City for architects

Chandigarh, India. I took the heritage train from Shimla to Kalka, then a minivan to Chandigarh. By the way I had an passionate argument with the driver who wanted to overcharge me, but at the end I win... hehe.. That train I took is considered a heritage for the indian railways I guess because its old, and it crosses through mountains, tunnels and bridges. I received a good service, nice food and chai and I got to rest really good.

Chandigarh is the only city where famous french architect Le Corbusier exploid his ideas on urbanism and city planning. While sometimes critized, his model works. He made the planning on the 50s and is now when the sistem works, because of the use of abundant transportation. He divided the city in rectangular sectors, where he main roads form he rectangles and there are few entrances to each sector and they have inner roads for their inner circulations. Le Corbusier saw the city as a living organism, so he placed at one extreme all the government facilities (the head). Then he placed the shopping sectors, where the economy runs as it were the hearth, and he considered the parks as the lungs. The citizens are really proud of their city and they all know about the architect. Although the system works it may appear as very squared and extremely rationalist, but at the end that was his philosophy.

He also designed a couple of buildings, belonging to the government complex. I didn't know but to get in you need a letter from the tourist office. After I got it, I went back to the complex and the guards let me in with the letter and I had to walk to a reception. In here I have to show the letter again and they took me a picture. Then they printed my permit. With these I had to go to another access control and they wrote down my information. Then I got inside he building and had to go to he sixth floor so they take a xerox copy from my passport and visa. And that was it, always accompanied by a soldier. So first I went to the tallest buildin in he complex and went to the rooftop. Le Corbusier always said that the rooftop has to be a living space, somewhere to rest and have some nature on it. So this building had its plans and very good views from he city and the rest of the government complex.

Then I went to the Palace of Assembly, the most recognizable Le Corbusier building in India. The main entrance is not used, but it is pretty monumental. It has a water court and a tall entrance hall. It is a shame but all these buildings are in a really bad shape. They look abandoned and with no mantainance at all, specially because he construction system was based on apparent concrete, done with bad quality (far from Khan's Salk Institute). Still you could see the main intentions of the architect: le promenade architectural, pilotis, rythm, shadow control, rigurous shapes with some organic details (specially on the roofs).

All in all, Chandigarh is a must visit city for architects. We can live it, reason it, and have a critical opinion for the father of modern architecture.


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