A Study on the relationship between housing estates with cruciform buildings in New York and Le Corbusier

In New York, there are many housing estates with cruciform buildings. These are sometimes told in relationship with Corbusier, and are told that they realize Corbusier’s ideas in “Ville Radieuse”. The author researched the relationship between them and Corbusier. The author surveyed some of them, and examined Corbusier's writings and books on Corbusier. And following points were suggested. When Corbusier visited New York for the first time in 1935, he made efforts to appeal his ideas of "Ville Radieuse" for authorities, but his initiatives were unsuccessful. And these housing estates were under the influence of an architect William Lescaze who was so called “Corbusier in America”. These housing estates did not aim to realize the Corbusier’s Ideals which determined the layout of urban functions and their densities and transportation system. Cruciform plan was adopted many predecessors in America. It was suggested that cruciform housing buildings and “Tours dans un parc (Towers in a park)” layout have been widely adopted in mass housing as an American solution to obtain ample floor area with certain living environment economically