Was France A Victim Of Architecture?

In the wake of the deadly French Riots, many are now claiming that architects like Le Corbusier are at fault for fostering the high-rise, low-income apartment complexes.

1 minute read

December 2, 2005, 6:00 AM PST

By Brenda Meyer

"But blaming Le Corbusier for the banlieue riots is like blaming the inventor of the automobile for the SUV. Not only do the banlieues--which were built without his input--look nothing like what he intended, but those "machines for living" he did construct are today considered some of the finest, most sought-after addresses in France, precisely because they have maintained his ideas about modern living. Ultimately, the fatal flaw lies not in the architecture but the system that operates within it. In other words, the riots in the banlieues don't condemn Le Corbusier; they condemn the governments that failed to follow his vision."

FULL STORY: No Fault

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 in The New Republic Online

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