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After the death of Novicki in 1950, Le Corbusier was commissioned. LOCATION AND HISTORY Fanshaped Master Plan proposed by Albert Mayer Grid-Iron Master Plan proposed by Le INITIAL
PROPOSALSAmerican architects Albert Mayer and Mathew Novicki were the first architects to be
appointed for the project. It houses a population of 1,054,600 inhabitants (2001) and is one of the
richest cities of the nation The city is located at the picturesque junction of foothills of the Himalayas
Mountain range and the Ganges plains. CHANDIGARH was the first planned city after independence
from British rule in 1947. It is the capital city of the states of Punjab and Haryana.
3. SYMBOLIC HEAD OF THE CITY ALBET MAYOR LE CORBUSIERSPLENDID BACK DROP OF
THE RIDGES PERMIT VIEWS OF THE CITY FROM WHATEVERPERSPECTIVE UPPER EDGE
OF THE CITY LE CORBUSIER Strictly followed grid pattern ALBET MAYOR Superimposed
planning in accordance to existing contours of the site. The metaphor of A human being was being
employed in the plan the head contained the capital complex, the heart the commercial centre, and
the arms, which were perpendicular to the main axis, had the academic and leisure facilities. The plan
incorporated le Corbusiers principles of light, space and greenery. What had been named an urban
village in Mayers plan, le Corbusier renamed A sector. MASTER PLANNING CHANDIGARH
MASTER PLANNING AND SITING OF CAPITOL COMPLEX All the main roads were straightened
out, the dimensions and organization of the superblocks were reformatted, A complete hierarchy of
circulation was established, the nomenclature was changed, and the capital head was firmly located
in place. The master plan by le Corbusier was broadly similar to the one prepared by Albert Mayer
and Mathew Novicki, except that the shape of the city plan was modified from one with A curving road
network to rectangular shape with A grid iron pattern for the fast traffic roads.
4. He was awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal in 1961. PHILOSOPHY In the beginning of his career in
architecture his work encountered some skepticism as it was found somehow revolutionary in its
nature and subversive in its look, nevertheless Le Corbusier designs gained a vast professional
recognition, and today are regarded as some of the most valid innovative concepts of the period
between 1900 and 2000. Le Corbusiser's designs in architecture, urban planning and furniture, are
based on his theory of functionalism and in the use of new symbols. One of these is concept of flat
roofs, that the introduction of the use of reinforced concrete in architecture made attainable; these
types of roofs have an alternative look to that of the traditional sloping ones, and give room to creative
experiments like the realization of recreation open spaces and gardens hosted on their top. In Le
Corbusiers philosophy the creation of new functions in design is aimed at Le CorbusierHis career
spanned five decades, with his buildings constructed throughout central Europe, India, Russia, and
one each in North and South America. He was also an urban planner, painter, sculptor, writer, and
modern furniture designer. He was a pioneer in studies of modern high design and was dedicated to
providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. Charles- douard Jeanerette,
He was a Swiss architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, who chose to be known as Le
Corbusier . Famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called Modern architecture or the
International style..
5. The circulation system comprises of 7 different types of roads known as 7 Vs Later on a pathways
for cyclists called V8 were added to this circulation system. The Leisure Valley, Gardens, Sector
Greens and Open Courtyards etc. are for the care of body and spirit. The Capitol Complex, city
centre, Educational Zone (Post Graduate Institute, Punjab Engineering College, Punjab University) and
the Industrial Area constitute the working part. Residential sector constitute the living part Viscera
(the industrial Area). The concept of the city is based on four major functions: living, working, care of
the body and spirit and circulation. The circulatory system (the network of roads, the 7Vs) The
intellect (the cultural and educational institutions) Lungs (the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces
and sector greens) Heart (the city Centre, Sector 17) Head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1) Le

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Corbusier conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body, with a clearly
defined
6. The Secretariat was constructed from 1953 to 1959. This building is the largest and tallest of the
three edifices. The structure resembles the shape of a The High Court was constructed from 1951 to
1957. The structure has a double roof, which looks like an inverted umbrella. A huge egg-crate screen
covers the faade of the building. CAPITOL COMPLEX Le Corbusier Chandigarh capitol complex
houses the seat of Government. Initially, it served as the seat only for the Govt. of Punjab, but now it
has the headquarters of both, the Govt. of Punjab and Haryana. The credit for the awesome designing
of the Capitol complex goes to Le Corbusier. The Capital complex comprises three architectural
masterpieces, the Secretariat, the High Court and the Legislative Assembly, separated by large
piazzas. In the heart of the Capital Complex stands the giant metallic sculpture of the Open Hand, the
official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the citys credo of open to give, Open to receive. The
Legislative Assembly completes the complex. Located in the centre is the Open Hand Monument. This
metallic sculpture is the official emblem of Chandigarh and was also designed by Le Corbusier.n
eight-storied concrete slab.
7. To Jane Drew, an associate of Corbusier, the composition of the Capitol buildings gives the
CONCEPT The Governor's Palace is strategically placed at the north-eastern tip of the entire
composition, closest to the hills. And therefore defines the outer boundary of the 'invisible geometry'
that generates the intangible and asymmetrical visual balance intended between the buildings. The
layout of the Capitol was based on Corbusier's predilection with the Golden Section and the Modular
dimensions he evolved from it. Thus all the buildings, piazzas and monuments located there, are
governed by the principle of an (invisible) intricate, geometrical composition of two squares of 8oo
meters and 400 meters juxtaposed together. The Capitol comprising of the four key buildings
('edifices' as called by Corbusier): Secretariat, Assembly, High Court- -and the inbuilt Governor's
Palace ( later substituted by the Museum of Knowledge, also inbuilt ) is embellished with a large
number of 'monuments' like the Open Hand, Martyr's Memorial, Geometric hill, Tower of Shades, 24
Solar Hours and Course of Sun between Solstices -some of which are still incomplete. "The Capitol
was placed at the top of the town so as to take good advantage of the hills and the agricultural life, this
millennial activity touching the Capitol, but connecting modern times to the magisterial bucolic
symphony," explained Corbusier. Inspired by the Greek Acropolis, he placed the Capitol, too, on a
lofty plane in harmony with the elements of nature and cosmos. The visual distance was not an act of
architectural arrogance thrust by an imperial power to convey its superiority, but one of defining
symbolism and coherence of forms. Corbusier explained this deliberate remoteness as an act of
emphasising the 'sacred zone' of the city where the pillars of democracy functioned, beyond the
mundane activities of the city. In the city layout, the Capitol has the prime location on the northwestern tip, somewhat aloof and detached from the remaining grid-iron, mesh of self-sufficient
neighborhood units called Sectors.
8. CONCEPT THE GOLDEN SECTION/RATIO The golden ratio is the ratio between the elements of
a form such that the sum of two elements are in the same ratio to the larger one, as are the larger and
smaller elements to each other (see the rectangle below). This ratio approximates 1.618 (or 0.618; the
two numbers are the reciprocals of each other) and is found throughout nature (for example in many
seashells), art, architecture and also in the dimensions of the human body. It is also called the golden
mean, golden number, golden section, golden proportion and divine proportion, and is closely linked to
the Fibonacci Sequence, as the ratio of numbers in this sequence converges on the golden ratio
9. HIGH COURT SITE PLAN ASSEMBLY HALL SECRETARIAT CONCEPT THE GOLDEN
SECTION/RATIO
10. CONCEPT THE GOLDEN SECTION/RATIO

