Notre Dame de Ronchamp

Author: Ezra Stoller
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: The Notre Dame du Haut, or the Chapel of Notre Dame of the High Place, is one of the most influential works in modernist architecture and a milestone in the work of renowned architect Le Corbusier. Since its first opening to the public in 1954, the chapel has become a pilgrimage site for architects, students, and tourists. This famous building sits atop a small hill in the eastern part of France, near the Swiss border, replacing the previous church that was destroyed during World War II. The Notre Dame du Haut, with its bow-like exterior walls and inverted crabshell-shaped roof, caused a sensation in the architectural world and anger from the church's parishioners. Due to the grand site of the chapel and the architect's own poetic impulse, Le Corbusier broke with architectural tradition, designing an impressive monument that is both primal and modern. As a place designed for contemplation, reflection, and revelation, with strong sculptural power, the chapel is Le Corbusier's "pure spiritual creation."