1.

Introduction
a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)

Chandigarh got its name to the temple of a Hindu goddess Chandi.

It is the first planned city of Independent India.
The City owes its existence to Late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
It is a bold experiment in architecture and town planning and serves as an
inspiration to several other future developments.

2. Site
a.) Located 260 kms of north of Delhi
b.) Sub-mountainous region
c.) Shivaliks at the backdrop
d.) Ideal gradient for drainage
e.) Comprised mainly a farmland with mango groves and 24 villages
f.) It is bound by two seasonal rivulets- the Patiali ki Rao and the Sukhna Choe
in north-west and south-east sides respectively.
3. CLIMATE
a.) Chandigarh falls under Koeppens Cwg category i.e. it has cold dry winder,
hot summer and sub-tropical monsoon.
b.) Evaporation usually exceeds precipitation and the weather is generally dry.
c.) The area experiences four seasons:
Summer or hot season (mid- March to Mid-June)
(ii) Rainy season (late-June to mid-September);
(iii) Post monsoon autumn/transition season (mid-September to MidNovember);
(iv) Winter (mid-November to mid-March).

4. Team Of Architects
a.) Albert Mayer, an American planner and Mathew Nowicki, a polish architect
were invited to design the Capital.
b.) They prepared their first plan in 1949.
c.) Unfortunately, Nowicki died in a plane crash.Hence, Mayer left the project.
d.) A new team was formed in November 1950-Paris based Swiss architect Le
Corbusier( Chief architect), his cousin Pierre Jeanerette; a British couple,
Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew.

Le corbusier

Pierre jeanneret

Maxwell fry and Jane drew

5. Mayer and Nowicki plan for population 500,000

A system of low-density neighborhoods defined by a grid of roads.

Slightly curved roads following the contours of the site to avoid monotony of
straight roads.
The capitol complex sited at the northern end of the city, the city centre literally
in the centre and the industrial sector in the east.
Two natural valleys on site to be developed as park strips.
Housing unit (500m by 1000m) consisting of three blocks with housing,
schools, shopping centers.
Three types of housing for low, middle and high income groups were planned
around a central green space.

Nowicki also conceived of another schematic plan of his own based on the
organi form of leaf. The stem of the leaf was compared with a commercial axis,
which cuts through the centre of the city. Traffic arteries would branch out
from this stem.

6. Chandigarh: An Inspiration From Jaipur

a.) Jaipur is the first planned city of India
b.) Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II.
c.) It has been laid according to the conventional nine-grid pattern that
astrologers believe to be lucky
d.) Each grid consists of a square
e.) The heart of the city is the City Palace and around it are public buildings,
the residences of noblemen, the living and trading quarters of merchants
and artisans.
f.) Straight, wide roads run through the city
g.) A high wall forms its defense fortification with seven entry gateways

Grid iron pattern plan of Jaipur

7. Designing Concept: Town as a Living Being

The master plan was conceived as an analogous to human body:
a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)

Head: The Capitol Complex, Sector 1

Heart: The city Centre, Sector 17
Lungs: The leisure valley, innumerable open spaces and sector greens
The intellect: The cultural and educational institutions
The circulatory system: The network of roads, the 7 Vs
The viscera: The industrial Area

8. The concept of the city is based on four major functions:

A.) Living: Residential sector
B.) Working: whereas the Capitol Complex, City Center, Educational Zone
and the Industrial Area,
C.) Care of the body and spirit: The Leisure Valley, Gardens, Sector Greens
and Open Courtyards etc.
D.) Circulation: Roads- 7 Vs.

9. Capital complex
Comprises three architectural masterpieces separated by large piazzas
a.) The secretariat
b.) The High Court
c.) The Assembly Hall

10. The Secretariat :

Completed in 1958.
The longest building in Chandigarh, 254m long, and 42m high
Forms the Administrative center
Ministerial offices grouped in the central pavilion; block 4 and offices for
employees arranged on either side.
Composed of six eight story blocks separated by expansion joints.
The faade with brise soleil has over 2000 units of unique design.
Roads are below ground level going to a large parking area in front of the
central block, and a floor is left open at this level to form an entrance hall.
Block 1 and 2 rises directly from the ground; block 3,4 and part of 5 face on the
excavated area of the parking lot and have the lower story open between pilots,
for the rest part of block 5 and whole of 6 the level goes till plaza height, and
lower portion of these blocks are left open to a height of two story.
Roof garden contains the service blocks and cafeteria for employees.
Horizontal circulation is by means of central corridors.

