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La Tourette designed by architect Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis

In the outskirts of Lyon, France in a small town called Éveux, the Sainte Marie de La Tourette monastery, more affectionately called La Tourette, is a Dominican priory designed by architect Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis. Le Corbusier was requested by Father Marie-Alain Couturier to ‘create a silent dwelling for one hundred bodies and one hundred hearts’, and he was heavily involved from the start to the end of this particular project, which also marks one of the last few buildings that he was deeply involved in. From the start, Le Corbusier participated in the selection of the land, which truly allowed his vision and principles of the five points of architecture to be realised. Le Corbusier was drawn to the steep slopes and the impactful landscape views at Éveux. Within each one hundred cells, there is an external facing balcony that faces the views.

The Chapel at La Tourette, France. Image by Von Chua.

Pilotis (Columns)

La Tourette, which was designed in 1953 and completed in 1961, was a culmination of the decades of Le Corbusier’s principles, tests and work. From the principles of the five points of architecture, the selection of the heavily sloped land calls for the building to be raised off the sloping ground on concrete pilotis. Le Corbusier put his principles into practice, encouraging the building to hover above the landscape and touching the ground gently and elegantly. In some of Le Corbusier’s other buildings, the pilotis were regular and of the same scale. However, at La Tourette, the pilotis were not uniform; signifying a change in Le Corbusier’s design direction. The pilotis were placed in response to the natural landscape, as opposed to some of his earlier works, perhaps most famously the Villa Savoye at Poissy, France.

La Tourette hovering above the landscape and touching the ground gently. Image by Von Chua.

Free Plan

Another one of the five points of architecture is the free plan. For non-load bearing walls, see the below image showing the columns and beams as the clear structural elements, allowing the walls to be truly flexible and adaptable. One that can flexibility change and adapt with the needs of the occupiers.

The free plan by Le Corbusier. Image by Von Chua.

Free Facade

At La Tourette, the facade itself was the place where the collaboration between Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis is most clearly seen. The free facade move came from one of Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture, whereas the undulating glass was designed by Iannis Xenakis. The panes de verre ondulatoires (the undulating glass) coupled with the use of concrete generates a unique texture and depth to the building, particularly when viewed from the exterior. Both architects added their own touch which resulted in a collaborative outcome that neither could have achieved in isolation.

Ribbon Windows

The ribbon windows - the horizontal bands of windows are most prevalent at the main entrance facade of the building. The wide expanse of the ribbon windows creates a visual link between the interior and the exterior. With the long corridors that run along that facade, La Tourette was designed with long and narrow corridors, free from any luxurious embellishments, which felt fitting for the purpose of this building. Walking along the long corridors, I wondered if Le Corbusier ever thought about how his design directions might affect how the general public might perceive the monastery or the people running the monastery. The typical simplicity and functionality of Le Corbusier’s work is further celebrated at La Tourette, in my opinion, as the monastic ideals of austerity and quiet reflection seem to be a common thread across the spaces within this project.

Roof Garden

While I did not have the chance to step onto La Tourette’s roof, it is also worth mentioning that La Tourette does not have a traditional garden, but rather a communal roof terrace for the monks for contemplation and relaxation. Although built in the fifties, Le Corbusier’s interest in sustainable architecture and design was already prevalent. For example, the roof he designed incorporated a rainwater collection system.

During my visit in late January 2025, the rainy weather allowed the building to put on a performance of rainwater pouring out of the gutter.

Concrete threshold, concrete bench and concrete man-made landscaping. Image by Von Chua.

The use of raw concrete in a Brutalist architecture manner marks La Tourette as a unique building within Le Corbursier’s portfolio of works. Upon arrival, the concrete threshold, concrete bench with mini pilotis adjusted to the sloping floor, and concrete man-made landscaping started to provide design cues that married his five points of architecture and about life in a monastery. The five points of architecture and its design language continue to be reflected in Le Corbusier’s later works such as the La Tourette, presented in various iterations to some of his earlier works that followed the same principles. In the 1950s, Le Corbusier refined his architectural language, and in the 1960s - the final decade of his life before he passed away in 1965, he continued to complete the development of Chandigarh in India, and appeared to work on new but smaller scale projects during this period.

A small hinged door within a large, fully pivotable door - my favourite part of the building that celebrated the monumentality of entering the chapel. Image by Von Chua.

Perhaps the rainy weather was particularly nostalgic, I found myself wanting to sit at the concrete bench’s only dry spot for a long, long time. Le Corbusier’s architecture provides a strong sense of peace and silence.