The document discusses Le Corbusier's master plan for Chandigarh, India, which included designing several key buildings. It summarizes Le Corbusier's background and approach. It then describes several of the major buildings he designed for the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, including the Secretariat building, High Court, and Assembly Hall. For each building, it discusses the design concepts, materials used, and architectural features. Overall, the document provides details on Le Corbusier's vision and implementation of the master plan for Chandigarh through the buildings he designed.

1. LE CORBUSIER

2. CITY CENTRE CHANDIGARH

THE MASTER PLAN OF CHANDIGARH WAS DEVELOPED
BY LE CORBUSIER WHO ALSO DESIGNED THE CAPITOL
COMPLEX,SECRETARIAT,MARTYR’S MEMORIAL & THE
HIGH COURT.

3. INTRODUCTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
CHARLES EDOUARD JEANNERET NOW POPULARLY KNOWN AS LE
CORBUSIER
BORN ON 6th OF OCTOBER’ 1887 AT LA CHAUX DE FONDS IN
SWISSJURA MOUNTAINS 4 KMS FROM FRENCH BORDER
HE STARTED WORKING UNDER CONTRACTER PERRET, LE
CORBUSIER’S SO CALLED MASTER
HE AS A CHILD PREPARED HIMSELF FOR A MANUAL OCCUPATION
HE LEFT HIS SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 13½ YRS
JOINED AN ART SCHOOL LATER

4. THREE DISCIPLINES

THE DISCIPLINE OF MONEY

LE CORBUISER ONCE REMARKED THAT”INDIA HASTHE TREASURES OF
A PROUD CULTURE,BUT HER COFFERS ARE EMPTY.” AND
THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT THE DESIRE FOR GRANDNESS WAS
HAMPERED BY THE NEED FOR STRICT ECONOMY.
IN WORKING UP HIS DESIGNS,LE CORBUISER CONSULTED THE
PROGRAM FOR EACH BUILDING AS GIVEN IN THE BUDGET AND THEN
PREPARED THE INITIAL PROJECT.




THE DISCIPLINE OF TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE IN QUANTITY,HOWEVER,WAS GOOD CLAY STONE AND
SAND,AND,ABOVE ALL’HUMAN LABOUR.
THE MATERIALS OF WHICH CHANDIGARH HAS BEN CONSTRUCTED ARE
ROUGH CONCRETE IN THE CAPITOL COMPLEX AND THE CENTRAL
BUSINESS DISTRICT AND FOR MOST OF THE CITY,ESPECIALLY IN
HOUSING,LOCALLY PRODUCED BRICK.

5. THE CAPITOL COMPLEX





THE AREA OF THE GREATEST SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE IN
CHANDIGARH WAS THE CAPITOL COMPLEX , WHICH IN ITS FINAL FORM
WAS BASED ON THE DESIGN OF A GRAET CROSS AXIS
THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUP OF THE BUILDINGS CONSTITUTING THE
CAPITOL- RIGHT, THE PARLIAMENT, LEFT,IN THE BACKGROUND, THE
SECRETARIAT
IN THE FOREGROUND, THE POOL OF THE PALACE OF JUSTICE
THE ARTIFICIAL HILLS IN THE FRONT OF THE SECRETARIAT HAVE NOT
BEEN CREATED AND LAID OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH COEBUSIER;S
CONCEPTIONS
ALTHOUGH THE SCENE IS HARMONIUS IN EFFECT, THERE ARE STILL
MISSING THE BUILDINGS THAT BELONG HERE ,SUCH AS , FOR
INSTANCE, THE TOWERS OF SHADOWS

6. SITE PLAN
OPEN HAND
GOVERNOR,S PALACE
HIGH COURT
ASSEMBLY
SECRETARIAT

7. 