11. The High Court

Rectilinear in frame with defined interior functions.
The main faade facing North West is defined by a full height concrete brise
soleil and does not receive direct sunlight.
Long faade face the capitol plaza to contain 8 court rooms separated from
larger high court by monumental columned entrance.
Use of double roof with the upper roof cantilevered out in a manner of parasol
shading the lower roof.
The space between the two roofs is left open to enable currents of air .
Main vertical circulation- narrow curving ramp at the end of the entrance hall.
Main horizontal circulation- peon corridors on the rear faade.

12. The Legislative Assembly

Rectilinear structure with square plan
The portico and the office block on lateral faade are be defined by solid end
walls.
The small council chamber is in rectilinear frame.
The assembly chamber is in hyperbolic form of a cooling tower of thichness
15cms; 128 ft diameter base and 124 ft height.
This tower was designed to insure the natural light, ventilation and proper
acoustics of all buildings of the capitol complex.

13. City Center (Sector 17): It comprises ofa.) Heart of Chandigarhs activities.
b.) Comprises of -Inter- State Bus Terminus, Parade Ground, District Courts,
etc. on one hand, and vast business and shopping centre on the other.
c.) Mainly has 4-storey buildings with banks and offices above and
showrooms/shops at the ground level with wide pedestrian concourses.
d.) Sector 34 is another newly developed commercial sector.

14. Leisure Valley

a.) 8 Kms long linear-park
b.) Runs through the city from its north eastern tip to its south-western end.
c.) 26 different types of flowering and 22 species of evergreen trees planted in
complexes, residential areas and city parks.
Comprises of the
a.) Rose Garden,
b.) Bougainvillea Garden,
c.) Shanti Kunj,
d.) Fitness Track,
e.) Topiary Park,
f.) Terrace Garden,
g.) Hibiscus Garden,
h.) Garden of Fragrance,
i.) Garden of Annuals,
j.) Garden of Herbs & Shrubs,
k.) Champa Park,
l.) Botanical Garden, etc.

15. Educational Zone

a. Post Graduate Institute,
b. Punjab Engineering College,
c. Punjab University

16. The Concept of 7Vs

a.) Vertical roads runs northeast/ southwest (The Paths)
b.) Horizontal roads run northwest/southeast (The Margs)
c.) They intersect at right angles, forming a grid of network for movement.
d.) Remarkable hierarchy of movement.

Type or Roads Functions/Names

V-1:
Roads connecting Chandigarh with other cities.
Ex. Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg.

V-2:
Major avenues of Chandigarh.
Runs along with important institutional and commercial .
Ex.Madhya Marg, Dakshin Marg, Jan Marg, Himalaya Marg, Uttar Marg and
Purv Marg.

V-3:
They are the corridor- streets for fast moving vehicular traffic.
A sector is surrounded either by V-2 of V-3 roads.

V-4:
Roads bisecting the Sector with shopping complex located along their southern
edge.

V-5:
Roads meandering through the sector giving access to its inner lands.

V-6:
Roads coming off of the V-5s and leading to the residential houses.

V-7:
Roads for pedestrian movement.
Runs through the middle of the sector in the green areas.
Ex.- Roads along Jan Marg, in the Punjab University & Sector-15.

V-8:
They are intended to run parallel with V-7s for the bi-cycles.

17. The industrial area:

a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)
g.)
h.)

Area- 2.35 Sq. Kms,

Set in extreme south-eastern side of the city
In proximity to railway line
Far from the Educational Sectors and Capitol Complex
136 hectares was developed in the first phase
Directly connected to the civic center by a V-3 road
Fruit trees are planted to screen off this area from the rest of the city.
Architectural controls have been established regarding site coverage and
materials of construction

i.) Maximum coverage up to 50 per cent is allowed with 2.5 per cent of the
space permitted to be used as quarters for essential staff.
j.) Sector 3, which is sufficiently close to the Industrial Sector, multi-storeyed
buildings provide suitable tenements for the workers.
k.) Besides Industrial housing is also provided in sector 28 and 29.

18. Sector wise planning

a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)

g.)

h.)
i.)
j.)

k.)
l.)

Each sector is similar to the traditional Indian Mohalla.