10. 11. CAPITOL COMPLEX Colors & The use of bold palette of colors is based on a theory developed by
Corbusier over the years. He called this scale of color harmonies as Polychrome architectural, with
color keyboards as an analogy to musical harmonies. "These colors bear a strong relation to Nature;
and secondly introduce a new kind of color link between inside and outside, using color as a spacedefining To create a strong visual counter-balance to the sculptural Assembly's hyperbolic paraboloid
dome, he chose to paint the three pylons with pastel shades of green, yellow and pink salmon. These
contrast powerfully with the grey tones of the rough textured concrete facade. Since the pylons had
been initially been painted in white, the judges used to the Acropolis-like sanctity, were at first appalled,
but gradually saw the logic and beauty behind the change. But it's his use of bold, primary colors
both on the external facades and in the interiors of the buildings that is most striking, such as painting
the 60-feet- high majestic High Court pylons. The box-like volume of the building is marked by the
arcades of its parasol roof vaulting over the court rooms: both to give protection from the hot summer
sun and symbolize the rule of law and justice that protects the citizen. The building material chosen
for the Capitol buildings was concrete, as it was locally available and familiar to local builders and had
the raw, brute aesthetic appeal that Corbusier called, "molten rock of the twentieth century". He wanted
to convey its truthful ruggedness through exposed surfaces with shuttering patterns, bas-reliefs and
motifs. The motif designs range from Harappan seals, pastoral animals like bulls, cows and replicas of
birds, fish often etched out by village laborers on wet concrete surfaces. It is these that fascinated
Corbusier. concrete
11. 12. The floor is also cove There are three bands of colors on the inside concave curving walls the
first covered with sound-absorbing acoustic tiles over a red painted wall. The second ring is painted in
pastel yellow, and as the eye moves upwards there are cloud-like shapes floating over the narrowing
diameter of the dome, culminating into the skylight. There are nine large tapestries in the High Court
and three in the Assembly (two in the Haryana chamber and one in the entry lounge to the Punjab
chamber). Common to their themes are the rectangular patches of colors in the background, adopted
from Corbusier's Polychrome architectural, adorned with quizzical symbols of rivers, trees, reptiles,
lightening, balance and inter- play of opposing forces in life. The sizes range from 64 to 144 sqm in the
High Court and from 135 to 155 sqm in the Assembly building. Corbusier called his tapestries,
"nomadic murals," as one could carry them to new destinations. He was also inspired by the durreeweaving traditions of Punjab, and hoped that the village craftsperson's would weave them in parts to
be sewn together, which though didn't mature and were instead made by a carpet company. CAPITOL
COMPLEX Inside the Haryana Assembly also, bright colors have been employed notwithstanding
some recent garish modifications undertaken. Besides the wall colors, the tapestries designed by
Corbusier for the Courts and the Assembly lounge areas are remarkable pieces of "wall paintings in
wool". red with yellow carpet over which are fixed green upholstered chairs, especially designed by
the Corbusier team.
12. 13. Although the site is very big, it is not designed with allowance for expansion SITE PLAN OPEN
HAND GOVERNORS PALACE HIGH COURT ASSEMBLY SECRETARIA T The capitol area was
designed as the great pedestrian plaza with motor traffic separated into sunken trenches leading to
parking areas Governors palace was supposed to be in the site but the idea was abandoned It
lies in the foot of Shivalik hills just next to artificial lake Inspiration from unite As a response to the
sun, the capitol complex can be interpreted as an interlaced array of sun breakers 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
13. 14. SITE PLAN
14. 15. SKETCH OF CAPITOL BY LE CARBUSIER SITE PLAN