HERE THE SECRETARIAT BUILDING IS TREATED AS A HORIZONTAL
PLATFORM LIKE THE PLAIN OF CHANDIGARH ITSELF,CARRYING ON ITS
ROOF THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY HALL RISING IN A PARABOLIC ARCH,
A FORM ECHOING THE DISTANT HILLS
AS A RESPONSE TO THE SUN, THE CAPITOL COMPLEX CAN BE
INTERPERATED AS AN INTERLACED ARRAY OF SUN BREAKERS
INSPIRATION FROM L,UNITE
IT LIES IN THE FOOT OF SHIVALIK HILLSJUST NEXT TO ARTIFICIAL LAKE
GOVERNOR,S PALACE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE SITE BUT THE
IDEA WAS ABANDONED
THE CAPITOL AREA WAS DESIGNED AS THE GREAT PEDISTRIAN PLAZA
WITH MOTOR TRAFFIC SEPARATED INTO SUNKEN TRENCHES LEADING
TO PARKING AREAS
ALTHOUGH THE SITE IS VERY BIG,IT IS NOT DESIGNED WITH
ALLOWENCE FOR EXPANSION

8. THE SECRETARIAT,1958

9. THE SECRETARIAT






THE FIRST DESIGN FOR THE SECRETARIAT PRESENTS THE BUILDING
AS A TALL THIN SLAB CARRYING A SURFACE BRISE SOLEIL DIVIDED BY
A CENTRAL HORIZONTAL BAND
THE DESIGN WHICH WAS ACCEPTED ESTABLISHED THE BUILDING
FORM AS A LONG ,HORIZONTAL CONCRETE SLAB
THE SECRETARIAT, THE LONGEST BUILDING IN CHANDIGARH, 254M
LONG,AND 42M HIGHFORMS THE ADMINSTRATIVE CENTER,WITH
MINISTERAL OFFICES GROUPED IN THE CENTER AND OFFICES FOR
EMPLOYEES ARRANGED ON EITHER SIDE
THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1958
THE BUILDING IS COMPOSED OF SIX EIGHT STOREY BLOCKS
SEPARETED BY EXPANSION JOINTS
THE CENTRAL PAVILION, BLOCK 4, CONTAINS THE OFFICES OF THE
MINISTERS

10. RAMP ENCLOCURE
SQUARE WINDOWS
ROUGH CONCRETE
FINISH
FREE FACADE
PROJECTED PORTICOS
SMALL ENTRANCE
BIG ENTRANCE

11. 





THE ROUGH CONCRETE AGAIN INTERPOSES IN THE FENESTRATION OF
THE TWO MAIN FACADES ; MORE THAN 2000 UNITS OF UNIQUE DESIGN
APPRAOCH TO THE BUILDING IS THROUGH ROADWAYS BELOW
GROUND LEVEL TO A LARGE PARKING AREA IN FRONT OF THE
CENTRAL BLOCK, AND A FLOOR IS LEFT OPEN AT THIS LEVEL TO FORM
AN ENTRANCE HALL
BLOCK 1 AND 2 RISES DIRECTLY FROM THE GROUND
BLOCK 3,4 AND PART OF 5 FACE ON THE EXCAVATED AREA OF THE
PARKING LOT AND HAVE THE LOWER STOREY OPEN BETWEEN PILOTIS
FOR THE REST PART OF BLOCK 5 AND WHOLE OF 6 THE LEVEL GOES
TILL PLAZA HEIGHT, AND LOWER PORTION OF THESE BLOCKS ARE
LEFT OPEN TO A HEIGHT OF TWO STORYES
THE TOP OF THE BUILDING IS DEVELOPED AS A ROOF GARDEN
CONTAINING THE SERVICE BLOCKS AND CAFETERIA FOR EMPLOYEES

13. 



THE PLASTIC EMPHASIS IS
GIVEN TO THE BUILDING BY
FREE STANDING EXTERIOR
RAMPS ENCLOSED IN ROUGH
CONCRETE WALLS
FOR SUPPLEMENTARY
COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE
BUILDING , EACH OF SIX
BLOCKS IS EQUIPPED WITH
INTERIOR STAIRWAYS AND
LIMITED ELEVATOR SERVICE
HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION IS
BY MEANS OF A CENTRAL
CORRIDORS
FOR MINISTER’S BLOCK THE
BAY SIZE IS INCREASED AND
THE COLUMN IS THICKENED
HT OF 2
STOREYS
LEFT OPEN
COLUMNS SUPPORTING
1 ½ BLOCK

