After visiting the Le Corbusier inscribed locations in Japan in 2009 and in Belgium in 2016 without entering, and not being much of a modern architecture enthusiast myself, I failed to appreciate any particular OUV and hence gave a low rating on the basis that other WHS like Bauhaus were much better.

Four years later, in June 2020, I kept my promise and I decided to visit one of Le Corbusier's most iconic designs, the Notre Dame du Haut Chapel just outside Ronchamp, France, and I was positively surprised. This time round, not only did I really enjoy the site but also managed to enter to appreciate the interior features and understand why this chapel is nicknamed the chapel of light. I must confess that the drawing factor for me to visit was a news update I received about the unveiling of a UNESCO inscription plaque which is strangely placed outside the site just in front of the entrance gate.

The chapel was completed in 1954 on a pre-existing pilgrimage site. The previous stone chapel had been largely destroyed during World War II. It is considered one of the most important buildings of the 20th century and represents a key shift away from the functionalist form of Modernism that Le Corbusier displayed in his earlier projects. The main structure consists of thick masonry walls, which are curved to improve stability and provide structural support. The monumental curved concrete roof is a shell structure supported by columns hidden in the walls. A gap underneath allows a sliver of light to filter into the interior. Although its external appearance suggests a complicated layout, the interior is fairly simple in plan.

Three thick white walls curl inwards from the outside to create smaller chapels at the sides of the main space. Two sit on either side of the north entrance and one in the south-east corner next to the main entrance. The interior of one of the chapels is painted bright red and the sacristy on the north side is painted violet, echoing the bright sections of colour in the architect's Dominican Monastery of La Tourette near Eveux, France.

Apart from the chapel itself, in 1955 Le Corbusier completed the chaplain's house, the pilgrim's shelter and the pyramid of peace. In 1975 Jean Prouve completed the metal bell portico/tower (with an open hand relief on one of the bells like the largest example in the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, India) and in 2011 Renzo Piano completed an oratory, a reception hall and a monastery (in fact more of a nunnery) at the foot of the hill on which the Ronchamp chapel sits.

An irregular arrangement of windows is scattered across the walls. These are glazed with a mixture of clear and coloured glass. This has no connection to stained glass. Le Corbusier considered that this form of illumination was too closely bound to old architectural notions, particularly to Romanesque and Gothic art; instead through glazing one can see the clouds or the movements of the foliage and even passers-by. Unfortunately, in 2014 the chapel was vandalised and a hand-painted glass panel signed by the architect was broken. This prompted emergency security measures to protect the building.

I really enjoyed this visit and updated my rating as I now think feel I grasped its OUV. The Ronchamp chapel really sparked my interest to read more on Le Corbusier's works and I hope to be able to visit more of his inscribed locations in France and Germany in the near future. 

NB: Big restoration works are planned on whole south facade during 2020-2024; I was lucky that apparently these have been slightly delayed probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the costly entrance ticket of EUR 9,00, it would be a pity to visit when this facade is covered in scaffolding!