Chandigarh 2018 - The Capital Complex

For most architects, a visit to The Capital Complex in Chandigarh is an architectural pilgrimage – to witness one of the greatest achievements in Modern Architecture in the 20th Century. Located in Sector 1 of Chandigarh city – it occupies an area of around 100 acres. The Master Planner was the great Modernist architect Le Corbusier, who was also responsible for the design of all the buildings in the Complex.

There are three main buildings here – the Palace of Assembly, The High Court of Punjab and Haryana, and the Secretariat. Besides these, there are a number of smaller structures that have become just as iconic – the Open Hand Monument, and the Tower of Shadows.

The Open Hand Monument is a sculptural structure designed as an emblem of the Government of Chandigarh, and symbolizes “Peace and reconciliation. It is open to give and open to receive”. The Open Hand is a common motif in Le Corbusier’s drawings and designs.

The Tower of Shadows is an open pavilion, a sculpture in the landscape that is also an architectural model to prove Le Corbusier’s ideas for sun control. The concrete fins are angled so as to block away direct sunlight and heat – a brilliant showcase of passive solar design. 

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