Le Corbusier became a naturalized citizen of France in 1930.
Born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1887, he was raised in the French-speaking part of the country. He moved to Paris permanently in 1917 and developed much of his professional career there, eventually adopting the name Le Corbusier.
His French nationality helps explain why he is often described as a French-Swiss architect rather than solely Swiss or French. He retained strong connections to Switzerland, including his birthplace and several early commissions, but France became his principal professional and cultural base.
A common mix-up is confusing nationality with birthplace: Le Corbusier was born in Switzerland, while his naturalization in 1930 made him French. He later became one of modern architecture’s most influential figures through projects such as Villa Savoye, the Unité d’Habitation, and Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex.