Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture. His career spanned five decades and he designed buildings in Europe, Japan, India, and North and South America. Le Corbusier was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities and was influential in urban planning. He prepared the master plan for the city of Chandigarh in India, contributing designs for several buildings there, including many of the government buildings.