Le Corbusier

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret was born in Switzerland in 1887, acquired French nationality in 1930, and spent five decades designing buildings across Europe, Japan, India, and the Americas under the name Le Corbusier. Dedicated to easing crowded city life, he became a founding member of the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne and prepared the master plan for Chandigarh, India, contributing designs for its government buildings. In 2016, seventeen of his projects in seven countries were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their contribution to the Modern Movement. His urban planning drew fire for disregarding existing culture and equity; allegations of ties to fascism, antisemitism, eugenics, and Mussolini keep his name contested. He also designed furniture - the LC4 chaise longue and LC1 chair among them - leather and metal frames that outlasted the arguments. He died in 1965.