Chapel of Ronchamp Vandalized

Vandals broke into Le Corbusier's Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut de Ronchamp in France last week, damaging a stained glass window in the south wall and removing a concrete chest that contained the church's collection. The blue window, which shattered into a thousand pieces, was painted and signed by Le Corbusier, sparking France's Department of Historic Monuments to deem the window "irreplaceable."

The Fondation Le Corbusier and its president Antoine Picon issued a statement saying they "regret that nospecific measure has helped to secure the site andpreserve one of the most iconic and most fragile elementsof the Chapel." Further, the incident "calls the attention of owners and public authorities on the need to better protect the heritage of the twentieth century and that ofLe Corbusier in particular."

The original statement from Fondation Le Corbusier: