Colonial Architecture of Chandigarh combines elegant art form with invigorating aesthetics. Chandigarh is a typical success story in the annals of modern architecture. The credit for the final look of the city goes to first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and profound genius of French architect Le Corbusier and his team. The city was conceived in the middle of post partition crisis. The city, without doubt, has grown to symbolize the Modern India and has earned the name "City Beautiful" for itself.
The city is nestled in the foothills of majestic Shivalik Hill Range in the north. The two rivulets- the Sukhna Choe and Patiali- ki - Rao bound to south and north-west respectively. As per the master plan, the city is divided into rectangular modules called sectors, each measuring 800 to 1200 meters. Le Corbusier, the main brain behind the planning of the city conceptualized the city as a living organism, with shopping complex, roads, industry, schools, colleges and other places of interests. The main concept of the city has been formulated on the basis of 4 major functions like; Working, Living, Care of the Body and Spirit. The style of the city has been termed as "Chandigarh Architecture". The conscious architectural control that Le Corbusier has shown towards the development of Chandigarh makes the city stand in sharp contrast with cities like Delhi, Mumbai.
The High Court
This particular building looks like a box. The roofs are gracefully sculpted through which space flows; the massive portal columns which immediately draw the eyes upward; the gargoyle at the end of a blank wall from which water falls into a pool containing sculpted concrete pyramids, the texture of sun-breakers, raw concrete and occasional splash of primary colours-all these and many more things make the `box` a `Magic Box`. The inside offers a picturesque view of the intricate sculpture. Inside the court chambers there are colourful tapestries on the entire wall.
The Capital Complex: This entire composition is formed at the head of the city located at the foot of Shivalik Range of the Himalayas. So the hills and buildings and also the spaces in between stand as if they are in correspondence with each other. It is actually for this reason that the fourth building (Governor`s Palace or the Museum of Knowledge), the missing element, actually appears to be missing. Another significant building, the Secretariat, is located at the end of the city. The approach to the composition is so designed that each building reveals itself by stages, in a sense unfolds itself, as one moves from place to place.
The Secretariat
This building is known as the long box of modern architecture, which is carefully sculptured edifice. The main foundation is formed by the sun-breakers and undulation glazing walls from behind. The entire art work with new rhythm in the ministers` block and by the obliquely placed projecting ramp make the whole facade dramatic. The other main attraction of the building is its skyline. The canteen block, the pavilion, the lift towers and the roof gardens, not only makes for a beautiful outline, but makes the roof a place of pilgrimage.
The Cultural Complex: The cultural complex of the Chandigarh like the Colleges, Museums and Art Gallery are quirt outstanding in their own right, and merge gracefully with the landscape.
The Assembly
The Assembly gives the appearance of a cube. The roof forms an interesting part. They seem to pirouette in space like ballerinas. The interior of the building is fascinating and great work of sculpture.
The College of Art
This is supposedly a very nice looking building formed of pillars and brick walls supporting a curved roof slab. Bricks and concrete materials are used in combination for the construction.
The Museum
One of the finest works of design by Le Corbusier is The Museum. It is cubical in form expressing brick and concrete on the surface, it has a wonderful play of light and shade on the facades. There are no superfluous elements on this building to make it monumental, but it is a memorial to art. It was the last building in Chandigarh which was started when Le Corbusier was alive, but completed after his death.
The Art Gallery
This was built recently in accordance with Le Corbusier`s drawings and model, as a tribute to his concepts. It has only a concrete surface, whereas all other buildings have brick and concrete. It appears to compete with the Museum building.
