Le Corbusier : Complete Works in Eight Volumes [Box set] [Hardcover]

Willy Boesiger (Editor), Oscar Stonorov (Editor), Max Bill (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3764355158 | ISBN-13: 978-3764355159 | Publication Date: December 31, 1990 | Edition: 11

This exceptional Complete Works edition documents the enormous spectrum in the oeuvre of one of the most influential architects of the 20th Century. Published between 1929 and 1970, in close collaboration with Le Corbusier himself, and frequently reprinted ever since, the eight volumes comprise an exhaustive and singular survey of his work. Includes eight volumes in a slip case box. This boxed set will be the crown jewel in anyone's library of architecture books.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1704 pages
• Publisher: Birkhäuser Architecture; 11 edition (December 31, 1990)
• Language: French, English, German
• ISBN-10: 3764355158
• ISBN-13: 978-3764355159
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #965,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well, you know, it is the gold standard, December 2, 2005

By 

Mark (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Le Corbusier : Complete Works in Eight Volumes (Hardcover)

I agree with the earlier review, if you are looking at this, then you likely know what you are getting into. A few comments:
1. The first two volumes are NOT multi-lingual. The majority of the text in these 2 volumes is in French. All notations/labels for the images and photos are in French. Only the more extensive texts/essays are in German and English.
2. These appear to be straight reproductions of the original books, no reformatting has occurred. This may be a reason for the lower quality of the images/photos.
3. Great opportunity to see models/drawings of major unbuilt works - Governor's Palace in Chandigargh, Strasburg, Algiers, Venice, Geneva, etc. As well as paintings, le Modulor and other non-building works.

The packaging was incredible, and worth saving in my opinion.

I would recommend this for this price, and is much more convenience than hunting on eBay for the early editions of the individual volumes.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars print quality issues but still fantastic, November 9, 2005

By 

K. Andria "specia1ka" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Le Corbusier : Complete Works in Eight Volumes (Hardcover)

If you are looking at this book, you probably already know that this is the most informative collection of Corbusier's work short of the Corbusier Archive. That said, I won't review the content.

I purchased the 'new' (1996) printing from Birkhauser. This seems to be the cheapest edition to be found, and the quality of the paper, images, and text support this. Birkhauser tends to make excellent books (check out the complete works series of Aalto, Herzog & DeMeuron, and Botta for proof), but I'm left a little confused by the modern feel to the paper, which the rustic quality of the image/print. I guess there is something to be said for a mid 1970's slightly yellowing gently read copy. That is if you can find one for less than a $1200.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend spending the $400 on this fantastic body of knowledge. You won't regret it for a second.

On a side note, Birkhauser's packaging is fantastic: even UPS and my not-so-gentle delivery man weren't able to damage the contents.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive statement on Modern Architecture, January 20, 2006

By 

James Ferguson (Vilnius, Lithuania) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Le Corbusier : Complete Works in Eight Volumes (Hardcover)

While there have been many monographs of Le Corbusier, this is the definitive edition. It is the set of volumes that inspired everyone from Alvar Aalto to Zaha Hadid, shaping the way we look at Modern Architecture. There is a typo in the number of pages. This set is massive but it doesn't weigh in at 176,000 pages. The 8 volumes, about 200 pages each, were originally released individually from 1929 to 1969 with Boesinger and Stonorov working directly with Le Corbusier. These are the original drawings and photographs, so if you are looking for glossy prints of Corbu's more famous works, I suggest purchasing monographs by Kenneth Frampton or William Curtis, which have contemporary photos of his better known buildings. Also, much of the text is not translated, presented in the original French. You have to have a great appreciation for Corbu's work to consider such a purchase, but given how rare first editions are, not to mention expensive, this is the best price by far for this invaluable collection.