Upon India’s independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, the nation’s first Prime Minister, dreamed of “a new town, symbolic of the freedom of India …. an expression of the nation’s faith in the future.” Chandigarh, meaning “fortress of Chandi,” the Indian goddess of power, is the incarnation of Nehru’s vision. The construction of this municipality, the brainchild of renowned modernist architect Le Corbusier, born of his utopian dream of an avant-garde city, symbolized the determination of India to move forward into the contemporary world.

Instead of a “vertical city,” Chandigarh was organized as a horizontal grid with broad avenues, residential neighborhoods, green spaces, medical facilities, schools, temples, shops, sports grounds, and an artificial lake. Le Corbusier designed most of the infrastructure, highlighting large volumes through a bold use of raw concrete. Adapting his architectural plans to the regional climate, Le Corbusier provided protection against the sun and the monsoon rains while facilitating air circulation with vented shutters and large terraces. In close collaboration with his illustrious cousin, Pierre Jeanneret supervised the manufacture of numerous articles of furniture for public and private buildings, using wood from the forest-clearing necessitated by the vast undertaking.

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