Chandigarh - Architecture and Urban Planning

Architecture and Urban Planning

Taking over from Albert Mayer, Le Corbusier produced a plan for Chandigarh that conformed to the modern city planning principles of the Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM) in terms of division of urban functions, an anthropomorphic plan form, and a hierarchy of road and pedestrian networks.

This vision of Chandigarh, contained in the innumerable conceptual maps on the drawing board together with notes and sketches had to be translated into brick and mortar, was led by the chief engineer appointed to the project, Ajit Gill. Le Corbusier retained many of the seminal ideas of Mayer and Nowicki, like the basic framework of the master plan and its components: The Capitol, City Center, besides the University, Industrial area, and linear parkland. Even the neighborhood unit was retained as the basic module of planning. However, the curving outline of Mayer and Nowicki was reorganized into a mesh of rectangles, and the buildings were characterized by an "honesty of materials". Exposed brick and boulder stone masonry in its rough form produced unfinished concrete surfaces, in geometrical structures. This became the architectural form characteristic of Chandigarh, set amidst landscaped gardens and parks.

Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery have a separate section dedicated to the architecture of Chandigarh.

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