this villa shows le corbusier's ideal, in microcosmic form, of a city raised on stilts. at first sight, even the most ardent modernist might be caught unprepared by its abstract conception, but one should not be deceived by the simplicity of its geometric exterior. as one approaches the villa's main entrance, a complex interior begins to reveal itself. the owners of the villa would ascend to their living area along a grand ramp that rises up through the house. le corbusier defined architecture as "the magnificent, knowledgeable, and correct play of volumes in light." he saw architecture in highly idealized formulations. the villa savoye is at once a superb illustration of his ideal of formal harmony and a precise application of design principles derived from an analysis of reinforced concrete construction. the body of the villa savoye is lifted off the ground by columns. the internal spaces are opened into each other since the walls no longer support any load. windows are extended freely in strips across the facade, and on the flat roof is a garden. another architect ide