Le Corbusier. Le Couvent Sainte Marie de La Tourette / The Monastery of Sainte Marie de La Tourette

in 1952 Le Corbusier was commissioned 'to dwell in the silence of men of prayer and study and to construct a church for them'. The result was his impressive Convent of La Tourette, marking a significant step in modern religious architecture. Beginning with the rectangular form common to the Cirstercian monastic tradition, he created a building whose stark form contrasts beautifully with the organic elements of the interior court and the grasslands surrounding it. The church itself is a model of simplicity, the cement has been left rough and the well located sources of light evoke a feeling of silence and reflection. The order s precept of prayer, study and reflection is aptly mirrored in the architecture. Like the other Le Corbusier Guides published by Birkhauser, this volume provides a wealth of plans, details, photographs and information on this building which today is also a conference centre.