Travel

Pavillon Le Corbusier · Zurich, Switzerland

Visitors entering the pavilion are greeted by an exact replica of the Le Corbusier’s 1931 installation Les arts dits primitifs dans la maison d’aujourd’hui, in which his own paintings are placed alongside a Peruvian Chimú ceramic piece, a wicker chair, a brick, a piece of glass, a Benin bronze, and a Fernand Léger painting. In one corner of the ground floor, the pavilion’s modular chrome and wood kitchen overlooks the expansive garden landscape, which gently slopes down to Lake Zurich. A freestanding concrete staircase—a sculptural masterpiece in its own right—invites visitors to venture down into the basement, where 50 of Le Corbusier’s original collectibles provide a rare array of insights into his vastly varied influences. A 16mm film, here presented for the first time to the public, shares glimpses into his life, travels and collections, and a small library promises hours of in-depth discovery into his oeuvre.