A.r.

KIREN
Chandigarh
Le Corbusier

• Le Corbusier designed the Capitol Complex as the

Focal point of the city and distinctively different from
the Lutyens capitol at New Delhi, as it embodied the
colonial ideologies.
• The importance of the complex was additionally sub-
stantiated as it was to provide employment to ap-
prox 18,000 people.
• Out of three buildings, the legislative assembly
building is perhaps the most significant, with its hyper-
bolic shell and the giant portico.

Approach

• The capitol complex is approached by the Jan Marg(

Peoples Avenue) from the major parts of the city includ-
ing the city centre.

Planning

• The master plan is asymmetrical , symbolic of the

democratic nature of the state.
• The main components are the Secretariat the
Assembly hall, the High Court, the Governs pal-
ace and other monuments
• The plan is based on Corbusier geometric proposi-
tions – A first diagram of two 800m squares within the
left hand square, another squared of 400m.
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• The 400 square on the left contains the Secre- Circulation
tariat the Assembly hall and the Museum of
knowledge. • The circulation pattern is designed to segre-
• The High Court occupies the second square gate the vehicular and pedestrian traffic in
on the right. A 450m long pedestrian plaza pen- all of the complex.
etrates into these areas. • In order to do that the site is arranged levels
• The façade of the secretariat on the left demar- a pedestrian plaza and five meters below it a
cates the edge of one of the 400m squares of the configuration of roads and parking spaces.
master plan. The Assembly hall and High Court • The pedestrian plaza further connects to a
which face each other across the plaza terminate series of bridges at various places that passes
the cross axis on either side. over the vehicular roads below it.
• The Capital Complex is proposed to have the • The large plaza between the Legislative Assem-
Museum of Knowledge the location of which bly, High court and Governor’s palace(unbuilt)
was shifted to the left side of the approach road acts as the main pedestrian expanse aimed at
to complex to make it the focal point without enhancing the monumental façade of the building.
obstructing the line of vision
• The enormous amount of earth removed from
the excavating grounds have been shaped into
several artificial mounds on which shrubbery is
planted

• The water bodies are planned to modulate

The microclimate. The buildings, trees and hills
are reflected in the ponds, thereby producing a
pleasing effects. Another garden with a geometric
layout is proposed to be built near the Museum
of Knowledge.
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High Court
• The structure of the High Court symbolizes three ideas : The
majesty of law – the protection of law and the power and
fear of law
• The building has an L- shaped plan and houses eight double-
height courtrooms and a triple height high court on the
ground floor with offices above each court. The courtrooms are
identically expressed on the main façade and are separated from
the high court by the great entrance portico.
• Each courtroom is individually accessible by the public from
the outside. On the south eastern side is a public entrance and
a car park at a lower level.
• A dramatic colour scheme has been evolved to enhance the
visual delight of this building across the plaza. The three pylons
of portico rise 18.3m from the ground and express the majesty
of the law. They are rendered in cement and painted green, yel-
low and red respectively.
• The working areas of the building are shielded by brise–
soleil on the north- west and the south- east facades.

Entry through ramps

Floor plan

Section

N-W Facade Facade detailing(bri soleil)

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The Legislative Assembly
Entrances

• The entrances are segregated for all principle users ( such as

speaker, MLA’s journalists, legislative staff, General public etc) to
give them a separate system of lobbies, staircases and ramps.
• A separate entrance for the speaker, governor and the
ministers can be found on the NE side of the building.
• The entrance for the staff and the members can be found
at SW direction; this entrance is approached from the parking
plaza outside on the lower level.
• A connecting bridge that further connects the secretariat
and the plaza with the assembly building can be used to access
the building on the upper level.
• A ceremonial entrance contains a pivoted door is placed
towards the SE end of the building. This door is provided as a
ceremonial entry for the governor when he opens the assembly
session. A rich range of images that convey multiple meaning has
been painted on this 25’x25’ door by Le Corbusier himself.
It was built as a gift from Govt of France to India.
Floor plan showing entrances

