After the partition of Pakistan and India in 1947, the capital of Punjab went to Pakistan, leaving India’s state of Punjab without a capital city. Prime Minister Nehru wanted a city that that looked to the future and showed a modern and progressive India. He selected le Corbusier to design Chandigarh.
Corbusier’s buildings in the tropical climate of Chandigarh show his pact with nature. He has used the brise soleil technique to keep buildings cooler in the harsh sun by adding shade creating areas in the façade of the building while using concrete construction throughout. His signature elements of beton brut construction and brise soliel techniques are evident in the buildings he designed for the capitol complex.
The stark grey concrete simplicity and the organized calm of Chandigarh stands in complete contrast to the chaotic and colorful mess that is India – these 15,000 acres stand as a testament to Nehru and Corbusier’s vision for a modern India.
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