PRECISIONS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CITY PLANNING

Skrevet af LE CORBUSIER

Precisions on the Present State of Architecture and City Planning, or Precisions as the book is commonly known, originated from a series of ten lectures
presented by Le Corbusier in Buenos Aires in 1929. Concise summations
of the Swiss-born French architect’s pioneering philosophy, the lectures
contain some of Le Corbusier’s most compelling aphorisms and cover
topics from technique, design and human scale, and the 1927 League of
Nations competition to the teaching of architecture and an analysis of
the transformation of his own work over time. On his return, Le
Corbusier reconstructed the lectures, publishing them in French in 1930.

Published to honor the fiftieth anniversary of Le Corbusier’s passing, this new and expanded edition presents the Precisions lectures to a new audience. During the lectures, Le Corbusier
punctuated his points with a series of improvised crayon-on-paper
drawings. This is the first edition to reproduce all forty drawings in
color. The book also includes Le Corbusier’s introduction, appended in
the 1960s, which describes the tremendous impact the city of Buenos
Aires had on the architect—its beauty and vast potential, as well as the
considerable challenges presented by this city “trembling on the verge
of great works.” A second, new introduction by British art historian Tim
Benton places the lectures in context with the larger body of Le
Corbusier’s work and its lasting significance. Finally, an appendix has
been added to this edition to provide new generations of architects and
students with a brief description of key figures and events discussed.

For many, including Le Corbusier himself, the Precisions lectures marked an important shift in the architect’s thinking and are
considered one of his most mature statements on modern architectural
revolution. This new edition sheds light on the principles that informed
his work.