Le Corbusier, Notre Dame du Haut (1955)

What looks like an abstracted cottage from a distance, with whitewashed walls and a strangely curved roof, becomes an architectural epiphany up close. Le Corbusier’s magnificent design—from the bent roof that creates a natural fountain when it rains, to the overall sculptural form—make it a celebrated outlier in his career. A wall with small slits and squares cut for light produces a glittering, spiritual calm when viewed from inside.

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10 Inspiring Modern Churches

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What looks like an abstracted cottage from a distance, with whitewashed walls and a strangely curved roof, is actually a magnificent 1950s chapel on the Bourlémont hilltop in Ronchamp, France, designed by the modernist architect. The bent roof that creates a natural fountain when it rains, as well as the overall sculptural form, make it a celebrated outlier in Corbu’s career. A wall with small slits and squares cut for light produces a glittering, spiritual calm from inside.