Colin Rowe managed to shift opinion entirely on Le Corbusier in the essay 'Mathematics of the Ideal Villa' first published in 1947. He went on to shift it further with the book Collage City in the mid seventies. Firstly Rowe recognised certain historic references within Le Corbusier's formalism that seemed almost antique, and hence established him within a tradition, then secondly, in ditching Le Corbusier's urban theories as simply wrong, he allowed a reversal toward contextualism. In short, whilst valuing Le Corbusier the architect, he allowed you to go back and live in the Cotswolds.
You are asked to read 'Mathematics of the Ideal Villa'. You can brush up on his overall importance by reading my Reputations piece on Rowe in the Architectural Review.
Hint for Dissertation No 8:
It's a fact that we have never (at least not over the last twenty years) had a dissertation that has looked at Colin Rowe's work in particular. This remains an opportunity. However the idealisation of the countryside that we read in the Roman poet Virgil is presently a subject for a dissertation by Bryan Strom.
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