One of the earliest planned cities of post-independence India, Chandigarh was designed by Swiss-French architect, Le Corbusier. The city is a strong reflection of colonial rule, in its layout and setting. The city is enclosed by an exceptional structure of roadways and greenery for a comfortable and serene life. And because the city of Chandigarh does not allow vehicles to enter the green strip, peace prevails.
Some of the places that an architect must visit in Chandigarh Are:
1. Gandhi Bhavan
Typology: museum
Year: 1962
Area: 550 acres
About: The Gandhi Bhawan is located in the Punjab University campus in Chandigarh, and serves the Gandhian Studies department’s students. The building was planned by Pierre Jeanneret, and consists of three major programs: a library, an auditorium and a conference room.
2. Government Museum And Art Gallery
Typology: Museum
Year: 6th May, 1968
About: Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, is a premier museum of North India having collections of Gandharan sculptures and Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings. It owes its existence to the partition of India in August, 1947. Prior to the partition, the collections of art objects, paintings and sculptures were housed in the Central Museum, Lahore, the then capital of Punjab.
3. Le Corbusier Centre
Typology: Museum
Year:13th May, 1964
About: Being the workplace of Le Corbusier and his team, as also the spot from where the entire city was designed, the building is of immense historic value to Chandigarh. The structure is also a significant resource for understanding the technological, formal, and aesthetic spirit of modern architecture, as also its peculiar manifestation in the context of Chandigarh.
4. Open Hand Monument
Typology: Installation
Year:1964
About: The Open Hand Monument is a symbolic structure designed by the architect Le Corbusier and located in the Capitol Complex of the Indian city and union territory of Chandigarh. It is the emblem or symbol of the Government of Chandigarh and symbolizes “the hand to give and the hand to take; peace and prosperity, and the unity of mankind”. The largest example of Le Corbusier’s many Open Hand sculptures, it stands 26 metres (85 ft) high. The metal structure with vanes is 14 metres (46 ft) high, weighs 50 short tons (100,000 lb), and was designed to rotate in the wind.
5. Garden Of Silence
Typology: Installation
About: The Garden of Silence is a meditative space at the end of Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh. It features a seated Buddha. The garden is financed by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and developed by Chandigarh Administration. This is the latest monument in Chandigarh.
6. Pinjore Gardens
Typology: Installation
Year: 17th century
About: Yadavindra Gardens, also known as Pinjore Gardens, is a historic 17th century garden located in Pinjore city of Panchkula district. It is an example of the Mughal Gardens architectural style, which was renovated by the Patiala Dynasty Jat Sikh Rulers
7. Japanese Garden
Typology: Installation
Year: 2014
About: The Japanese Garden is a park located in Sector 31 in the union territory of Chandigarh. Built in 2014 on 13 acres of Land, by Indian Government, it was inaugurated by Shivraj Patil on 7th November 2014. It consists of water bodies, pagoda towers, water falls, meditation centre, a buddha idol and golden bamboos. This is first ever garden in Chandigarh with Japanese touch. The garden has been developed at a cost of Rs 6 crore.
8. International Dolls Museum
Typology: Museum
Year: 1985
About: Established in 1985 by Chandigarh’s Rotary Club, and run by the city’s administration, the International Dolls Museum showcases dolls and puppets from around the world—25 countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Spain and Russia to be exact—and is surprisingly well maintained even to this day. The architectural concept in designing the interiors housing the dolls is worth consideration.
9. Museum of evolution of life
Typology: Museum
Year: 1973
About: Chandigarh Museum of Evolution of Life was made open for public viewing on 13th August 1973. As the name suggests, it depicts the evolution of life from the unicellular organism to the biological diversity of today. Museum of Evolution of Life is the perfect place for those who are interested in evolutionary studies.
10. Rock Garden
Typology: Museum
Year: 1957
About: The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India. It is also known as Nek Chand’s Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand Saini, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of 40 acres.
