Test your design IQ

MANILA, Philippines - Who is the Swiss architect and furniture designer best-known for his collaborations with his cousin Le Corbusier and for his urban planning work in Chandigarh, India?

He was born in 1896 in Geneva, Switzerland. For most of his life, he worked alongside his famous cousin Le Corbusier (Charles Eduard Jeanneret)  following his graduation from the Ecole des Beaux Arts.

The two began their partnership in 1922 with the Villa Besnus outside Paris, and went on to create some of the most esteemed icons of mid-century modernism including the Villa Savoye, an entire glass building with a primarily divided interior; the elegance was established by the columns, which made it look like it was floating above the ground.

In 1929, he unveiled a set of modern furniture – including tubular steel chairs, stools, and a set of modular steel storage units — designed in collaboration with Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand.  

The storage units lent themselves to the creation of an interior space unbroken by walls as they doubled in a standing form as open room dividers.  The pieces from this show have since become icons of classical modern design.

In the early 1950s, Le Corbusier and Jeanneret started a project in Chandigarh, India, designing and producing low-cost buildings for the community — the first planned city in India.

Le Corbusier left in the middle of the project, and he became the chief architect and urban planning designer, staying in Chandigarh for 15 years.  During that time, the city evolved into a landmark of modern architecture, including the Punjab University Campus, several schools, houses, and hostels.

During his time in India, he expanded his architectural aesthetic of finely-cut machine edges and chrome edges and chrome steel lines, to include the symbols and structures of Eastern philosophy.  

Admired locally and with the support of his friend Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India, he also built a number of works of his own in the Punjab.  These included the Gandhi memorial and the town of Talwara in the Punjab.

He became a beloved member of the community and in early 1999 there was an extensive photography exhibit of his work in Chandigarh.

When he left India in 1965, he told the people, “I am leaving my home and going to a foreign country.”  

When he died in 1967, his ashes were scattered in Sukhna Lake in Chandigrah at his request.

Last week’s question: Who is the leading 19th-century architect who founded the American Institute of Architects and designed homes for prominent families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors?

Answer: Richard Morris Hunt

Winner: Roland Passot of Biñan, Laguna

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