Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Swiss Pavilion, also known as the Swiss Foundation, is a building designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret between 1931 and 1933. Located in the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris (CIUP), it embodies the principles of modern movement, including the five points of modern architecture: stilts, roof terrace, free plan, free façade and long window. The initial project, commissioned by Switzerland in 1924, provided for 42 rooms, a refectory and administrative spaces. The Corbusier experimentes with innovative materials such as reinforced concrete, curtain walls and a metal frame, while integrating standardized furniture designed with Charlotte Perriand.

The building consists of three separate volumes: a bar of rooms on stilts, a glazed ground floor housing common spaces (including the curved living room adorned with a fresco by Le Corbusier), and a vertical traffic block illuminated by glass pavements. The south facade, entirely glazed, was modified in 1953 to limit sunlight, while the interiors enjoyed bold polychromy and functional furniture. Ranked a historic monument in 1986, the pavilion remains a student's home and a cultural site open to the public, attracting 10,000 annual visitors.

The Swiss Foundation is a prototype of modern housing bars, combining technical innovation and social reflection. The Corbusier supervised modifications until his death, such as the restoration of the fresco of the Curved Salon in 1948 or the addition of enameled benches in 1957. Subsequent restorations (1991–1993, 2010) preserve its authenticity, including the reconstituted stone trim and the blinds of the southern façade. Today, the pavilion combines residential functions, architectural visits and cultural programming, highlighting the dialogue between the Corsican heritage and contemporary creation.

The building also illustrates Switzerland's commitment to the University City, with mixed funding (private and federal). Its architecture breaks with the folk or academic styles of other CIUP pavilions, affirming a resolutely modern identity. The rooms, each 16 m2, incorporate individual toilets and optimized furniture, reflecting Le Corbusier's vision of a living machine. The Swiss Foundation remains a symbol of the architectural utopia of the twentieth century, between functionalism and avant-garde aesthetics.

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