MOUMITA SARA © Chandigarh Capitol Complex, India (Le Corbusier) Chandigam, the first planned city of India is located at the foothills of the Shivalik hil. Chandigarh capitol complex houses the seat of Government, Initially, it served as the seat only for the Govt of Panjab, but now it has the headquarters of both, the Govt. of Panjab & Haryana. The credit for the awesome designing of the capitol complex goes to Le Corbusier Located in Sector 1, capitol complex in Chandigahr, India Consists of three main edifices, namely tie secretariat. the Legislative Assembly and the High Court. There was a plan to build a fourt building also, which is going to be the Raj Bhavan, as in the Governor's Palacs or a Museum of Knowledge. Howsver, til yet, it has not ome into existence. The three buildings of the Capitol complex stand” majeStealy represeiingthemaolves as The temples of democracy of fee Inca The Capitol Complex is Le Corbusier's most spectacular work. The magnificent edifices, set against the Shivalik peaks, stand “as massive concreté sculptures, representing the monumerffal charater authority that the complex fepresents, Its the seat of the government of the States of Panjab and Haryana. It comprises three epoch- making master-pieces: the Secretariat, the High Court and the Legislative Assembly. Separated by large Piazzas, the subtle and most evocative grouping of these buildings is of breath-taking beauty. ‘And in the centre stands the giant metallic sculpture of the Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, signifying the city’s credo of open to give’ open to receive’ The High Court ‘ The le-intepreting monument was builtin the Capitol Complex during 1951-67. This structure has a double root, projecting over the office block like a parasol or an inverted umbrella. The magnificent outward sweep of the upper roof is symbolic of protection and justice to the people. The three vertical piers, rising 60 feet from the floor and painted in bright colours form the grand entrance to the building. A gigantic egg-crate screen covers the building facade, On the rear walls of the court rooms, hand the giant woolen tepestries designed by Le Corbusier, 1 tariat The law-executing monument is the largest and tallest ofthe three edifices in the Capitol Complex. Built during 1953-59, itis shaped like an eight-storeyed concrete slab, with its distinctive brise-soleil-ouvered screen of deely sculptured two-storey portcos in the centre, housing the offices of ministers, The cafeteria rests stop the terrace 's like an art object, giving a spectacular view of the cityEk 3 MOuM ITA See The Legislative Assembly The profile ofthis law-forming monument epitomizea stately grandeur. Square in pian, with a monumental portico standing free from the main building, it faces the High Court. The shape of the cupola is an obliquely truncated hyperbolic parabolic, extending well above the roof line. A pyramid covers the upper chamber of the erstwhile bicameral system and offers an exciting counterpoint to the cupola, lending artistic grace to the entire complex. The Open Hand Monument (One of the most significant monuments planned by Le Corbusier in Chandigath is the Open Hand. The monument is @ place to visit in Chandigarh. Rising 85 ft. high from a sunken trench, a giant hand metal sheets is designed to rotate “like a weather cock, not to show the incertitude of ideas, but to indicate symbolically the ditection of wind (that is the state of affaira),” Itis also meant to convey a message of peace “open to receive.” ‘Amongst the other monumental places to visit in Chandigarh ar the Tower of Shadows. Geometric Hall, and Martyr's Memorial.