LE CORBUSIER and the high principles of Architecture. 1940.

LE CORBUSIER , Charles-Édouard JEANNERET, known as (1887.1965)

Autograph letter signed to Albert Laprade.

Four pages in-8°. March 30, 1940.

“As for me personally, I am willing to admit the praise. »

Very beautiful letter from Le Corbusier defending with a vigor tinged with self-importance the high principles of Architecture.

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“Dear Mr. Laprade, Your student Gaubert came to submit to me the text of the brochure he plans to publish on architecture. I took the trouble to read it completely and I told him that I fully accepted the principle of stating the difficult technical things with which we deal, in a juvenile, "young man" manner, capable perhaps to make elders understand the support and enthusiasm of youth for the construction of a new world. I made very precise, solemn observations to him about the lightness with which (apart from his juvenile presentation) he approaches the reality of the problems themselves: fundamental error in town planning , frivolity of his analyzes of construction systems practiced by valuable colleagues, etc.

Mr. Hermant of Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, to whom Gaubert proposed his manuscript, came to find me and told me of his concern at seeing such serious issues exposed so lightly to public opinion. I was able to see that Gaubert had contented himself with tiny alterations in his manuscript, thus proving his absolute lack of scruples, his unconsciousness in reality. Gaubert plans to make a springboard from the work of others. Concerning myself personally, I am willing to admit the praise (that's a change from the shouting matches) but that these are simply the consequence of a presentation made seriously and scrupulously. Gaubert strikes me as singularly lacking in modesty and scruples. His work will not be useful to the cause, but harmful, in the state of inaccuracies in which he admits to leaving it. As he refers to your great friendship, and as my advice remained a dead letter, and as in the end I judge his kindness to me as dangerous, I thought of asking you to advise him to think again and to measure that his responsibilities are not only towards himself, but towards the loyal and relentless effort of all those so numerous who have brought to architecture for 40 years the purest of themselves. I am certain that you will understand me and I ask you to believe, dear Mr. Laprade, in my best feelings. Le Corbusier. »