Chandigarh City

Historical Background
After India‘s Independence in 1947

Partition in the subcontinent, Lahore, the capital of undivided Punjab fell within Pakistan, leaving
East Punjab without a Capital.

It was decided to built a new Capital city called Chandigarh (Godess Chandi) in 1948 and later
implemented in 1950 which is about 240 kms. north of New Delhi

Planner
Le Corbusier assisted by three senior architects, Maxwell Fry, his wife Jane B Drew and
Corbusier’s cousin, Pierre Jeanneret. These senior architects were supported by a team of young
Indian architect and planner consisting of M.N. Sharma, A. R. Prabhawalkar, U.E. Chowdhary, J.S.
Dethe, B.P. Mathur, Aditya Prakash, N.S. Lanbha and others.

The Master Plan was developed by Le Corbusier who also designed the Capital Complex and
established the architectural control & design of the main building of the city. The design of
housing for Govt. employees, schools, shopping centers, hospitals were disturbed among the
three senior architects.

Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret Maxwell Fry Jane B. Drew

Landscape
The present site was selected in 1948 taking into account various attributes such as its Central
location in the state, proximity to the national capital & availability of sufficient water supply, fertile
of soil, gradient of land for natural drainage, beautiful site with the panorama of blue hills as
backdrop & moderate climate.

The geographical location of the city

north by Siwalik hills, either sides by two river beds and Himalayas as permanent background

Maximum advantage of natural beauty is taken.

After design well planned landscape with each avenue having one kind of trees for road
identification

Climate
Chandigarh has a humid subtropical climate characterized by a seasonal rhythm: very hot
summers, mild winters, unreliable rainfall and great variation in temperature City located in Sub
mountainous tract. Salubrious climate. Rainfall 115-120cm a year.
Le Corbusier's Master Plan
Analogous to human body with a clearly defined head (the capitol complex, sector1), heart (the city
centre), lungs (the leisure valley, innumerable open spaces and sector greens), the intellect (the
cultural and educational institutions), the circulation –roads, the viscera –industrial area.

Four major functions –living, working, care of the body& spirit and circulation.

(I) Residential – living parts,

(II) Working - capitol complex, city centre, educational zone, industrial areas.

(III) care of the body& spirit-the leisure valley, gardens,sector greens, open courtyard etc

(IV) circulation.- different types of road system. formation of 7Vs and later 8V

Sectors
 Principle of superblock or sector planning.
 47 sectors 800 meters x 1200 meters. each with population of 10000 to 20000.
 3 to 4 neighbourhood units in each sector.
 Each sector has shopping centres, hospitals, meeting places, nurseries, schools etc.
 All schools within 15min walk & 30min to walk round the whole sector.
 No sector 13.
 A central continuous green band of open space through one sector to another for
pedestrian walk.
 Due to economic constraints, the master plan was to be realized in two phases, catering to
a total population of half a million.
 Phase-I consisting of 30 low density sector spread over an area of 9000 acres (Sector 1 to
30) for 1,50,000 people
 Phase-II consisting of 17 considerably high density Sectors ( Sectors 31 to 47) spread over
an area of 6000 acres for a population of 3,50,000.
 Sector-17 heart of activities (CBD), sector-34 new developments- commercial sector
SECTOR -44

SECTOR -30
 (I) Residential units
'The functions of living occupies primary place.

Le Corbusier planned that every dwelling should have three elements of Sun, Space and
greenery.

The housing in the city can be sub-divided into two parts- Government housing and Private
Housing.

Government Housing

The Govt. housing in the city was divided into 13

categories, ranging from the house for the Chief Minister
to the two-room house completer with sanitary facilities, a
kitchen, a verandah and a courtyard for the lowest paid
employee. The socio economic conditions of the city
restricted the height of most of the residential buildings to two to three storeyed structures.

Private House-Controlled Development

In view of the needs of various economic classes, plots of

areas ranging from 114sq. mtrs. To 4500 sq. mtrs. were
planned.

The living habits of the people are of outdoor type because

of hot summers and hot and humid rainy seasons
comprising most part of the year.

Corbusier conceived a series of Architectural Controls / frame controls/ zoning regulations for each
and every category of houses in which it was mandatory to provide open to sky courtyard both at
the front and rear side of every house.

These courts provided light and ventilation to houses besides serving as private open-to-sky
spaces. A series of such houses were planned around community level open space which served
the purpose of holding social and religious functions and outdoor activities and games by children.
 (II) Working
Chandigarh has four main work centers :

The Capitol Complex in the north-east

The Educational institutes in the north-west
The City Centre in the heart
The industrial area in the south-east

Capitol complex

The three major components of the Capitol are the Assembly (Legislation), the Secretariat
(Administration) and the High Court (Judiciary).

Industrial Area

600 acres in the south-east side of the city close to the railway station and wholesale markets of
the city, the Industrial Area provides easy access to the goods, transport centre and wholesale
market.

Its location while planning was decided after taking into account factors such as the proximity on
the access road for the entry of raw materials and exit of finished goods without having to go
through the populated streets disturbing the peace of the town, thus keeping the pollution zone
away from the city.

Further, a buffer zone has been provided between the industrial area and the residential and
administrative spaces 100m x 150m

(III) Care of the body& spirit –Open spaces

The hierarchy of open space is prominently visible in the city. At the city level, the open space
consist of the Leisure Valley and special gardens.

At sector level, the open space constitute the central green in each sector whereas open space at
community level consist of parks around which clusters of houses re arranged.

The smallest category of open space is the courtyards provided in each dwelling on the front and
rear side.
 (IV) Circulation
The 7 Vs act in the town plan as the bloodstream, the lymph system and the respiratory system act
in biology

V1 – roads connecting Chandigarh to other cities, Dual carriageway,good trees and distinctive
central verge lighting.

V2 – Madhya Marg, Dakshin Marg, Jan Marg, Himalaya marg, uttar Marg & Purv Marg.

Major avenues of Chandigarh with importamt institutions, commercials running alongside

V3 – Corridor streets for fast moving vehicular traffic. Each sector is surrounded by V2 or V3
roads

V4 – roads bisecting the sectors

V5 – roads through the sector giving access to its inner lands.

V6 – roads coming off of the V5 and leading to the residential houses.

V7 – pedestrian movement and runs through middle of the sectors.

V8 – roads running parallel with V7 for bicycles.

Vertical roads-northeast/ southwest (paths)

horizontal roads-northwest/ southeast (margs)

The entrance of cars into the sectors, at four points only; in the middle of the 1,200 meters; in the
middle of the 800 meters.
Architectural Controls
Le Corbusier conceived a number of mechanisms to regulate the development of private buildings
in the city.

Architectural controls, frame controls and zoning controls in the city. The basic aim was to
maintain uniformity in skyline, heights and the architectural character.

Architectural controls is applicable specially to buildings to be built by private enterprise in special

areas of architectural interest such s V-2 roads, V-4 roads, City Centre etc.

Further controls on private construction in the city have been imposed through building byelaws,
which govern and lay down the minimum standards of light ventilation, living area and
sanitation.

Each plot of land in the city is governed by the specific use and building volume that can be
developed on it through ‘zoning restriction’. In small residential houses frames control was
devised which is an architectural element limiting projection lines and unifying heights. Opening of
desired size and shape may be arranged within this frame as per individual requirements.

Similarly in shopping street, architectural order is ensured by development of shops as

architectural controls. This ensures harmonious development in accordance to the plan.