From England we take you across the Channel to France where we find a fellow named Le Corbusier. It seems he had a love affair with concrete, evident in a number of his nearly 75 projects. Having already designed his first house, the Villa Fallet, at the age of just 17, in 1907 the young architect embarked on a series of travels throughout central Europe on a mission of artistic education. In Paris, he apprenticed at the office of Auguste Perret, a structural rationalist and pioneer of reinforced concrete, followed in 1910 by a short stint at Peter Behrens’ practice in Berlin. These formative experiences initiated a life-long exploration of concrete in Le Corbusier’s work.

Hey, you know you're a big deal when you don't need a first name. Like Madonna or Cher, for instance.

Source: A December 4 posting on the Web site Arch Daily. Read more.