great age has begun, guided by a new spirit, a spirit of construction and synthesis, guided by a clear concept. So began Le Corbusier's first article. In rapid order, this new spirit was briskly spelled out. It was to be seen in industrial production and in the machine. "

Jones 33)

On this basis Le Corbusier developed the foundation of modern architecture. Among the essential elements that he saw as fundamental to the creation of a new and more socially functional form of architecture were the following: the importance of free standing support - where the building was to be lifted from the ground by means of stilts. This would free the ground level for pedestrians. The concept of an open plan environment was to allow the merging of one space into the next. The idea of a roof garden was put forward by Le Corbusier. Another aspect was the idea of a free facade where the facade was seen as a sculptural plane, preferably a taut flat plane.

Jones 34)

4. Conclusion

For Le Corbusier the architectural revolution was about adapting modern technology and artistic concepts for the purpose of improving society. The invention of the automobile and other technologies inspired his creativity. He also saw a disparity between advancement in the modern world and the situation in architecture. He felt that the advancement in thought and technology should be reflected in the construction of buildings and cities.

Yet this veritable mutation of means, and consequently of needs, was not followed by any change in the structure of our everyday setting, the city or dwelling place. Their lack of adaptation to their new function constitutes a scandalous situation for the thinking man: 20th century man lives in false surroundings built on outdated truths. Le Corbusier will fight for the architectural revolution.

Choay 14)

Something of this attitude can be seen in the following description of his vision of the city and architectural necessities.

The placing of buildings along 'corridor streets' is unhealthy (traffic noises, no sun, no vegetation); their dimensions are insufficient; even in New York the skyscrapers are timid, and the city is 'a spectacular catastrophe'11; the dispersion of garden-towns is doomed from an economic standpoint; the dwelling itself, the living cell, too large but uncomfortable, is chock-full of useless, finicky objects, a jumble inherited from a past age. On top of this, the building technique employed in towns has remained at an archaic and handicraft stage; it...

Le Corbusier died with the impression that he had been unjustly criticized and that his attempts to bring architecture in line with societal and human needs was largely unappreciated. (EXHIBIT TRACES DEVELOPMENT of LE CORBUSIER")
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