We owe him such emblematic monuments as the Cité Radieuse in Marseille and the Villa Savoye in Poissy. Like Paul Bocuse for gastronomy, Le Corbusier revolutionized his art and invented a new architectural language that broke with the past. Today, his work is taught in every architecture school, and his name is in the pantheon of architects alongside Eiffel, Soufflot and Vauban.
Here, just a stone’s throw from Lyon, the curious flock from the four corners of the globe to try and understand a little more about Le Corbusier’s genius. Like the Garabit viaduct, the Tourette convent is one of those magical buildings that have no equal.
The Couvent de la Tourette, “the raw work of the gods”.
It was in the 1950s that this concrete block, a kind of inverted pyramid, was created by Le Corbusier. It was, as its name suggests (and as its appearance contradicts), a place of worship. Even today, friars from the Dominican order continue their spiritual retreat here. There’s a church, a cloister, a chapter house, a library, a refectory, kitchens and around a hundred rooms, all built at great cost in reinforced concrete. Seen like this, it’s a far cry from the splendor of a place like Cluny or Vézelay.
At first glance, it looks like a fragment of concrete catapulted into the countryside like some vulgar bunker. Perhaps a dock on the North Sea would be even more striking. Well, that’s where the magic of the place comes in! We invite you to step inside…
The grand mass of architecture is first and foremost experienced from the inside!
While the exterior of the building may leave something to be desired (we were the first to doubt its potential), the magnetism of the premises begins as soon as you step inside. You go from a rough aspect to a real architectural jewel. It’s a labyrinth that perfectly blends the interplay of space and light. In a tangle of rooms and corridors, light juggles from one wall to the next. You really get the impression that it’s an integral part of the décor. The church and refectory are undoubtedly the rooms not to be missed.
It’s not for nothing that the Couvent de la Tourette, along with 16 other works by Le Corbusier, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Let’s not forget that all this work comes from a single mind, executed on a sheet of paper, pencil in hand. Let’s end this post by quoting the main person involved : “This convent of rough concrete is a work of love. It doesn’t speak to itself. It’s lived from the inside. It’s inside that the essential happens…” Let’s hear it!