15. 16. The proposals should include: Shifting of the helipad to an appropriate site in consultation with
airport and security officials Removal of security tents and barbed wire fencing along the Uttar Marg.
Defining the edge of the park towards village NayaGaon, Punjab side which is presently littered with
garbage and presents a very shabby appearance . LANDSCAPE OF CAPITOL COMPLEX LOCATION
OF RAJENDRA PARKThe park is presently being used as a helipad and is an out of bound area for
the city residents. This park has been recommended for the heritage status and needs to be completed
as per the original plan in consultation with the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee. Trees
with round canopies and evergreen foliage have been planted here. The plantation has not followed
the original plan. Spread over a sprawling area of 400 acres, the Rajendra Park adjacent to the
Secretariat building is designed by Le Corbusier himself as part of the Capitol Park. RAJENDRA
PARK
16. 17. Within the Assembly hall, one can simply just not avoid ones eyes roll up to gaze at the ceiling,
which allows that perfect light to enter through the sculpted barriers diffusing it to fall down to illuminate
the seats. The tiled surface helps reflect the light downwards, and the large acoustical patches try to
take care of the noise. Spaces flow between the columns, up and down the ramps as freely as one
would expect form any of Corbusiers work. The grandeur is expressed not merely by the scale of the
built form, but also the hollowness held within inside, which either gives or takes away importance from
elements within the built. In the water which the pool seems to dramatically receive from the huge
aqueduct-like formation, the Vidhan Bhavan building reflects its austerity. The concrete screen which
helps permeate light inside the building also lets one in to a lobby which seems to gently receive thick
circular columns from the black ceiling as high as the building itself. A gentle ramp is what carries one
gradually to the upper level where one can see the conical mass of the assembly hall dramatically
touching down, the lobby areas flowing freely around it on all sides. On the side of the plaza, a colossal
door painted by Corbusier himself, stands shut, obstructing the plaza to almost enter the lobby directly.
Divided only by some partitions, the entire space inside the Bhavan seems to be united by the
hollowness that flows on top. As the eye wanders through this hollowness, small engravings or motifs
cast within the concrete members seem to act as moments of pleasure for one who stands gazing at
the marvel. The Legislative Assembly
17. 18. Of all buildings of the capitol complex , This tower was designed to insure the natural light,
ventilation and proper acoustics An assembly chamber is 128 ft in diameter at its base and rises to
124 ft at its highest point The upper portion of the tower is extending above the roof line The small
council chamber are in rectilinear frame The large chamber is in hyperbolic form of the cooling tower
with an average thickness of 15 cm. On the lateral facades both the portico and the office block
would be defined by solid end walls It is square in plan with a monumental portico facing the main
plaza The assembly was conceived as a rectilinear structure There are two separate galleries for
men and women in council chamber The Legislative Assembly GROUND FLOOR PLAN SECTION
Employing a system of individual entrances, stairways, lifts and ramp a complete segregation of
members is provided Separate circulation accommodation of all groups is provided the assembly is
the most intricate in plan
18. 19. SKETCH OF ASSEMBLY HALL BY LE CARBUSIER The Legislative Assembly
19. 20. The Legislative Assembly
20. 21. Interior of the Punjab Assembly, with cloud-shaped acoustical material on the concave hyperbolic
surface, topped by skylight The Legislative Assembly - INTERIORS A close-up view of the enameled
door painted by Corbusier for the ceremonial entrance to the Assembly Vibrant colors inside the
Punjab Assembly on walls, furniture and carpeting The close-up of a bull, as part of the enameled
door, painted by Corbusier The tapestry near the entrance lounge of the Assembly depicting the theme

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of 24 solar hours The door itself has an painting by Le Corbusier, in the manner of other of his works,
such as the Assembly of Chandigarh
22. The Secretariat The Secretariat stands as a protective wall to the Complex, a tall structure so wide
that it is difficult to capture it in a glance. It is the faade that looks like a collection uniform but
innumerable voids, which gives the building its splendid vastness of form. A tall ramp way goes straight
up till the terrace level, displaying a pattern of the slanting windows on the external faade, which from
within, give and illusion of the building itself being tilted as one walks the ramp. Lined with corridors
loaded with offices on both sides, the internal spaces for transition seem to be quite tight but the office
blocks enjoy wide openings towards the plaza thus being well lit and less claustrophobic.
23. 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 high forms the administrative center, with ministerial 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 separated by expansion joints The central pavilion, block 4,
contains the offices of the ministers The rough concrete again interposes in the fenestration of the
two main facades ; more than 2000 units of unique design Approach 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 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 ministers block the bay
size is increased and the column is thickened The Secretariat
24. The Secretariat TYPICAL FLOOR PLANGROUND FLOOR PLAN SECTION SECTION
25. The Secretariat
26. The concrete cover in a way separates itself from the actual building, creating again, the
hollowness that is majorly responsible for the expression of grande The main entrance lobby facing
the plaza, flaunts three humungous concrete columns each painted differently, thus automatically
giving the entrance an importance in the faade, which presents itself as a welcoming gesture. The
office areas being very similar to the Secretariat building, they sit on the upper floors, above the
courtrooms at the ground floor. The High Court stands distinctly away from both these buildings,
maintaining an aura of independence that comes with the freedom of the judiciary. A thick concrete
wall wraps the building from two smaller sides and the top, leaving the longer facades open to the
elements. The High Court ur.
27. SKETCH OF HIGH COURT BY LE CARBUSIER PLAN EXTENSION PLAN SECTION The High
Court
28. In portions of the interior and on the ramps , wooden boards have been inserted within 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 The High Court 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 It is noted
that the orientation of the high court is such that the main faade faces north west , and this does not
receive direct sunlight Behind the brise soleil , the windows of the court rooms are of fixed glass, but

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between are narrow vertical spaces containing shutters which open and close on hinges It is the
concrete screen which gives the main faade its overall unity On the main faade the deep fixed
concrete brise soleil gives a strong and scale less pattern to the building 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 The arch form is restricted to the underside of the parasol roof
The main faade is defined by a full height concrete brise soleil Building rises directly from the earth
The eight court rooms are identically expressed on the main faade and separated from the larger
high court by a monumental columned entrance rising the height of the building The building is a
rectilinear frame within which the interior functions are defined In the plan the building took the form
of abbreviated l shaped with long faade facing the capitol plaza to contain court rooms. 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 The upper roof cantilevered out of the office block in the manner of parasol shading the lower
roof An entire structure has resulted in the use of double roof. The high court formed a part as a
great architectural venture using very poor materials and a labor force quite unused to modern building
techniques
29. Architectural features: Parasol roof Forming arches Double roof Gap left between Two roofs
Colored massive pillars Full height entrance Double roof Approached through roads Rough
concrete finished ramp 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 colors 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 great 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 open corridors on the rear facade ,is also ineffectively sheltered
The High Court
30. Detail of tapestry in Court 6: The counterbalance of complexities and the tree as a symbol of
perfection. Air-conditioning ducts puncture the tapestry indiscriminately, mutilating motifs. The High
Court - INTERIORS Detail of Tapestry for the Court of the Chief Justice Description by Le Corbusier
In the middle, top part, the sky with a starlit night and a sun. The clouds around open on a blue sky.
On the left, the meander of the rivers that signifies that its run may sometimes be very long, very
agitated, very unreasonable. It is the meander of complications and of complexities. Corbusier design
for courtroom tapestry
31. The High Court
32. Not building the Governor's Palace in such a finely poised composition, is thus akin to conceiving
the Taj Mahal withoutThis project has remained unrealized despite the fact that a top-level committee
of technical experts in the field appointed by the Government of India recommended the project in the
mid-seventies. The crowning monument at the apex of the city was to be the Museum of Knowledge
in place of the Raj Bhavan, both designed by Corbusier. The Museum of Knowledge, as envisaged by
Corbusier, was intended to be a scientific tool using audio-visual techniques and cybernetics to aid in
arriving at effective decisions within resources. As this decision could have seriously damaged the
architectural composition of the capitol complex, the architect came out with a fresh idea on April
6,1959 which took the form of the MUSEUM OF KNOWLEDGE. He suggested that a building, to
research and study in various fields, should be constructed keeping in mind the future industrialization
and development of Punjab. Le Corbusier proposed a governors palace which would have crowned
the capitol complex at the highest point, almost touching the foothills. But on the advice of Jawahar Lal
Nehru, the Punjab government decided to use the circuit house as the governor's palace. Nehru felt

