10 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
“The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier – an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement”

Ten years ago, UNESCO inscribed the architectural work of Le Corbusier on the World Heritage List. Since 17 July 2016, UNESCO has thus recognised 17 representative structures and building complexes by the Swiss-French architect across seven countries as an “outstanding contribution to the modern movement”. The detached and semi-detached houses in Stuttgart’s Weissenhof Estate, built in 1927, are also part of this significant transnational series.

Le Corbusier (1887–1965) is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in 20th-century architecture. Through his buildings, visionary urban designs and seminal writings, he has shaped generations of architects worldwide – right up to the present day! The World Heritage sites include, amongst others, the Villa Savoye near Paris, regarded as an icon of modernism; the Unité d’habitation in Marseille, a pioneering model for high-density housing; and the Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut in Ronchamp, which set new standards in sacred architecture with its visionary design language. The two houses he designed in 1927 for the Weissenhof Estate as part of the Werkbund exhibition ‘Die Wohnung’ – a detached house and a semi-detached house – are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, Le Corbusier exemplarily put his famous ‘Five Points of a New Architecture’ into practice: building on supports, the open ground plan, the free façade design, the horizontal window and the roof garden. These design principles had a profound influence on modern architecture.

The Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart
In 1927, the Deutscher Werkbund, in collaboration with the City of Stuttgart, succeeded in bringing a manifesto of modernist architecture to life: Under the artistic direction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 17 internationally renowned architects, including Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Hans Scharoun, designed 21 innovative and forward-looking concepts for modern living. The spectacular exhibition attracted around 500,000 visitors in a short space of time and resonated worldwide. To this day, the Weissenhof Estate is regarded as one of the most significant architectural estates of the 20th century.

Weissenhof Museum in the Le Corbusier House
Since 2006, the Weissenhof Museum has been housed in the semi-detached house designed by Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret. It is the only house in the Weissenhof Estate that is open to visitors. The left-hand half of the house presents the history of the Weissenhof Estate, whilst the right-hand half allows visitors to experience Le Corbusier’s design for a ‘transformable living space’ as it was reconstructed in 1927. The museum is run by the ‘Friends of the Weissenhof Estate’ association.

The restored semi-detached house not only conveys Le Corbusier’s ideas, but also allows visitors to experience his visionary approaches first-hand. Since its inclusion on the World Heritage List, the Weissenhof Museum has established itself as a destination for visitors from all over the world. Between 2016 and mid-2026, over 240,000 people visited the semi-detached house. As Stuttgart’s only UNESCO World Heritage site and, at the same time, the sole German component of the transnational series, the two Stuttgart houses document the global influence of Le Corbusier’s ideas on 20th-century architecture.

“Ten years after its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Le Corbusier’s semi-detached house is, more than ever, a place where the international significance of this architectural heritage can be experienced first-hand. It is our task to preserve this heritage and convey its significance. That is why, from 2027, the exhibition in the semi-detached house will be expanded to include the theme of World Heritage, so that visitors can learn more about the 17 component World Heritage sites,” says Verena Lebherz, Director of the Weissenhof Museum in the Le Corbusier House.

Looking to the future
The anniversary also marks the start of a series of significant milestones: in October 2026, the Weissenhof Museum in Haus Le Corbusier will celebrate its 20th anniversary. In the summer of 2027, it will be 100 years since the opening of the Weissenhof Estate and 50 years since the founding of the Friends of the Weissenhof Estate Association. Together, these anniversaries invite us to reflect on the past, present and future of this extraordinary place.

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Anniversary guided tour ‘Around the World with Le Corbusier – 10 Years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site’
Friday, 17 July 2026, 4.30 pm

Facts

Year of inscription: 2016
Countries: Argentina, Belgium, Germany, France, India, Japan, Switzerland

Web links

• Website of the German UNESCO Commission
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre website
• Website of the World Heritage site by the Fondation Le Corbusier (Paris)

The international press release from the Fondation Le Corbusier (Paris) and the Association des Sites Le Corbusier (Ronchamp, France) can be found here.

The 17 Le Corbusier sites are celebrating the anniversary with a varied programme. An overview of all events can be found in the → events calendar.

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Verena Lebherz (left) and Anja Krämer (right) on the rooftop garden of Le Corbusiers semi-detached house in Stuttgart
© Freunde der Weissenhofsiedlung e.V./ Weissenhofmuseum im Haus Le Corbusier

On 1 July 2026, Verena Lebherz will take over as Director of the Weissenhof Museum in Haus Le Corbusier and of the future visitor centre “Weissenhof.Forum”. The current Director, Anja Krämer, is stepping down from her role after twenty years at the helm to become Deputy Director, and will continue to contribute her many years of experience to the development of this internationally significant architectural site.

With this move, the Friends of the Weissenhof Estate (Freunde der Weissenhofsiedlung e.V.) are ushering in a generational change. Verena Lebherz has been serving as deputy director of the Weissenhof Museum and the Weissenhof.Forum planning team since September 2024. The art historian and cultural manager is already thoroughly familiar with the organisation’s structures, projects and partners, and will continue the successful work alongside the existing team.

“We are delighted that Verena Lebherz has become such an important part of the Weissenhof family in such a short space of time. At the same time, we are grateful to Anja Krämer for her many years of exceptional dedication and admire her courage in now actively shaping this transition,”
explains Suse Kletzin, Chair of the Friends of the Weissenhofsiedlung association.

Anja Krämer has played a decisive role in shaping the development of the Weissenhof for more than two decades. Since the early 2000s, the architect and art historian has organised the association’s guided tours. She prepared for the opening of the Weissenhof Museum in the Le Corbusier House and has directed the museum since its foundation in 2006. In addition, she was in charge of the Weissenhof Workshop in the Mies van der Rohe House, curated and organised numerous exhibitions, and initiated events such as the Summer Festival Killesberg. She established important networks with other World Heritage sites, Bauhaus locations, Werkbund estates and Le Corbusier sites.

The Friends of the Weissenhof Estate regard this change of leadership as an important step for the future of the site. For almost 50 years, the association has been committed to the preservation, promotion and further development of the Weissenhof Estate. It runs the Weissenhof Museum, organises guided tours and exhibitions, and plays a key role in bringing the ideas of ‘New Building’ to life for an international audience.

The handover of management comes at a crucial stage in the further development. The City of Stuttgart is currently constructing the new Weissenhof.Forum at the entrance to the Weissenhofsiedlung, which will serve as a central visitor and information centre in future. It is one of the key projects of the 2027 International Building Exhibition StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA’27) and will be run by the Friends of the Weissenhofsiedlung in collaboration with the Weissenhof Museum. At the same time, preparations for the anniversary year 2027 are already in full swing. The Weissenhofsiedlung will then celebrate its 100th anniversary. With the opening of the Weissenhof.Forum and a major anniversary celebration on 24 and 25 July 2027, the estate’s international significance as an icon of modernism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site is set to be highlighted even more clearly.

This will lay the foundations for continuing the history of the Weissenhof – with new impetus, yet whilst remaining closely connected to the people and ideas that have shaped the site over the decades.

Further information on the individual events will be available as separate entries as the event date approaches.

Sun, September 13, 2026
Open Heritage Day