The Convent of La Tourette is Le Corbusier's final building completed in Europe, and is also thought by many to be his most unique program. It was built to be a self-contained world for a community of silent monks, and to accommodate the unique and specific lifestyle of the monks, the monastery is made of one hundred individual cells, a communal library, a refectory, a rooftop cloister, a church, and classrooms.
The one request to the architect by Father Marie-Alain Couturier was that he "create a silent dwelling for one hundred bodies and one hundred hearts."
The intention of architect Le Corbusier was "to give the monks what men today need most: silence and peace... This Monastery does not show off; it is on the inside that it lives." Although this was ultimately achieved, there were still reservations about the size of some of the cells, as well as the soundproofing and acoustics. Maintenance issues are still very prevalent today, with cracking concrete, defective insulation, and dangerously installed electricity.
Information provided in part by: ArchDaily