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that such a luxurious building within the capitol complex itself was symbolically incommensurate with a
democracy , and therefore the idea was abandoned. The ensemble of the edifices and monuments
in the Capitol is a teasing interplay of landscape, skylines, silhouettes and pedestrian esplanades
connecting the floor plane to one another. Corbusier planned a playful series of reflecting water pools
between the Governor's Palace and the remaining edifices to connect to the vastness of the main
esplanade, and reduce the enormity of the scale. The abstract engagement with cosmic elements
echo skylines of Maharaja Jai Singh's Jantar Mantar observatories in Jaipur and the yonder blue hills
of the Aravalis. It is recorded that when Corbusier visited the place, he was The Governors Palace/
Museum of Knowledgeits dome or locating Lutyen's Rashtrapati Bhawan without the balancing
counterpoint of India Gate!
33. Its massing of the five floors of cuboids forms over pillared halls, recessed floors in between and
then a floating mass-to be culminated by a curving canopy akin to an Indian 'barsati' at the rooftop, to
connect to the stars, heavens and the distant ethereal Kasauli lights, is a mesmerizing concept. The
Governors Palace/ Museum of KnowledgeIronically, the Governor's Palace is the smallest of the four
buildings of the Capitol, but provides the proverbial finishing touch or a crescendo to the symphonic
composition of sculptural concrete buildings, playful sculptural forms, landscapes (natural and
designed) and the symbolism of the monuments. The total area of this smallest of the Capitol edifices
is perhaps lesser than a contemporary shopping Mall being erected in the city nowadays! Surely we
can afford to build it. "The absence of Governor's palace is like a betrayal of the promise India made
to Corbusier to give concrete shape to his masterful strokes of genius," opines architectural critic
Caroline Constant.
34. The Governors Palace/ Museum of Knowledge
35. The Governors Palace/ Museum of Knowledge
36. The Governors Palace/ Museum of Knowledge
37. The Open Hand, the most prominent monument measures 12.5 mt by 9.0 mt. apart from being an
architectural cynosure, it defines the northern fringe of the Capitol Complex and shows a man-made
sculptural form against the backdrop presented by the rugged profile of the ageless splendid Shivalik
Hills. It crowns an excavated plaza called the Trench of Consideration. MONUMENTS The hand rises
85 feet from an excavated plaza termed the fosse de la consideration, the pit of contemplation, which is
provided for debate on public affairs. The giant hand is designed to turn on ball bearings to indicate
symbolically the direction of the wind that is the state of affairs. The surface of the hand was to be
coated with baked enamel in orange, white and green the colors of the Indian flag The most
thoroughly developed of the Chandigarh monuments as well as the most important as a compositional
element in the capitol complex is the monument of the open hand. A sign for him of "peace and
reconciliation. It says "open to give, open to receive". The open hand, like the museum of knowledge,
serves to define the outer edge of the capitol complex and to uphold a man made sculptural from
against the rugged profile the Himalayas . The Open Hand
38. Le Corbusier interpreted the symbol in the following words, The Open Hand symbolizes- open for
receiving the created richness- open for distribution to her people and to others. And the still more
blessing hand of the Almighty for Peace and Prosperity. The open hand will affirm that the second era
of mechanist civilization-an era of harmony has started. The Open HandAccording to him, since its
inception, "it occupied my mind and developed through the years that followed. Little by little, the open
hand symbol appeared as a possibility in great architectural compositions. The idea of an Open Hand
first came to le Corbusier in paris in 1948. the symbolism, he wrote, arose spontaneously, as a result of
reflections and spiritual struggle of people arising from the feeling of anguish and disharmony which
separate mankind and in the process quite often creates enemies.

