Le Corbusier, the Occult and How Art Deco Began

Abstract

The Art Deco movement was launched by the Parisien Exp of 1925, but the design forces and luminaries initiating the mode began their work decades before. The work of Charles-Eduard Jeanneret (who would later rename himself 'Le Corbusier) was perhaps the earliest force launching the aesthetic. This article summarizes his design philisophy, which adopts the mantra of industrialism ('A house is a machine for living,' is a famous quote,' but also incorporates a reverence for geometry, number theory (especially the Fibonacci sequence), studies of the occult, and a futuristic view of society. Le Corbusier's most imaginative concepts and designs are prescient, even prophetic, yet they are entirely original. This article explores possible sources of inspiration for his most imaginative works.