The man who did too much ... Le Corbusier. Photograph: Corbis
An urbanist who lived in a fishing cottage, an iconoclast who invented the highrise, an architect who wanted to be a painter...the man who designed the 20th century. Le Corbusier is difficult to get a hold on. He's still admired, even worshipped, in architectural circles, but practically forgotten everywhere else. He's arguably had more of an influence on the form of the modern world than any other architect - you could even argue there was no modern world before Le Corbusier - but stop someone on the street and ask them to name one of his buildings and you're unlikely to get a correct answer. And if people have heard of him, it's usually in the context of failed 1960s housing estates. All that might change, though… more »