38. 39. This is a memorial to the martyrs of Punjab partition and consists of a square enclosure with one
side elongated into a ramp by which one mounts the enclosing wall, Within the enclosure are to be
symbolic figures of a prone man, a snake, and a lion set amid ruins, The concrete ramp permits one to
see, from above, the Capitol in its entirety and creates a promenade -rising and descending.The
Martyrs Memorial is sited on the side of the esplanade between the Assembly Hall and the High court,
defining an axial entrance to the Museum of Knowledge and the monument to the twenty Four Solar
Hours on the opposite side. Martyrs Memorial
39. 40. Just beyond the solar monument is the tower of shadows a demonstration of Corbusier's theories
of sun control, consisting of a series of platforms oriented to the Cardinal points and containing sun
breakers on three sides (except north). This concrete structure is a culmination of the in depth studies
of Corbusier on the path of the sun and ways to control its penetration in to the built up
space.Designed to study the solar movement, this building served to Le Corbusier to support his
thesis that "it is possible to control the sunlight in the 4 corners of a building, play with it even in a hot
country and finally obtain low temperatures" . Tower of Shadows
40. 41. Geometric H ill Situated adjacent to the memorial, this was to be a huge earth tilled hill, which will
have its lower half in concrete relief work, and the top covered with grass turf. The relief will be in the
form of Corbusiers diagram of daily balance of light and darkness, which in his words "rules man's
activity"
41. 42. ARTICLES ON THREATS TO CAPITOL COMPLEX Le Corbusiers Capitol Complex a mess, in dire
need of facelift Damaged facades, violations and poor maintenance of buildings are hampering the
most renowned creation of Le Corbusier the Capitol Complex. The report on Chandigarh Heritage,
prepared by the sub- committee for "Identification, Conservation, Management and Maintenance of
Chandigarh Heritage" highlights the violations being faced by the Complex. The Capitol Complex
comprises three buildings Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and High Court. The fourth building,
Museum of Knowledge, is yet to be constructed. Monuments at the complex, like Geometric Hill, Tower
of Shadows, Open Hand and Martyrs Memorial, are also in a state of neglect. Secretariat According to
the report, though Le Corbusier's edifice retains some of its pristine majesty, it is under constant threat
of abusive tinkering by insensitive users, who are altering its facade with impunity. It added that since
they are tenants of the Chandigarh Administration, it should act fast and firm to stem the rot. Due to
security reasons, the circulation system at the Secretariat has been reoriented as to nullify Corbusier's
concept. Moreover, tents for security personnel give it a "keep-of-me" appearance of a citadel. A shed
has been constructed in front of the ramp and additional porch has been added in front of the main
block. The verandas have also been covered. Glazing has damaged the facade. Other problems being
faced by the building included dumping of garbage and poor maintenance. Legislative Assembly The
poor condition of roof-terracing has resulted in seepage and leakage, thereby damaging large parts of
the ceiling. External changes like painting of the pyramid and weathering of shuttered concrete also
plague the building. Internal wooden partitions have been raised in the main foyer. Changes in material
of the flooring, additional of partition walls, false ceilings in rooms and corridors and painting of
concrete surfaces have been carried out.
42. 43. Le Corbusiers Capitol Complex a mess, in dire need of facelift High Court External changes have
increased manifold in the courtrooms and has resulted in new constructions including two and fourstorey lawyer chambers, judicial record room, advocate general's block and addition to the extension
block. Construction of multi-level parking and other construction is in violation of the original concept.
Use of pedestrian plaza for parking the vehicles of judges has necessitated the re carpeting of the
concrete floor. Renovation in all courtrooms and judges lounge in the form of false ceilings, wall-to-wall
wooden dais, air conditioning and partitions, etc has been carried out. Heritage furniture has been
dumped on the terrace of the building. Monuments The city's official emblem installed in the Capitol

43.

44.

45.
46.

Complex is in need of repair. The 14-metre high hand, weighing around 50 tones, is suffering from
weathering. Incomplete projects The fourth building proposed for the Capitol Complex the Museum
of Knowledge is yet to see the light of the day. The building was to be the focal point of the complex.
The Martyrs' Memorial is incomplete. The sculptures for the memorial are ready but yet to be installed.
Recommendations * Security arrangements be rationalized and appropriate land developed to
accommodate them in a way that these do not create visual blight. * Cleaning and restoration of
concrete surfaces * Violations like balcony covering, provision of grills be checked * Proper
landscaping in consonance with original concept be undertaken * No additional buildings, which were
not in the original plan, be sanctioned * Upkeep and maintenance be given to central authority *
Buildings and monuments be completed * The Plaza area be given a facelift ARTICLES ON THREATS
TO CAPITOL COMPLEX
44. All the creations of Le Corbusier have been developed with instructions to use settled concrete. He
had stressed that the building should not be touched up with any external material to maintFormer
principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, and Doctorate of Architectural Legacy of Chandigarh
S.S. Bhatti criticized the irresponsible act of the authorities. When the Tribune team visited the spot,
it was observed that the silver-white paint was applied on the cupola parabola extending above the
roofline of the Legislative Assembly. If experts are to be believed, Chandigarh might lose its stake to
be nominated for the UNESCOs World Heritage status. Cocking a snook at the Chandigarh Heritage
regulations, the rooftops of all the three main architectural masterpieces, designed by Le Corbusier in
Sector 1 Capitol Complex the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly and the High Court are being
tempered with by applying paint on them. The basic character of the Capitol Complex may soon
fade out, so it seems if the alterations being done on this core zone are any indication. ARTICLES
ON THREATS TO CAPITOL COMPLEX City might lose its stake to be nominated for the UNESCOs
World Heritage status. To preserve the tinge of Le Corbusier touch, the Chandigarh Heritage rules
demand that no intervention of any sort will be allowed in areas and buildings included in the core
zones, but efforts would be made to conserve them without changing its basic character.ain
architectural finesse. Using any other material such as paint is to clearly ruin the unique architectural
legacy of modern times, he said.
45. Chandigarh is the only place where a complete plan of urban settlement was implemented as
envisioned by Le Corbusier. Nowhere else in the world are such hallowed shrines as in Chandigarh,
and it is the duty of the administration to preserve their sanctity, said Bhatti. ARTICLES ON THREATS
TO CAPITOL COMPLEXIt is pertinent to mention that only those countries that have signed the
World Heritage Convention and pledged to protect their original cultural heritage would be eligible to
submit nomination proposals for properties on their province to be considered for UNESCOs world
heritage list. The lackadaisical attitude of the administration could well be imagined from the fact that
after failing to submit the nomination for this coveted status on time, the administration, apparently, is
still leaving no stone unturned to walk off the race for World Heritage status. But Balwan Singh
preferred keep mum on the issue. He assured to speak later but did not pick the phone despite
repeated attempts. Chief Engineer Krishanjit Singh, when contacted, expressed ignorance about this
development at Capitol Complex. Its not in my knowledge. I am out of the city. I will inquire into the
matter when I return, said Krishanjit, before referring to ask the XEN, CP Division No 6, Balwan Singh.
All interventions in the core zones, like Capitol Complex, is monitored by the Heritage Committee
which, besides key functionaries of the administration, including representatives from the
Archaeological Survey of India, Le Corbusier Foundation and the office of UNESCO in India. City
might lose its stake to be nominated for the UNESCOs World Heritage status.
46. PROPOSED CAPITOL COMPLEX BY LE CORBUSIER
47. UNBUILT ELEMENTS OF PROPOSED CAPITOL COMPLEX BY LE CORBUSIER

