Modulor

The Modulor system of proportions and measurements, published in 1950, combines various sets of ideas. In 1944, with a view to reconstruction after the end of World War II, Le Corbusier initially attempted to define a few basic dimensions for use on the construction site, all of them related to the human body. The starting point is a comfortable ceiling height of 226 centimeters, the height that can be reached by a raised arm. With the help of the geometric designs used to proportion his buildings, the architect tried to find a common denominator between these dimensions and the golden ratio. Le Corbusier thus worked out two related geometric numerical series that would also govern the height of a stool, chair, or table, as well as their legs and backrests—ranging from 226 centimeters to zero in the one direction and in the other to infinity. They form a geometric model that ensures harmonious proportions on all scales.