Ceremonial entrance Bridges connecting

Bridges connecting Detail of the door

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Zoning and Layout
• The Assembly Hall has a square plan. The Assembly Chamber
in the form of hyperbolic shell is surrounded by a ceremonial
space.
• This circulation space which is a triple height columnar hall
is dimly lit. It is meant for informal meetings and discussions
• A blank of four storey office spaces protected by brise- soleil
is spread on three sides.
• The lower ground floor is accessed from the parking and con-
tains a series of ramps that leads up to the ground floor
level, or the outer plaza level.
• The upper floor contains similar arrangement and additionally
contains the visitors and the journalists lounges which are used
to reach the respective galleries in either chambers.
• The Governor’s Council ( Vidhan Parishad) is accessed at this
upper level, but is currently used by the Govt.of Haryana as their
assembly chamber.

Circulation
• Separation circulation means have been designed to segregate
the movement of different user groups by allowing them to
enter the building from distinct entrances.
• The forum acts as the major horizontal circulation space
of the ground floor.
• As far as the offices are connected they fall beside a single
loaded corridor at all instances in the building.
• For vertical circulation ramps can be accessed from the
forum that leads to lobby areas on the upper floor which
further leads to the Assembly Chamber. Another ramp leads to
the Governors Council on a higher level.
• Other means of vertical circulation include several staircases
and lifts at different instances off the e building. An identical set of
circulation cores can be found at either ends of the office block.
Building Components A.r. KIREN

Offices

• Offices spaces occupy four floors on three sides

of the perfectly square plan and are protected by the
harsh sun by Corbusier characteristic brise-soleil.
• The offices include offices of ministers, Chief Minister,
Speaker, committee rooms, Secretaries to the govern-
ment and the legislative secretariat.
• The offices are segregated from the main areas of the
assembly by virtue of their independent circulation

The forum

• The forum is a dimly lit triple height columnar space

all around the assembly are which serves as a cir-
culation space as well as a space for informal gathering
and discussions.
The office spaces run all around the forum and can be
accessed through it at certain points.

Assembly Chamber

• The Assembly Hall is a circular hall that is covered by

a hyperbolic shell structure which measures 124’ in
diameter.
• The chamber has seating provisions for all members in
a U-shaped arrangement with the seat of the speaker
at the centre. Govt officials and speakers guests are
seated behind him.
• The Assembly hall has distinct entrances on the lower
floor for different user groups.
• Three galleries have been provided on the first floor,
one for journalists, one for visitors and one only for
ladies.
• The assembly chamber contains several tapestries
hanging on the inward wall of the shell this has been
done to create sound absorbing surfaces and re-
duce the reverberation time inside the assembly
chamber for a desired acoustic effect and also to en-
hance the aesthetics
Ahmedabad Mill Owners Asso- A.r. KIREN

ciation - Ahmedabad

Design Philosophy

• AMOA had provided an institutional frame work for

the close family ties of the city largely Jain Textile Mill
owners
• Corbusier expressed the institutional dual character –
The Public and the Private – Through his concept of
the house as a palace.
• A ceremonial ramp makes for a grand approach into
a triple entrance hall
• The ground floor houses the work spaces of the clerks
and a separate single storey canteen.
• Arrival is on the first floor where the executives office
and boardrooms are located.
• On the second floor the lobby is treated as open
spaces and the auditorium as an enclosed space formed Ground Floor
by soft curvilinear forms.
• On the third floor, is a high top lit auditorium with a
roof canopy and a curved enclosing wall.
• The E-W Facades are in the form of brise – soleil
which avoids the hash sun and allows the flow of wind
and visual connection to the outer environment.
While Brise- Soleil act as free façade made of rough
shuttered concrete the NS Facades re built in rough
brickwork almost unbroken

First Floor

Section

Section Third Floor

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