47. 48. https://www.google.co.in/search?

q=capitol+complex+chandigarh+wikihttp://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Chandigarh
http://www.chandigarh.co.uk/tourist-attractions/capitol-complex.html
http://chandigarhurbanlab.org/proposal-for-the-museum-of-knowledge/ &newwindow=1&tbm=isch&
tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=nTWFUsDJL4m_rgerz4DIDg&http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuw
eb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=13http://landscapelover.wordpress.com/2013/11/
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130110/edit.htm
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130609/spectrum/main1.htm
http://www.doctordisruption.com/design/principles-of-design-37-golden-ratio/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandigarh
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_architect_designed_Chandigarh_the_first_planned_city_of_Indi
a#slide2 ved=0CE4QsAQ &IrisObjectId=6106&sysLa nguage=en-en&itemPos=140&itemSort=enen_sort_string1%20&itemCount=215&sysParentName=&sysParentId=65
48. Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru, was planned by the famous French
architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in
urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India. Chandigarh became symbolic of the newly
independent Indian. The foundation stone of the city was laid in 1952. The city is well known for its architecture and
design by architects such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry.

49. History

50. In the 50s Le Corbusier was ask to develop the plan of Albert Mayer. Mayer started some years before with the first
Master Plan for Chandigarh and contracted the Polish-born American architect Matthew Novicki, who died in an airplane
crash 1950. The government officers of Punjab seized the opportunity to find a new team of architects and town planners.
Le Corbusier was employed for the Master Plan and the Capital buildings and worked from 1951 until his death in 1965 on
the construction of the city. Pierre Jeanneret, his cousin and partner was hired as the site architect. Maxwell Fry and Jane
B. Drew worked for about three years on the project and then left due to their engagements elsewhere. In 1965 M.N.
Sharma took over from Pierre Jeanneret as the first Indian Chief Architect of the Project and after the reorganization of the
State of Punjab in 1966 and the establishment of Union Territory, Chandigarh, he was appointed as Administrative
Secretary of the Department of Architecture in the Chandigarh Administration.

51. Master Plan

52. The Master Plan by Le Corbusier was broadly similar to the one prepared by Albert Mayer and Mathew Novicki, except
that the shape of the city plan was modified from one with a curving road network to rectangular shape with a grid iron
pattern for the fast traffic roads, besides reducing its area for reason of economy. The city plan was conceived as post war
Garden City wherein vertical and high rise buildings were ruled out, keeping in view the socio economic-conditions and
living habits of the people.
All the main roads were straightened out, the dimensions and organization of the superblocks were reformatted, a
complete hierarchy of circulation was established, the nomenclature was changed, and the Capital head was firmly
located in place.
The metaphor of a human being was being employed in the plan the head contained the capital complex, the heart the
commercial centre, and the arms, which were perpendicular to the main axis, had the academic and leisure facilities. The
plan incorporated Le Corbusiers principles of light, space and greenery. What had been named an Urban Village in
Mayers plan, Le Corbusier renamed a Sector.

53. Sectors

54. Le Corbusier divided the city into different Sectors. Each Sector or the neighboured unit, is quite similar to the traditional
Indian 'mohalla', and measures 800 metres by 1200 metres, covering 250 acres of area. The sector featured a green strip
running north to south, bisected by a commercial road running east to west. The streets were organized in a diminishing
hierarchy and labeled V1 through V8: V1: arterial roads that connect one city to another, V2: urban, city roads, V3:
vehicular road surrounding a sector, V 4: shopping street of a sector, V5: distribution road meandering through a sector,
V6 residential road, V7: pedestrian path, V8: cycle track. Each Sector is surrounded by V2 or V3 roads, with no buildings
opening on to them and meant to be self-sufficient, with shopping and community facilities within reasonable walking
distance.
The educational, cultural and medical facilities are spread all over city, however, major institutions are located in Sectors
10, 11, 12, 14 and 26. The two Colleges, the cole d'Art et d'Architecture from 1950-1965 are important buildings by Le
Corbusier. Their studios and classrooms are grouped around interior courtyards. The buildings are severely oriented north

and south, so that light enters from the north. The halls are separated by low partitions. Le Corbusier determined that
these school complexes and the Museum had to be built of the reddish-brown brick that is common in India, or at least
faced with this brick; in this way he sought to prevent buildings within sight of the Capitol from attracting too much
attention from his prestige buildings of concrete.
The industrial area comprises 2.35 sq kms, set-aside in the Master Plan for non-polluting, light industry on the extreme
southeastern side of the city near the railway line, as far away from the Educational Sectors and Capitol Complex as
possible.

