Field Notes - Chandigarh

Recently our Design Director Julie Niass travelled around India for two months and returned brimming with creative inspiration. A significant highlight from the trip was her time spent in Chandigarh, the notable northern city designed and planned by Swiss French architect Le Corbusier.

In 1966 following India’s partition, Chandigarh was formed as a Punjab’s capital under the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. Immortalised through sophisticated planning, Chandigarh is an ode to humanity; the layout referencing our anatomy and intricate connections.

The Open Hand Monument serves as the emblem of the city; a hand-dove dual symbol that represents both giving and receiving, and peace and freedom. As the towering sculpture spins delicately in the wind, the rotation signifies a dynamic and ever-changing future for Chandigarh, gliding as gently as doves through the sky.

Gandhi Bhawan, designed by Le Corbusier’s cousin and collaborator Pierre Jeanneret is a marvel of modern architecture. Dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the lotus flower inspired building is devoted to commemorating and sharing his revolutionary principles of peace, simplicity and non-violence.

Resting in a shallow body of water (which was drained at the time because of the mosquitoes), the soothing space has a playful interior palette of soft pinks, greens and blues. Gandhi Bhawan’s charming colour medley compliments the bold modernist structure and defining lines.

A space for storytelling that now lays abandoned, “Neelam Cinema” is one of three cinemas designed by Le Corbusier for Chandigarh. The deteriorating cinema is currently amidst a battle for heritage recognition to save the precarious site from demolition.

Le Corbusier confidently applies vibrant colour and bold geometry to create a uniquely intriguing cinema. Grand architectural curves, vertical timber cladding and graphic shapes echo a lively modern grandeur.

Designed by Le Corbusier, the Chandigarh College of Architecture features a robust material palette. Red brick patterns blanket the exterior, with high ceilings and operable windows maintaining a cool internal experience during Chandigarh’s sweltering heat.

Strategic light wells, skylights and voids flood the buildings with abundant sunshine, resulting in bright, inviting spaces devoid of artificial light. The College of Architecture features striking brise soliel concrete windows that detail the main façade. A strategic and visually engaging feature to usher patterned light whilst also reducing the heat effects of direct sun.

The Museum of Fine Arts by Le Corbusier is designed as a series of small galleries that encircle an open courtyard. Externally, the modest brick façade and rectangular build demonstrate a humble confidence.

Oriented to the sun, the museum features strategic windows, skylights and voids, relying tactfully on natural sunshine to sustainably light the interiors. Carefully sculpted interiors flood the museum with warm light, wrap-around windows and shaped ceilings further enhance the dynamic experience of space.

Julie stayed at “Maison Jeanneret”, Pierre Jeanneret’s self-designed home that now operates as a museum and guest house. There’s a sense of intimacy felt within the home, the museum displays provide a special glimpse into Jeanneret’s creative process and time in India. Rarely seen trinkets, photographs, letters, mementos and wood furniture designs are displayed throughout.

The characterful home provides insight into Jeanneret’s artistic personality, with experimental applications of stone, brick, colour and window shapes throughout, including an eye-shaped window above his desk.

Experiencing the world’s vast stories and diverse cultures opens you to a possibility, and knowledge far greater than your everyday orbit. Seeing Le Corbusier’s illustrious modernist principles in person is sublime, a true example of timeless design excellence.

Exceptional architecture elevates everyday life, it responds to context, enriches experience, and endures through time.

The architecture of Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh has deeply inspired our ongoing practice to deliver design excellence.

At Carter Williamson, we remain committed to creating thoughtful, timeless spaces, designing to serve not only the present but also generations to come.