LE CORBUSIER: ASILE FLOTTANT

Le Corbusier designed a floating shelter called Asile Flottant at the request of the Salvation Army. The boat, which realized the ideal interior space as modern architecture, was floating on the left bank of the Seine, 1 kilometer upstream from Notre Dame Cathedral. At the beginning of this century, it had lost its function as an architectural structure due to aging, but repair work began in 2005, and a pier donated by Japan was installed, and it was scheduled to be revived as a functional building in 2018. However, in January 2018, it was engulfed in water and submerged due to a flooding accident caused by the rising waters of the Seine. In response, in 2019, the International House of Japan decided to provide funding and cooperation. The Architectural Design Institute of Japan launched the "Asile Flottant Restoration Project," and finally, in October 2020, the salvage work was completed and it was once again visible to the public. This book includes a project report by Endo Shuhei, who played a central role in this series of events, and based on remaining records, it brings to life the Asile Flottant from the time of its design through drawings and photographs, as well as the situation before and after the salvage, and serves as a guide for future repairs, restoration, and public opening.