55. Sector 17/City Centre

56. The city centre (Sector 17) is the heart of Chandigarh's activities. It comprises the Inter-State Bus Terminus, Parade
Ground, District Courts, etc. on one hand, and vast business and shopping center on the other. The 4-storey concrete
buildings house banks and offices above and showrooms/shops at the ground level with wide pedestrian concourses. The
Neelam piazza in the center has fountains with light and water features. Sector 34 is another newly developed commercial
sector.
The roads were designed and oriented in such a way that most of the time during the day, they are under shadow. There
are huge parking areas for the commercial zones so that the Parking problems dont create a havoc on the main roads.
Le Corbusier called it Les Sept Voies de Circulation, or 7Vs. The rationale of his planning was the motor car. "From his
early studies in urbanism, Le Corbusier had identified the motor car as the central factor of modern town planning. His
initial, primarily aesthetic, quasi-Futurist response to the motor car and to rapid movement in the cities had, by 1950,
metamorphosed into a theoretical solution to the problems of modern traffic -- a graded system of circulation, from
crossing continents to walking to the front door. The 7 Vs act in the town plan as the bloodstream, the lymph system and
the respiratory system act in biology. These systems are quite rational, they are different from each other, there is no
confusion between them, yet they are in harmony ... It is for us to learn from them when we are organising the ground that
lies beneath our feet. The 7Vs are no longer the sinister instruments of death, but become an organised hierarchy of
roads which can bring modern traffic circulation under control'." [Prasad Sunand, 1987].
Le Corbusier believed in creating harmony by using the Design principle of Symmetry. He designed clusters of
bungalows. With each unit consisting of a simple arrangement of a veranda, two bedrooms, a kitchen, an open-air water
closet, and an Indian-style toilet, each unit had open-air space in front and back as extensions of the house and was
surmounted by a secondary parasol roof to keep it cool. It is the same principle which was employed in the large
apartment blocks (the Unit at Marseilles for example), Le Corbusier noted, where on the 17 floors the apartments are
contiguous and of the same lay-out.
Chandigarh was Le Corbusiers opportunity to fulfill his ideas, and he clearly projected onto India. Le Corbusier, however,
was unable to execute his full image of a city. Other then the Master Plan, the actual housing of the city was not what he
wanted it to be. Le Corbusiers vision is contained in the archived transcription of a first meeting 1950. Le Courbusier
peremptorily announced to the rest of the team: My part of the work will then be build a Block of Building, a Dwelling
Unity which already exists, that can be experimented on the spot and will be one of the many Dwelling Unities which
you will build over there. I would like to construct one or two public buildings so as to make use of my personal
experience.
Dwelling Unity is the English transcribers literal translation of Unit dHabitation. Le Corbusier wanted to see more
Unit in Chandigarh. His famous Units were models of integrated vertical living. Lifted clear off the ground plane, they
were designed to emphasize their relationship with the sun and the sky and their freedom from the ground. Le Corbusier
couldnt realize this type of Unit, large apartment blocks in Chandigarh.

57. Sector 1/Capital complex

58. The Capital complex, Sector 1, comprises three architectural masterpieces: the Secretariat", the "High Court" and the
"Legislative Assembly", separated by large piazzas. In the heart of the Capital Complex stands the giant metallic sculpture
of The Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the city's credo of "open to given, open to receive". The
pools are being constructed in front of the High Court and the Assembly; those of the Government Palace are situated on
two different levels.
In the earliest stages, Le Corbusier designed the Capitol to dominate the city- its appropriate head, as proposed by the
Master Plan. To achieve this, an important role was to be played by the Secretariat, the largest of the buildings. One of the
earliest drawings of the 1951 shows the Secretariat as a skyscraper silhouetted against the mountains with the Assembly
flanking it on one side. A view month later, after the proposal to build the Secretariat as a skyscraper was turned down by
city bureaucrats, Le Corbusier designed the building as a long, low-rise structure. The Capitol was moved from the city
and Le Corbusier ended up decapitating the head from the body. In his sketchbook he noted The city must never be
seen.

59. The Secretariat

60. The Secretariat (1953) is a very large building and a 254 meters long and 42 meters high houses the ministerial chambers
and all ministerial agencies. The Ministries are grouped in a central pavilion, Block 4, one of the six ministerial blocks,
each separated from the next by a vertical expansion joint extending the full height of the building.
The exterior is of rough concrete, that is to say, the vertical brise-soleil, the parapets and the horizontal brise-soleil, the
acroterium which stands out against the sky leaving visible the rooftop accommodations which are to be used for a club
and for receptions. The two large ramps in front of and behind the building, serve all floors and are likewise in rough
concrete. They offer a very beguiling solution of the circulation (morning and evening) for the 3.000 employees.
Vertical circulation is ensured by batteries of elevators matched by a staircase running in both directions encased in a
vertical spine rising from ground level to the summit of the roof. Rough concrete similarly caps the two end walls bringing
out the effect of the standard sheet-metal formwork.
The block of ministerial offices has been the object of very careful research in regards to the sculptural relief given to
rough concrete by the effect of diverse types of brise-soleil. The rough concrete again interposes in the fenestration of the
two main faades : more than 10.000 units of a unique design -one stanchion type 27x7 cm in section and 366 cm high
constitute the "undulatory glazing". This concerns an application here of the Modulor which permits the stretching of a veil
of glass extending the entire length and height of the building, interrupted by elements called "ventilators" which comprise
a shutter of sheet-metal pivoting vertically from floor to ceiling across an opening of 43 cm and capable of being opened to
any desired width, from 1 millimeter up to 43 centimeters; covered, in addition, by a curtain of copper mosquito-netting.
Thus, an enormous saving of money and maintenance was realized with this fenestration, when compared with wood or
metal.
The Modulor has; dictated the basic section of the office types in the building (3.66 meters of height under the transoms)
permitting a harmonization of the heights of the ministerial chambers by a doubling of proportions and has given to blocks
5 and 6, which rest on pilotis at park level, a play of height of true eloquence (entrance level to the Ministers' pavilion,
level of ministerial offices and the pilotis of blocks 5 and 6).
The 3.000 employees of the Secretariat arrive by bus, bicycle, or on foot, and (have different accesses depending upon
whether the route which they take from the city is the Boulevard of the Waters or the "Valley of Leisure". The automobile
network is entrenched throughout the park of the Capitol, thus excluding vehicles from the visual field of the casual stroller
in the park.

61. Legislative Assembly

62. The Parliament or Legislative Assembly (1955) was designed as a large box with the entrance portico on one side,
concrete piers on the other, and a repetitive pattern on the faade. Sculptural forms on the roof, a dramatic funnel top
light over the Assembly, and a tilted pyramid over the Senate chambers completed the composition.
The Assembly Hall has a square plan. The Assembly chamber, in the form of a hyperbolic shell, is surrounded by
ceremonial space. This circulation space is planned as a dimly lit, triple height, columned hall for informal meetings and
discussions. The side of the hall facing the high court has a great portico and has eight thin piers. These piers frame a
view of glimpses of the Shivalik Hills.
A ceremonial pivoting door is placed in an off-centre bay of the portico. Le Corbusier was inspired by the form of the
cooling towers of a power station near Ahmedabad. The architect designed the hyperbolic shell of the Assembly chamber
with a base diameter of 39.6m. This shell is 38m and terminates in an oblique section with a metallic framework at the top.
This framework directs the interplay of natural and artificial lighting, ventilation, and acoustics.
The hyperbolic shell is only 15cm thick, which helped in reducing the cost and the weight of structure. The Assembly
chamber has a seating capacity for 252 persons. Additional galleries are provided for ladies, journalists, and officials.
Acoustical treatment has been given to the Assembly Chamber to modulate and control the sound levels by providing
sound absorbing panels in bright colours and random curvilinear shapes.
The Council chamber, with a capacity of 70 seats is crowned by a pyramid, which admits light from the north into its
interior. A ladies gallery with 90 seats, a mens gallery with 104 seats, and a press gallery with 24 seats are also provided
in this chamber. Staircases, lifts and ramps provide various means of circulation and access to different levels of the
building. The construction of the entire structure is in exposed reinforced concrete.

