Color and texture through the eyes of Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier had and still has a big influence on the way architects and designers interpret and integrate color with different textures. That’s why he is also referred to as the architect of the 20^th century. The Polychromie Architecturale, the unique color system he developed, is still being used due to its beauty and power. Le Corbusier has his own view at texture and material, of which concrete was his favorite by far.

Color as EMOTIon

In the field of color, Le Corbusier created an absolute masterpiece: The Polychromie Architecturale. A unique color system constructed from 63 polychromic colors which he realized in two color collections. Fascinated by the harmony of color in nature, he developed the color system in such a way all colors are perfectly combinable amongst each other. To Le Corbusier color symbolized emotion and a way to influence ones mood. He emphasized buildings shouldn’t just be functional, but should mainly call upon human emotions. In his eyes colors was just as important as the layout and the construction of his buildings and designs.

Visual and sensible texture

Color combinations and harmony weren’t the only fascination Le Corbusier had. Also with regard to textures and material he had a characteristic view. Besides the visual aspect of texture, the human sense of touch played also an important role in his work. Le Corbusier viewed touch as a second kind of viewing. He had a big predilection for concrete, which is also seen as his signature in his designs. Together with architects like Auguste Perret he experimented with the use of ‘béton brut’, the process where concrete remains unpolished after casting it, keeping the seams and patterns shaped by the shuttering visible. Le Corbusier invented this concept during the construction of Unité d'Habitation in Marseille. With this he stood at the cradle of the brutalism, the architectonical movement surging in the fifties up to the seventies of the last century. Besides concrete Le Corbusier appeared to also have a big passion for steel. Also glass and wood where materials he often used.

Interplay of color and texture   

By playing with different colors, materials and textures you give depth to space and an interesting visual unity gets created. Many designers use contrast with this to give layering to a space. The challenge here is to bring all these elements together into a harmonious unity. Le Corbusier was constantly exploring contrasting combinations, while he always succeeded in balancing different materials and colors.   

A product in which the fascination of Le Corbusier for color and texture comes together in a unique way, is the design classic Perlon Rips LCS. With its compact, indestructible texture and tight homogeneous appearance, this Wilton weave quality gives depth and structure to spaces. Perlon Rips LCS is executed in colors from the unique color system of Le Corbusier and contains the exclusive rights to them, granted by the organization Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier. Perlon Rips LCS is excellently combinable avec other (hard and soft) floors from the LEOXX collection. For example with the Sam LCS, a beautiful rich tufted quality which is applicable just like the Perlon Rips LCS as broadloom and tile, but also as rug. The Sam LCS is executed in the unique colors of Le Corbusier as well. That way you can work with different textures which match togetherperfectly with regard to color. The ideal base to create emotion and stratification and make spaces, just like Le Corbusier, not only make functional but also livable.  

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