UNESCO has just announced the addition of 17 of Le Corbusier’s projects to its World Heritage List, calling the Swiss-French modernist extraordinaire’s "architectural work an outstanding contribution to the modern movement."
The buildings, which were constructed over a period of a half-century, are spread across seven countries: Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Switzerland. They include the Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh, India, the National Museum of Western Art, in Tokyo, the House of Dr. Curutchet in La Plata, Argentina, and the Unité d’habitation in Marseille.
These four projects, according to UNESCO, "reflect the solutions that the Modern Movement sought to apply during the 20th century to the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques to respond to the needs of society."
Other structures include the Villa Savoye, Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut de Ronchamp, Couvent Sainte-Marie-de-la-Tourette—all located in France, Immeuble Clarté and Petite villa au bord du lac Léman in Switzerland, and Maison Guiete in Belgium.
UNESCO calls these buildings "masterpieces of creative genius" that "attest to the internationalization of architectural practice across the planet." Head on over to the World Heritage Center for the full list.