14. THE HIGH COURT

15. THE HIGH COURT,






THE HIGH COURT FORMED A PART AS “ A GREAT ARCHITECTURAL
VENTURE USING VERY POOR MATERIALS AND A LABOUR FORCEQUITE
UNUSED TO MODERN BUILDING TECHNIQUES
AN ENTIRE STUCTURE HAS RESULTED IN THE USE OF DOUBLE ROOF
THE UPPER ROOF CANTILEVERED OUT OF THE OFFICE BLOCK IN THE
MANNER OF PARASOL SHADING THE LOWER ROOF
THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO ROOFS IS LEFT OPEN TO ENABLE
CURRENTS OF AIR TO MOVE BETWEEN THE FLAT ROOF OF THE OFFICE
BLOCK AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PARASOL ROOF WHICH SLOPES
TOWARDS CENTER IN THE FORM OF ROWS OF ARCHES
IN THE PLAN THE BUILDING TOOK THE FORM OF ABBREVIATED L –
SHAPED WITH LONG FAÇADE FACING THE CAPITOL PLAZA TO CONTAIN
COURT ROOMS
THE BUILDING IS A RECTILINEAR FRAME WITHIN WHICH THE INTERIOR
FUNCTIONS ARE DEFINED

16. 






THE EIGHT COURT ROOMS ARE IDENTICALLY EXPRESSED ON THE
MAIN FAÇADE AND SEPARETED FROM THE LARGER HIGH COURT BY A
MONUMENTAL COLUMNED ENTRANCE RISING THE HEIGHT OF THE
BUILDING
BUILDING RISES DIRECTLY FROM THE EARTH
THE MAIN FAÇADE IS DEFINED BY A FULL HEIGHT CONCRETE BRISE
SOLEIL
THE ARCH FORM IS RESTRICTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE
PARASOL ROOF
IT IS THE VISUAL DRAMA OF THE PIERS RISING SIXTY FEET FROM THE
GROUND TO MEET THE HEAVY OUTWARD THRUST OF THE ROOF
WHICH CREATES THE FOCAL EMPHASIS OF THE PRESENT PLAN
ON THE MAIN FAÇADE THE DEEP FIXED CONCRETE BRISE SOLEIL
GIVES A STRONG AND SCALELESS PATTERN TO THE BUILDING
IT IS THE CONCRETE SCREEN WHICH GIVES THE MAIN FAÇADE ITS
OVER ALL UNITY

17. 



BEHIND THE BRISE SOLEIL , THE WINDOWS OF THE COURT ROOMS
ARE OF FIXED GLASS, BUT BETWEEN ARE NARROW VERTICAL SPACES
CONTAINING SHUTTERS WHICH OPEN AND CLOSE ON HINGES
IT IS NOTED THAT THE ORIENTATION OF THE HIGH COURT IS SUCH
THAT THE MAIN FAÇADE FACES NORTH WEST , AND THIS DOES NOT
RECEIVE DIRECT SUNLIGHT
THE ROUGH CONCRETE OF THE BUILDING IS TREATED IN VARIETY OF
MANNERS FOR MUCH OF THE SURFACE INCLUDING THE UNDERSIDE
OF THE PARASOL ROOF AND THE EXTERIOR SIDE WALLS , THE MASS
OF SHEET METAL CHARACTERIZE THE SURFACE
IN PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR AND ON THE RAMPS , WOODEN
BOARDS HAVE BEEN INSERTED WITH IN THE METAL FORMS TO GIVE
THE CONCRETE SURFACE THE IMPRESS OF THEIR JOINTED PATTERN,
WHILE OTHER SURFACES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MASSIVE ENTRANCE
PIERS ARE FINISHED WITH GUNNITE CEMENT

18. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
PARASOL ROOF
FORMING ARCHES
DOUBLE ROOF
GAP LEFT BETWEEN
TWO ROOFS
COLOURED MASSIVE PILLARS
FULL HT ENTRANCE

19. REAR VIEW
DOUBLE ROOF
APPROACHED THROUGH ROADS
ROUGH CONCRETE FINISHED RAMP

20. 









