Le Corbusier's early life was shaped by the austere environment of his Swiss hometown and his father's trade of watchmaking. He studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs, where Charles L'Eplattenier, his mentor, introduced him to art history, drawing, and Art Nouveau. L'Eplattenier encouraged him to pursue architecture, and Le Corbusier embarked on travels through Europe and the Mediterranean from 1907 to 1911. These journeys exposed him to architectural influences that shaped his future work: the monastic spaces of the Charterhouse of Ema, the classical proportions of Palladio's architecture, and the geometric forms and light manipulation of Mediterranean vernacular architecture.

Upon returning to Paris at age 30, Le Corbusier met the painter Amédée Ozenfant, who introduced him to Purism, a new artistic movement advocating for simple geometric forms. Together, they published the Purist manifesto, "After Cubism," in 1918. In 1920, they founded the avant-garde journal, "L'Esprit Nouveau," which championed functionalism, opposed historical styles and ornamentation, and presented ideas on architecture and city planning.