On the heels of publishing a new biography on influential architect Le Corbusier, author Anthony Flint urges, by way of a CityLab piece, people to stop reducing the pioneer of 20th-century modernism to mere polemics. "Talking about Le Corbusier is a bit like bringing up politics or religion at the Thanksgiving table," writes Flint. Though the architect is an idol to some (Flint calls the Villa Savoye, pictured above, the "architectural equivalent of introducing the iPhone") and a force of evil to others (for all the "drab downtowns and suburban corporate office parks" he inspired), Flint concludes that Le Corbusier's work does hold valuable lessons for today's architects and urban designers. Le Corb, for example, was ahead of the curve in thinking about efficient housing design, a precursor of sorts to today's micro homes trend. For Flint's full take, head over to CityLab.
· The Hazardous Business of Celebrating Le Corbusier [CityLab]
· All Le Corbusier posts. [Curbed National]