63. The High Court

64. The High Court (1952) has been in use since March 1956. The approaches have not as yet been prepared : two of the
three basins of water have not yet been excavated in front of the Palace; the exterior polychromy is enlivened, for the
moment, on the principal faade, only by the brise-soleil of the Courts of Justice; the three pylons of the grand entrance
portico, coated with a cement rendering, are to be painted-one green, the other white, and the third in red-orange, both left
and right walls to be painted black.

The 650 meters of tapestry, completed in five months by Indian craftsmen in Kashmir busy since the inauguration of the
building, for the lower parts of the small High Court (eight tapestries of 64 m2 each) and for the lower portion of the large
Court of Justice (a tapestry of 144 m2) provoked the delighted acquiescence of Mr. Nehru and the Governor of Punjab as
well as the Chief Judge. But they also aroused doubts in the minds of some judges who declared that they were an
outrage to the dignity of justice and caused two or three of them to be removed.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

i. No change has been permitted in the urban core' of Le Corbusier's Master Plan, which retains the
authenticity of its original form & design, materials & substance, use & function as well as spirit & feeling.
Changes in the setting and reduction of Periphery, which occurred following the political division of Punjab
in 1966, and the growth of the city have not compromised the integrity of the nominated area.
ii. Despite additions of some new structures and a few unsympathetic interventions to the architectural
ensembles and individual buildings designed by Le Corbusier, the authenticity of form & design, and
material & substance remains high. The principle material, exposed concrete, is generally in a good state
of repair. The authenticity of use & function as well as location & setting is unimpaired.
iii. All urban and architectural development in Chandigarh continues to be regulated under a series of Acts
and Regulations contained in the Punjab Act No. XXVII of 1952 that was formulated to accord with the
concepts and ideas prescribed in Le Corbusier's original Master Plan.

Comparison with other similar properties

Le Corbusier's work in Chandigarh is an essential link in the series formed by his other works in France,
Switzerland, Belgium, etc. that are/ are to be included in the proposed "Trans-border Serial Nomination of
Le Corbusier's Work". It is, however, unique as comprising the only realization of Le Corbusier's urban
precepts as well as his most mature plastic work. In comparison to group of works by other architects,
e.g., "Works of Antoni Gaudi" and "Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta", both already
inscribed on the World Heritage List, the "Urban and Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh"
stands out on account of its vast range of projects as well as its far-reaching influence on subsequent
developments. "Le Corbusier's Chandigarh" is also comparable with other 20th century cities such as
"Brasilia", "The White City of Tel Aviv" and "Le Havre - the city rebuilt by August Perret", all inscribed on
the World Heritage List, but represents a different set of values and design criteria.

Location:

Sector-1, Chandigarh

Designed By:

Le Corbusier

Highlights:

Secretariat, High Court, Legislative Assembly

The Capitol Complex is Le Corbusiers most spectacular work, which makes Chandigarh unique from other places of India. He
conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body. He proposed the state to have a head (the Capitol Complex,
Sector-1), heart (the City Centre, Sector-17), lungs (the gardens and the leisure valley), mind (cultural and educational institutions),
the circulatory system (road network), and the viscera (the Industrial Area). The concept of the city is based on four major functions
of living, working, taking care of the body and spirit and circulation. Located in Sector 1 of Chandigarh, the Capitol Complex serves
as

the

seat

of

the

government

of

the

states

of

Punjab

and

Haryana.

The Capitol Complex consists of three architectural masterpieces: the Secretariat, the High Court, and the Legislative
Assembly. These buildings stand separated by large piazzas and present awesome beauty in their subtle and most evocative
grouping. All the three masterpieces stand together, representing the democratic India. In the middle is the giant metallic sculpture of
The Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the citys credo of open to be given, open to receive. An 85-feet high
monument, raised above the sunken trench, it was planned by Le Corbusier. Capitol Complex is basically a concrete structure that
represents the monumental character authority of the government. Its three important monuments are described as under:
High

Court

High Court is the law-interpreting body in the city. Built in 1951-57, the structure has a double roof projecting over the office block,
like a parasol or an inverted umbrella. There are three vertical piers rising 60 feet from the floor and painted in bright colors. These
form the entrance to the building. A gigantic egg-crate screen covers the building facade. There are woolen tapestries on the rear
walls of the courtrooms that were originally designed by Corbusier himself. The striking aspect of the monument is the magnificent
sweep

of

its

upper

roof,

symbolic

of

the

assurance

of

protection

and

justice

to

people.

Secretariat
The Secretariat is the law-executing monument in Chandigarh, which was build during 1953-59. It is the tallest and largest among all
the other monuments in the city. The building has been shaped in the form of an eight-storied concrete slab, with its distinctive brisesoleil-louvered screen of deeply sculptured two-storey porticos in the centre. It houses the offices of ministers.
Legislative

Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, Chandigarh is a majestic building with artistic splendor. It is a square structure, with a monumental portico
standing free from the main building. A pyramid covers the upper chamber of the erstwhile bicarmel system and offers an exciting
counterpoint

to

the

cupola,

extending

well

above

the

roofline.

Others
Among the other monumental attractions of the Capitol Complex, the ones worth mentioning are the Tower of Shadows, Geometric
Hill, and Martyrs Memorial. All of them surely merit a visit from the tourists.