Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier, born 1887, was a neutralized Swiss-French architect, urban planner, painter and designer, considered one of the most innovative and incisive personalities in the history of contemporary architecture and a master of the Modern Movement. A pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete for architecture, he designed revolutionary private residences, such as Ville Savoye in France. He invented modern housing solutions such as the Unitées d'Habitation, and planned cities inspired by utopian visions such as Chandigarh, and finally designed furniture pieces that have become part of popular Western culture. A member and founder of the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture moderne, he fused architecture with the social needs of the average man, proving to be a brilliant thinker about the realities of his time. Some buildings have been added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites because they are considered to be "a testimony to the invention of a new architectural language that marks a break with the past."