THE ENTRANCE LOBBY IS PAVED WITH WHITISH FLAG STONE SET IN
THE ROWS OF VARYING WIDTHS
NEW SCHEME FOR PAINTING THE COLUMNS AND PORTICO WALLS IN
BRIGHT CONTRASTING COLOURS
THE INSIDE WALL TO THE LEFT OF THE PIERS WAS TO BE BLACK
THE ADJACENT PILLAR PAINTED GREEN
THE CENTER PIER WOULD BE YELLOW
THE RIGHT HAND PILLAR IS RED
AND THE REMAINING PORTICO WALL IS PRIMARY BLUE
THE GRAET ENTRANCE HALL OF THE HIGH COURT IS ALSO BEEN
FOUND IN LACKING PROTECTION DURING THE MONSOON SEASON
THE NARROW CURVING RAMP AT THE END OF THE ENTRANCE
HALL,WHICH FORMS THE MAIN VERTICAL CIRCULATION IS EXPOSED
THE HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION, CONSISTING OF POEN CORRIDORS
ON THR REAR FACADE ,IS ALSO INEFFECTIVELY SHELTERED

21. THE ASSEMBLY HALL

22. THE ASSEMBLY HALL








THE ASSEMBLY WAS CONCEIVED AS A RECTILINEAR STRUCTURE
IT IS SQUARE IN PLAN WITH A MONUMENTAL PORTICO FACING THE
MAIN PLAZA
ON THE LATERAL FACADES BOTH THE PORTICO AND THE OFFICE
BLOCK WOULD BE DEFINED BY SOLID END WALLS
THE LARGE CHAMBER IS IN HYPERBOLIC FORM OF THE COOLING
TOWER WITH AN AVERAGE THICKNESS OF 15 CMS
THE SMALL COUNCIL CHAMBER ARE IN RECTILINEAR FRAME
THE UPPER PORTION OF THE TOWER IS EXTENDING ABOVE THE ROOF
LINE
AN ASSEMBLY CHAMBER IS 128 FT IN DIAMETER AT ITS BASE AND
RISES TO 124 FT AT ITS HIGHEST POINT
THIS TOWER WAS DESIGNED TO INSURE THE NATURAL LIGHT,
VENTILATION AND PROPER ACOUSTICS

23. 



OF ALL BUILDINGS OF THE
CAPITOL COMPLEX , THE
ASSEMBLY IS THE MOST
INTERIOR
INTRICATE IN PLAN
VIEW OF A
SEPARATE CIRCULATION
CHAMBER
ACCOMMODATION OF ALL
GROUPS IS PROVIDED
EMPLOYING A SYSTEM OF
INDIVIDUAL ENTRANCES,
MUSHROOM
STAIRWAYS, LIFTS AND RAMP ACOLUMN
COMPLETE SEGREGATION OF SUPPORTING
MEMBERS IS PROVIDED
ROOF
THER ARE TWO SEPARATE
GALLERIES FOR MEN AND
WOMEN IN COUNCIL CHAMBER

25. SECTOR-17,CHANDIGARH



THE CITY CENTER CONSISTS OF
DIFFERENT SQUARES TIED
TOGETHER BY BROAD AVENUES.
AT THE PRESENT TIME,WHEN THIS
CENTER IS STILL DEVOID OF ANY
SORT OF VEGETATION,THE
UNSHADED OPEN AREAS CAN BE
QUITE UNPLEASANT.
THIS SECTOR-17 IS VIRTUALLY
UNINHABITED,BUT IT IS ENLIVENED
DURING THE DAYTIME BY THE MANY
SHOPS,BAZARS,
RESTAURANT,CAFES,BANKS AND
DEPARTMENT STORES.

26. 


THERE IS DOUBT THAT AT PRESENT
THE CITY CENTER STILL LOOKS LIKE
AN EXPERIMENT .
THE URBAN CIRCULATION HERE IS
IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE
‘ORIENTAL’ BAZAAR STREETS,THE
NARROW ALLEYS FUL OF NOISE
AND PLUNGED IN SHADOW .
OF ALL THE CITIES OF INDIA , ONLY
CHANDIGARH CAN CLAIM TO BE AN
ABSOLUTELY MODERN TOWN ,
”UNTOUCHED BY THE TRADITION OF
THE PAST,” AS JAWAHARLAL
NEHRU SO APTLY REMARKED .

27. 
THE EXECUTION OF THE BUILDINGS FOR THE CITY CENTRE WAS
ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT ARCHITECTS. PIERRE JEANNERET
CONSCIENTIOUSLY SUPERVISED AND ORGANIZED THE SCHEMES
DETERMINED BY LECORBUSIER
.
THE PLANS CAN VARY AS REQUIRED, BUT MUST RESPECT A SUFFICIENTLY
LARGE OPEN SURFACE ALONG THE FACADES AS ANTI-GLARE PROTECTION.


28. Thank you
Abhinav Ameriya
2010uar162