Born in Geneva in 1896, Pierre Jeanneret studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and worked most of his life alongside his cousin Le Corbusier. The significance of Jeanneret's contribution to the partnership has become increasingly recognized, and their 1926 manifesto “Five Points Towards a New Architecture” is seen as the foundation of their legendary careers.
From 1937 to 1940, Jeanneret also collaborated with Charlotte Perriand, designing modern furniture in aluminum and wood, and the two formed a research team with Jean Prouvé to develop prefabricated housing. In 1950 Le Corbusier suggested reforming their partnership to execute the master plan for Chandigarh, the capital of the Punjab. Jeanneret lived on location and presided over the project. He assimilated the Indian building tradition with the architectural and technical solutions he formulated with his cousin. He stayed in Chandigarh for fifteen years, and the city evolved into a landmark of Modernist architecture.