The colours of Le Corbusier

Tekla explores the colours of Le Corbusier with a limited-edition collection of blankets, crafted from soft mohair in four brilliant colourways.

Tekla’s clean and simple design expression has long referenced Le Corbusier’s influence. With this collection, Tekla takes a closer look at his unexpected approach to colour, most notably his Architectural Polychromy – two palettes comprising 63 colour shades created in 1931 and 1959 – in partnership with Les Couleurs Suisse AG.

Le Corbusier used these colours as accents on building facades and interiors to create dynamic and emotional effects. The architect noted that “colours affect our emotions and have a substantial impact on our mood.”

Striped mohair blanket © FLC / Le Corbusier / VISDA and Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand / VISDA

Striped mohair blanket © FLC / Le Corbusier / VISDA 2022

Mohair blankets © FLC / Le Corbusier / VISDA 2022

Bleu inspiration © FLC / Le Corbusier / VISDA 2022

This approach is evident in the places Le Corbusier called home, particularly his Studio-Apartment in Paris where the collection is presented. The space, intended for him to live and create in, is filled with playful yet functional interiors, emphasised by bold primary colours and contrasting hues.

These interiors are the perfect expression of the more joyful aspects of Le Corbusier’s life – none more so than his bed, with raised legs fashioned by the architect himself so that he might have a clearer view out of the window – a source of fascination for Tekla that’s given endless inspiration for this project.

About Le Corbusier

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, or Le Corbusier as he’s better known, was a Swiss-French architect. Largely considered the pioneer of modernism, he’s left an indelible imprint on architecture – practically every modernist building since the 60s bears his influence, from space-age cuboid homes to brutalist structures to high-rise social housing.

Once stating that “a house is a machine for living in,” he believed the home was a tool that should support the basic requirements for life. He rejected ornamentation, instead emphasising clear form and structure that he believed would provide more productivity and comfort, while always upholding the belief that purely pragmatic design could be beautiful. Despite this, his own home was filled with texture, colour and objects collected throughout his life.

An architect, magazine editor, painter and author, Le Corbusier was many things. But ultimately, he was a man of contrasts: a social utopian who initiated the high-rise, an urbanist who retired to a cottage by the sea, and a modernist who at once favoured exposed concrete and steel beams while believing in and utilising the power of colour.

It’s in this tension, the push and pull between function and joy, that Tekla has found its greatest inspiration.

Updated August 2023: The Colours of Le Corbusier mohair collection now includes four additional colourways. Explore the limited collection