描述

We picture the buildings of the high priest of modern architecture, Le Corbusier, as exemplars of crisp geometric forms and industrial, machined-age details, but we often forget that he integrated nature and the human element into his compositions. Nowhere is this more evident than the Modulor, Corb’s own measuring system based on the proportions of the body and intended to replace the sterile metric system with a “more harmonious set of measurements.” Never achieving the universal acceptance he envisioned, the Modulor is a fascinating look at Corb’s efforts to reconcile human stature (in this case, his signature man-with-arm-upraised) and mathematics. This facsimile edition of the tape measure Corb made and carried in his pocket in a metal film canister features the red-and-blue Modulor system on one side of a flexible tape, and imperial and metric markings on the other. This handsome object has a fascinating history and is the perfect gift for the desk of any architect, designer, modernism fan, mathematician, woodworker, seamstress, or anyone interested in measuring.