Coombs, Robert

The late Dr. Robert Coombs helddegrees from The Art Institute of Chicago, The University of Chicago, and Yale University. In addition he wasthe recipient of grants from the Fulbright Program, Kress Foundation and Graham for research in architectural history. He has been published widely in architectural journals and has served as the editor of Perspecta, The Architectural Journal and assistant editor of Architectural Forum. He previously taught at Yale, UCLA and Texas Tech.

Mystical Themes in Le Corbusier’s Architecture in the Chapel Notre-Dame-Du-Haut at Ronchamp: The Ronchamp Riddle

2000 0-7734-7746-2
This is a study of the great 20th century architect’s most controversial work after World War II: Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp. The work reveals Le Corbusier’s Cubist interweaving of metaphysical themes. Through fusion of visual motifs and symbolism in a figure-ground system, le Corbusier was able to integrate multiple Christian, heretical and hermetic iconography systems in his composition. This monograph reveals the various mystical strands of the Ronchamp riddle. It investigates earlier influences, Marian imagery, alchemical sources, Catharism and neo-Catharism, numerological and geometrical systems. With many illustrations.