The Architect Behind Chandigarh: The Vision of Le Corbusier
Introduction to Chandigarh
The dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was meticulously planned by the renowned French architect, Charles-édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier. Situated at the foothills of the Shivaliks, Chandigarh is celebrated as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture during the twentieth century. The city derives its name from the nearby temple of 'Chandi Mandir' and the fort of 'Garh', giving it the name 'Chandigarh — The City Beautiful'.
The Vision of Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier, an influential architect of the twentieth century, was at the helm of the design for this utopian city. In his book 'La Ville Radieuse' or 'The Radiant City,' he conceptualized the layout based on the ideas from 'Ville Contemporaine,' his earlier unrealized utopian planned community. The Ville contemporaine, designed in 1922, was intended to house three million inhabitants and featured sixty-story cruciform skyscrapers with rooftop airports.
The Historical Context
The project was initially assigned to other architects but was later handed over to Le Corbusier by then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru after the unfortunate death of Maxwell in a plane crash. Le Corbusier brought the vision of Prime Minister Nehru to reality, making Chandigarh the first planned city of post-independence India.
Interesting Facts About Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier's Symbolism: Le Corbusier was deeply influenced by the symbol of the Open Hand, which he perceived as a sign of peace and reconciliation. He utilized this symbol extensively in his sculptures, with the hope that it would serve as a symbol for the world.
Skyscraper Dreams: In his plans for Ville Contemporaine, Le Corbusier imagined a series of sixty-story cruciform skyscrapers. Interestingly, he also envisioned rooftop airports, allowing commercial airliners to travel between these skyscrapers.
Artistic Detour: Between 1918 and 1922, Le Corbusier took a break from architecture to focus on painting. His style evolved into a less romantic form of Cubism he called "Pure Cubism."
Residence at E.1027: In the 1930s, Le Corbusier stayed at E.1027, a pioneering modernist house designed by Eileen Gray. Despite his intentions to admire her work, Le Corbusier defaced the walls of E.1027 with eight sexually suggestive murals. Due to the architect's fame, the French government decided to preserve these murals, highlighting both their artistic and historical significance.