Chandigarh – The largest and the most daring experiment in modern urbanism has become the Mecca for architects from all over the world. Chandigarh’s pre-eminence as an ‘International City‘ rests largely on the world renowned architect Le Corbusier; who developed its master plan in 1951, based on his urban planning theories and his masterly architectural works.

What is not so well known is the fact that the 20th century's greatest architect also succeeded in getting Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) established as an integral part of the great Chandigarh Experiment. His conviction was that the creation of built environment, however brilliant and consequential, cannot be fully grasped- much less perpetuated – if the principles regulating its concept are not properly understood through study of various components of the city in use.

Chandigarh was to be in Nehru's words "a new city unlettered by the traditions of the past. ..an expression of the nation's faith in the future. Chandigarh one of the most significant urban planning experiments of the 20th century, is the only one of the numerous urban planning schemes of Le Corbusier, the famous French architect- planner, to have actually been executed.

SECTORS :

This city is composed of sectors. Each sector is 800 meters by 1,200 meters, enclosed by roads allocated to fast mechanized transport and sealed to direct access from the houses.

Each sector caters to the daily needs of its inhabitants, which vary from 5,000 to 25,000 and has a green strip oriented longitudinally stretching centrally along the sector in the direction of the mountains. The green strip should stay uninterrupted and accommodate schools, sports fields, walks and recreational facilities for the sector.

Vehicular traffic is completely forbidden in the green strips, where tranquility shall reign and the curse of noise shall not penetrate.

ROADS:

The roads of the city are classified into seven categories, Known as the system of 7 V s, as below:

V -1 - Fast roads connecting Chandigarh to other towns;

V-2 -arterial roads.

V-3 --Fast vehicular roads;

V -4 -Meandering shopping streets;

V -5 -Sector circulation roads;

V -6 -Access roads to houses;

V -7 -footpaths and cycle tracks

Buses will ply only on V-I, V-2, V-3 and V-4 roads. A wall shall seal the V-3 roads from the sectors.

In contrast to the panoramic Shivalik hills that form the most picturesque backdrop for the Capitol - the small artificial hillocks planned by Le Corbusier play a delightful visual game of hiding and revealing the edifices from the rest of the city. In Le Corbusier’s original concept; the Capitol was to consist of the edifices consisting of

i) Secretariat ii) Assembly iii) High Court and iv) Governor's Palace. Besides these main buildings there were also to be a number of monuments based on Corbusier’s personal philosophy - to adorn the piazzas and the open spaces between the edifices. However, the proposed Governor’s Palace was later changed to a more democratic institution called the Museum of Knowledge . Although all other structures of the Capitol have been built -sadly the pivotal structure of the Museum of Knowledge has still not been built, leaving Le Corbusier’s great masterpiece somewhat like an unfinished symphony!

The Secretariat :

The first conspicuous building to come into view is the Secretariat -- the largest of all from the buildings in the complex (254 meters by 42 meters). Positioned at a sharp right angle to the mountain range it is designed as a vast linear slab-like structure – a workplace for 4000 people. An endless rhythm of balconies and louvers on its linear facades is punctuated in a subtle way by a deliberately asymmetrical composition of brise-soleil (a sun shading device), evolved by Le Corbusier. It’s façade, besides the rhythmic brise-soleil, is also sculpturally punctuated by the protruding masses of angled ramps and stairways, The root line has a playful composition of a restaurant block a ramp and a terraced garden, to break the endless linearity.

The Assembly :

In front of the Secretariat is located the most sculptural and eye-catching of all the geometrical forms of the Capitol -The Assembly. Characterizing the roofline of the Assembly is a great hyperbolic drum connected to a pyramidal by a small bridge, Inside, the legislative chambers are dramatically illumined with shafts of light, The building has two entrances: one at the basement level for everyday use an the other from the piazza level for ceremonial occasions through a massive entrance, 7.60 meters high and 7.60 meters broad, whose enameled door (a gift to Punjab from France) translates a cubist mural painted by Le Corbusier himself. The door and many other elements of the Capitol demonstrate Le Corbusier's predilection for melding an and architecture.

The external façade of the cuboid base has a rhythmic pattern of the brise-soleil with its play of light and shadow on three sides, And on the fourth opening towards the large piazza facing the High Curt is a huge trough supported on massive pylons.

High Court / Palace of Justice :

The High Court is a linear block with the main façade towards the piazza. It has a rhythmic arcade created by a parasol-like roof, which shades the entire building. Keeping in view the special dignity of the entrance for them through a high portico resting on three giant pylons painted in bright colors. Very much in the tradition of the Buland Darwaza of Fatehpur-Sikri, this grand entrance with its awesome scale is intended to manifest the Majesty of the Law to all who enter.

The symbolism of providing an “umbrella of shelter” of law to the ordinary citizen is most vividly manifested here. The continuity of the concrete piazza running into this space establishes a unique site and structural unity of the structure with the ground plane. The massive concrete pylons representing again the "Majesty' of Law" are painted in bright primary colors and visually punctuate the otherwise rhythmic facade of the High Court.

Colourful tapestries, one to each courtroom, cover the entire rear wall in the main and smaller courtrooms. A number of symbols that encapsulated Le Corbusier’s view of man, earth, nature, the emblems of India and the scales of justice were depicted in abstract, geometric patterns. They were also required for acoustical reasons. These tapestry designs referred to the basic element of architecture, and of order generally. The designs are based on Le Corbusier's Modular, which he used to organize the entire Capitol Complex and give dimensions to all its buildings.

The Tour covering following Places :