exhibition - le corbusier, madrid, 1928

In 1926 a public competition was announced for the construction of the Palace of the League of Nations in Geneva, where Le Corbusier participated with his cousin and partner Pierre Jeanneret. Unfortunately, his proposal was rejected after a long and shameful bureaucratic process that tended to favour an architecture that continued using the academic language.

Le Corbusier y Pierre Jeanneret, perspectiva del proyecto del palacio de la Sociedad de Naciones desde el lago Lemán, donde se aprecia el interés por su integración en el paisaje, 1927. Lápiz y carboncillo sobre papel, 73,7 x 185,3 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, París.

Le Corbusier always trusted that modernity would propitiate the construction of public buildings with values, and that would communicate ideas appropriate to modern society and its new demands in search for consensus. It is in this context that the project for the Palace of the League of Nations in Geneva is understood.

Le Corbusier y Pierre Jeanneret, perspectiva del exterior del edificio de la Gran sala de Asambleas del proyecto del palacio de la Sociedad de Naciones en el que puede verse el muelle de acceso con su marquesina, que define un paseo cubierto para los periodistas que acudan a las sesiones, 1927. Tinta china y lápiz sobre papel de calco, 59 x 94 cm. Fondation Le Corbusier, París.

The complex was to be located on the banks of Lake Leman, with a program that would include a large auditorium for the Assembly, and a Secretariat that would accommodate offices, committee halls, a library, a restaurant, etc. In the proposal presented by him and his partner Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier was aware that above all, besides satisfying the functional requirements, he had to equip the building complex with an adequate symbolism for a world parliament, as this institution was precisely in charge of promoting and defending universal values such as peace, cooperation and justice.