COLLECTORS WITH PANACHE Art and Architecture Master builder Minoru Mori on Le Corbusier
and creating a city of “ample green spaces.”
By
Diana Mehl
Minoru Mori.
Le Corbusier, Armorique violon (Metamorphose-Violon),
oil on canvas, 1920-52
Le Corbusier, Nature morte au violon rouge,
oil on canvas, 1920.
Le Corbusier, Femme a table (avec bols, cuillere
et cafetiere), oil on canvas, 1929.
Le Corbusier, Les Mains, natural wood,
1957.
Le Corbusier, Trois bouteilles (bleu), oil
on canvas, 1929.
Le Corbusier, Lignes de la main, oil on canvas,
1930.
For
the last 40 years Minoru Mori, one of the wealthiest men
in Asia and one of that continent's most important
real estate developers, has been working toward a new urban
vision for Japan. Influenced early in his career by Le Corbusier,
one of the greatest architects of the 20th century who was
also an exceptional artist, Mori has in the last 20 years
amassed the world's largest private collection of
his artwork. A large portion of this collection is on display
in Tokyo at the private club of Ark Hills, a Mori development.
Le Corbusier (née Charles-Edouard Jeanneret in 1887),
who began his artistic career in 1917 as an advocate of
Purism, became very interested in the human form following
his marriage to Yvonne Gallis. Later in his career, he often
focused on motifs such as the open hand, bulls, unicorns
and totems.
In the foreword to Crossing the Parallel: Le Corbusier Mori
Collection, Mori explains the appeal of the famed Swiss-born
architect's works, which “no matter what form
they take, have strength. Powerful, colorful paintings,
attractively rough sculptures that remind us of his architectural
heritage and tapestries that seem to engulf the entire world
within his work – these are all aspects of his genius.
When I saw the works of Le Corbusier the artist, a long
unanswered question about where Le Corbusier the architect
found his inexhaustible creativity was finally answered.”
In a recent conversation with Panache
magazine, Mori discussed his collection and Le Corbusier's
influence on his own revolutionary vision for the urban
redesign of Tokyo.
How did you get interested in Le Corbusier's
artwork?
First of all, I have known Le Corbusier as a great architect
and urban planner. When I started this business it was not
really about architecture, but building and leasing office
buildings. But when I started to think about how architecture
relates to the city in general, I was quite struck by Le
Corbusier's vision.
How
did you learn about his artwork, and when did you start
collecting?
It was toward the end of Le Corbusier's life that
some of his major works, such as the Notre Dame du Haut
Chapel at Ronchamp and the highly artistic construction
of India's capital, were introduced in this country.
I was quite intrigued by the fact that Le Corbusier really
had two very different and opposed sides. Then one day
a friend of mine introduced me to a tapestry by Le Corbusier
– that is when I found out that he was also an artist,
and that's how I began to be interested in his artwork.
That was more than 20 years ago. I actively traveled around
the world to see the artwork – and I wanted to own
it and have it around all the time. A friend of mine who
happens to be an art dealer helped me put together the
collection. Whenever a piece was up for auction we would
bid on it and buy it. My collection really started to
grow when I visited Le Fondation Le Corbusier, which agreed
to sell me a few of their possessions. They also introduced
me to other collectors and owners of the artwork and,
thanks to the foundation, some of the reproduction rights
and copyrights were transferred to us. I was also able
to collect a few of Le Corbusier's rare books, and
I became very active in introducing him as an artist to
Japan.
What
is it about the artwork that appeals to you?
Each work has its own appeal, of course. I feel closest
to his earlier works, while he was still called Jeanneret.
He was signing his work as Jeanneret, and his work was
within the school called Purism. However, I also feel
very attracted to the interaction between the characteristic
curves and straight lines that Le Corbusier is able to
show through his work – for example, in Notre Dame
du Haut.
Why is the painting Trois bouteillos your
favorite piece?
I like the balance between the curved lines and the straight
lines and the colors. The brownish colors are very close
to the Japanese sensitivity. At the same time, those bright
reds are very appealing.
You
own works from different periods and mediums – did
you consciously try to build a comprehensive collection?
I did my best to gather major and symbolic works of each
of his periods – in that sense, I think my collection
is not yet complete. I'm lacking a few major pieces
from his earlier periods. It seems that Mrs. Heidi Weber
in Zurich has some of these major pieces, and one day
I hope that she will agree to sell them to me.
What
are the highlights of the collection?
Totem, which is my favorite sculpture, and Portrait
d'Yvonne Le Corbusier, a portrait of the artist's
wife.
How
big is the collection?
It includes about 25 oil paintings, 7 sculptures, several
hundred drawings, several books and 16 tapestries.
How
has Le Corbusier served as inspiration to your own work?
I was very much influenced by the fundamental idea that
cities should be built around several high-rises that
would be able to liberate the foothold for nature. The
idea of building vertically and having ample green spaces
is better for both nature and people. When you look at
Le Corbusier's architecture, it was truly mixed-use.
Take one building with many different functions that a
city needs, for example, such as a post office. The rooftops
were covered by gardens; the building had other functions,
commercial shops and even kindergartens.
However, when you look at some of the urban planning done
by Le Corbusier's own disciples – I walked
around and saw that, of course, they were using the skyline
and building higher – it is rather uncomfortable
because it is quite windy and the foothold is not used
in an efficient way. So sometimes I feel that you need
to go beyond the initial proposal of Le Corbusier by trapping
nature inside an atrium. You could put parking, a cinema
complex, conference centers and mass transit – which
do not require sunlight – underground. On top of
that, put green spaces, and then buildings starting from
there.
It is my improved Le Corbusier model that I am trying
to propose through Roppongi Hills [see “Tokyo Renaissance,”
page 76] and many other projects.
Photo credit: image
one: Courtesy of Mori Building Co., all other images:
Courtesy of Minoru Mori Collection
