Discover six masterpieces by Le Corbusier in the 13th and 14th arrondissements, from his first building in Paris for a painter friend to a student residence inaugurated in the 1950s.
During the tour, there’s a stop to enter and visit one of the buildings, with the chance to admire the interior as well as furniture and paintings by Le Corbusier.
A guided tour in English lasting around 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Practical Information
• Meeting Point: Outside Bibliothèque François Mitterrand metro station (Exit 1)
58, rue du Chevaleret Paris 13th
• Duration: around 2hr15
• Walking tour
• Private group tour at any date
The Le Corbusier trail in south-east Paris aims to showcase several notable buildings by the famous Franco-Swiss architect, built between the 1920s and the 1950s. One of them is little-known, but its sober facade is full of insights into the architect’s theories. A nearby cul-de-sac gives access to the garden and rear.
After emigrating to France, Le Corbusier sought to make a name for himself and began building for close friends. The first house he built in Paris, still visible today, symbolized the rules he laid down for modern architecture. His theories were taken up by many other architects, and have had a controversial influence to this day in many countries round the world.
The tour also includes several other large-scale buildings that revolutionized collective housing in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, some of the buildings seen on the tour are part of the list of Le Corbusier’s UNESCO-awarded constructions, testifying to the architect’s innovation and desire to renew housing for the benefit of its inhabitants.
A visit to one of these buildings will provide an opportunity to discover other facets of le Corbusier’s work, such as painting and design, as well as to visit a showroom, whose furnishings and layout have been carefully preserved.
The last stretch of the tour goes through a splendid park nearby, from where other houses from the same period wan be seen. After an enchanting and rarely seen in Paris walk into a very special back alley, the tour ends outside le Corbusier’s first realization in Paris, from 1922.
The tour includes a streetcar ride (tramway) accessible with a Navigo card for free and €2 admission to the Swiss Pavilion per person.
