Losone Roundabout – Le Corbusier Tribute

A modular figure forged in numbers, echoing Le Corbusier’s golden measure.

Una figura modulare forgiata nei numeri, che riecheggia la misura aurea di Le Corbusier.

Paolo Grassi’s public sculpture in Losone, Switzerland. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s Modulor, part of the project 'From 0 to Infinity'.
Le Corbusier Tribute – Public Sculpture in Losone / Omaggio a Le Corbusier – Scultura pubblica a Losone

Installed at the center of a busy roundabout in Losone, this corten steel sculpture by Paolo Grassi is a contemporary tribute to Le Corbusier’s Modulor Man. Developed in 1948, Le Corbusier’s Modulor was a mathematical model that combined the human scale with the golden ratio, aiming to standardize architectural and design proportions based on the human body

 

In this sculpture, numbers replace anatomy: the figure is constructed entirely from iron numerals arranged in harmonic sequence, celebrating not just physical dimension but the abstract logic of proportion and rhythm. Standing at 2.26 meters, the sculpture mirrors the ideal height of the Modulor Man with raised arm — a symbolic gesture of measure, aspiration, and reach.


The installation occupies a key urban intersection and invites drivers and pedestrians to engage with a universal idea of balance between body, space, and mathematics. The work is both conceptual and social: it connects classical ideals to the contemporary city, offering a silent yet visible dialogue between art, architecture, and urban movement.

Street view of Paolo Grassi’s numerical sculpture in Losone, placed on the main route between Locarno and Ascona. Public art inspired by Le Corbusier.
Sculpture on the Locarno–Ascona route / Scultura lungo l’asse Locarno–Ascona

Installata al centro di una rotonda molto trafficata a Losone, questa scultura in acciaio corten di Paolo Grassi è un omaggio contemporaneo all’Uomo Modulor di Le Corbusier. Ideato nel 1948, il Modulor era un sistema matematico basato sul corpo umano e sul numero aureo, pensato per armonizzare l’architettura e il design secondo proporzioni naturali.


In quest’opera, il corpo umano è tradotto in una figura numerica: una silhouette formata esclusivamente da numeri in ferro, disposti in sequenza armonica. Alta 2,26 metri – come l’Uomo Modulor col braccio alzato – la figura diventa simbolo di misura, tensione verticale e aspirazione.


La scultura, visibile da ogni lato, si inserisce nel paesaggio urbano con una forza silenziosa ma pregnante, stimolando una riflessione sul rapporto tra individuo, spazio e struttura. Concettuale e pubblica allo stesso tempo, collega ideali classici e contesto contemporaneo, trasformando una rotonda viaria in luogo di pensiero e passaggio.

 

Independently conceived and later acquired

as a permanent public artwork

 

Acquired by:  Municipality of Losone
From "0" to Infinity, Element 161.est
Created: 2012
Material: Cor - Ten

Size: 67 x 12 x 226 cm

Type: Permanent roundabout road installation

 

Place: Losone, Switzerland
Coordinates: 46.1688° N, 8.7609° E

Night view of Paolo Grassi’s illuminated public sculpture in Losone. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s Modulor and part of ‘From 0 to Infinity’.
Night illumination of the Modulor tribute / Illuminazione notturna dell’omaggio al Modulor
Diagram of Le Corbusier’s Modulor (1948), showing human-scale proportions based on the golden ratio. Conceptual reference for Paolo Grassi’s sculpture.
Le Corbusier’s Modulor (1948) – Proportional system based on the golden ratio / Il Modulor di Le Corbusier (1948) – Sistema proporzionale basato sul numero aureo

djAll works presented here are part of the artistic project From “0” to Infinity by Paolo Grassi, exploring the relationship between numbers, time, and transformation through conceptual art.


Tutte le opere presentate fanno parte del progetto artistico From “0” to Infinity di Paolo Grassi, che esplora il rapporto tra numeri, tempo e trasformazione attraverso l’arte concettuale.

➜ Explore the Complete Catalogue / Esplora il Catalogo Completo