Saint-Pierre () is a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

building in the commune of

Firminy Firminy (; ) is a commune in the Loire department in central France. It lies on the river Ondaine, 13 km southwest of Saint-Étienne by rail. History The ancient name of the town was ''Firminiaco'' or ''Firminiacus'' (lit. "place of Fir ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The last major work of

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...

, it was started in 1973 and completed in 2006, forty-one years after his death.

History

Designed to be a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

in the model city of

Firminy Vert Firminy Vert (lit. "Green Firminy") is group of modern buildings designed by architect Le Corbusier located in Firminy, France in 1964–1969. It includes the Saint-Pierre, Firminy, Saint-Pierre Church, a stadium, a cultural center, and an ''Unité ...

, the construction of Saint-Pierre was begun in 1971, six years after Le Corbusier's death in 1965. Due to local political conflicts it remained stalled from 1975 to 2003, when the local government declared the mouldering concrete ruin an "architectural heritage" and financed its completion. The building was completed by the French architect

José Oubrerie José R. Oubrerie (9 November 1932 – 9 March 2024) was a French architect, educator, and author. He was a protégé of Le Corbusier. Education Oubrerie studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts (1946–51) in Nantes, and architecture at ...

, Le Corbusier's student for many years. It has been used for many different purposes, as a secondary school and as a shelter. As the

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

French state may not use public funds for religious buildings, Saint-Pierre is now used as a cultural venue.

Impact on architecture

In the

World Architecture Survey The World Architecture Survey was conducted in 2010 by '' Vanity Fair'', to determine the most important works of contemporary architecture. 52 leading architects, teachers, and critics, including several Pritzker Prize winners and deans of major a ...

of 2010, by Vanity Fair magazine, the building was ranked as second in the rankings of the top structures built in the twenty-first century, receiving four votes. American

deconstructionist In philosophy, deconstruction is a loosely-defined set of approaches to understand the relationship between Text (literary theory), text and Meaning (linguistics), meaning. The concept of deconstruction was introduced by the philosopher Jacques ...

architect

Peter Eisenman Peter David Eisenman (born August 11, 1932) is an American architect, writer, and professor. Considered one of the New York Five, Eisenman is known for his high modernist and deconstructive designs, as well as for his authorship of several archi ...

asserted in his response that this building is the most important structure built since 1980.Tyrnauer, Matt, ''Architecture in the Age of Gehry'', Vanity Fair, Number 600, August, 2010, p.156-167

References

* vishal

External links

Le Corbusier in Firminy

Guide to the Le Corbusier Correspondence and Photographs on the Design for l'Eglise de Firminy 1964
*
City of Firminy website on Saint-Pierre

''The Saint-Pierre Church in Firminy: Le Corbusier’s Architectural Epitome.''
In: ArchEyes , Timeless Architecture, May 17, 2023
''Saint-Peter’s Church.''
In: Site and Architecture, Firminy-Vert, Saint-Etienne Métropole
''Église Saint-Pierre, Firminy, France, 1960-2006.''
In:

Fondation Le Corbusier Fondation Le Corbusier is a private foundation and archive honoring the work of architect Le Corbusier. It operates Maison La Roche, a museum located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement at 8-10, square du Dr Blanche, Paris, Fra ...

Le Corbusier buildings in France Monuments historiques of Loire (department) {{france-struct-stub

History

Impact on architecture

See also

References

External links