Le Corbusier - Chandigarh

 

One of the biggest architects of the 20^th century was a French, Swiss Nationality who is widely known for urbanisation. He is considered as a modernist and designed many famous architectural landmarks around the world. He was highly criticised as much as he was praised throughout his career. He had radical dream such as concreting over the 3^rd and 4^th arrondissement to transform it in urban spaces and which at that time these where built with highly valued classical architecture. 

Le Corbusier's vision of Paris  

 On the other hand In Chandigarh India, such critics where hard to find. Some consider this city as the greatest experiment in contemporary history of planning and architecture. The city was designed by Le Corbusier himself on the request of India’s first Prime Minister. Le Corbusier signed on to the project in 1950.

Palace of Assembly 

His main objective was to incorporate green spaces within a grid pattern, making the city breathable. In his designs he also includes open spaces something you can rarely find in majority of Indian cities.

Most of the cities architecture is geometric and simplistic. Ridged clean lines are a common thing to undermine. The modernise influence is also highly present as ornamentations are rarely visible. Most of the buildings also form a grid as he mainly observed practicality. In some designs he also adds colours to concrete making the area more playful and approachable.

The colorful side

Overall I agree that this city is one of the best projects of architecture in the modern history as it also holds a strong political message to the British Colony as its design is a symbol of freedom.


Bibliography

"Le Corbusier’S Chandigarh: An Indian City Unlike Any Other - FT.Com". Financial Times. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 May 2016.

"Chandigarh". Wikipedia. N.p., 2016. Web. 3 June 2016.

"Chandigarh | Superradnow". Superradnow.wordpress.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 3 June 2016.