Area-250 acres
Dimensions -800m by 1200m.
Surrounded by V-2 or V3 roads, with no buildings opening on to them.
Divided in four parts A,B,C,D by a V-4 road (east to west) and a V-5 road
(north to South)
However, sector 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 have no Sub sector and Sector 7 and 8
have only three parts A, B and C (This is because they are developed
according to the concept proposed by the first planner of the City Albert
Mayer, to give his concept some recognition.).
In case of quadripartite Sector, the houses from 1 to 1000, 1001 to 2000 to
2001 to 3000 and 3000 to 4000 are located in Sub Sectors A, B, C and D in
clockwise direction.
Each sector is self- sufficient, with shopping and community facilities within
reasonable waking distance.
The sectors are numbered commencing from the northern most edge of the
city with the highest numbers located at the southern edge.
There is no sector 13 in Chandigarh, but the additional or multiple (e.g.
Sec.2+Sec 11-13, Sec.11 + Sec.15=26, etc). Through it is generally believed
that No.13 was left out due to superstition but records indicate that Sector
12 and 13 were demarcated initially as a cultural zone in the lower halves of
Sector 10 and 11 but later removed to avoid confusion. However, later No.12
was assigned to residual area at the edge of Sector 11 but No.13 was left out
in absence of an appropriate area for its location.
Though educational, cultural and medical facilities are spread all over the
city, however, major institutions are located in Sector 10,11,12,14 and 26.
Besides Industrial housing is also provided in sector 28 and 29.

19.

a.) Most of the sectors in Chandigarh are primarily meant for residential
purposes.

b.) The houses are constructed on pre-cut land plots of a specified size, and
are sold to perspective house owners, depending on their financial
capacity.
c.) The houses in Chandigarh can be categorized into the following types:
1. The Single Storey Houses
2. The Double Storey Houses
3. The Multi Storey Houses
4. The Multi Storey Flat Houses

20.The Single Storey Houses

a.) Constructed as bungalows
b.) Owned by richer class of people
c.) Spaces for a small garden, a kitchen garden, and a few fruit trees
d.) Baked and bare bricks are utilized for constructions, with cement marble
chips for flooring.

21.Double Storey Houses

a.) Owned by upper middle class citizens.
b.) Though functional and airy but have no space for any gardens
c.) These houses have two bedrooms, about 12x12, one drawing cum
dining room, 14x23, a kitchen and a bathroom, with a small courtyard.
22. Multi-storey Houses
a.) Usually constructed in a small land plot
b.) Belong to the lower middle income group.
c.) Have two small rooms, with kitchen and a bath room.

23. Multi-storey Flat System

a.) Constructed by the Chandigarh Administration in past decades
b.) Consist of two bedrooms, about 11x11, drawing- dining 12x18, two
bathrooms, and a kitchen.
c.) Mostly four storyed flat systems are constructed
d.) Normally middle class persons own such flats.

24. Preferred Construction Material

a.) Use of local materials for construction purposes, whether for official
building or private use.
b.) Local sand, mortar, and baked bricks have been extensively used.
c.) Excessive use of cement has been discouraged
d.) Use of sheet glass for wide windows to let in primarily scattered or
reflected light.

25. Chandigarh as an Inspiration

As Doshi put it: Young architects learnt from him how to look at function and
structureshow to create space from elements.. to achieve a form in relation to the
landscape around it.. (Curtis, 1988)
The direct descendant of Chandigarh is Gandhinagar; the city is based in the same
intellectual model as Chandigarh and on a similar rectangular grid iron plan but with
the capitol complex at its heart not head. The architecture of Capitol complex is large
scale and attempts to follow the pattern of Chandigarh buildings.

26.The Present scenario

a.)DEMOGRAPHY The absence of an effective coordination mechanism, amongst

municipal, Chandigarh Housing Board and state level agencies has implications for
orderly spatial development.

b.)POPULATION GROWTH IN THE CITY

Chandigarh was planned for a finite population of half-a-million. However, Chandigarh
has now grown beyond its planned capacity.

c.)VILLAGES & SLUM AREAS

At present there are 18 villages namely and four villages under the control of the
Municipal Corporation.

d.)BUILT FORM AND DESIGN GUIDELINES

Corbusier focused his attention on the capitol complex, his celebration of monumental
symbolism. It was left to the planning team to fill in the details in his icon of the
master plan. In the process, an approach at the scale of urban design, which could
create strong, identifiable neighbourhoods and thus would work on an intermediate
level between the master plan and the actual buildings, was never made.

e.)COMMERCE
With the increase of land prices, spaces assigned for residences and parking lots are
being used for the extension of shops, storage and office space. Subsequently, service
roads have been turned into parking spaces. The functionally rigid designed rows of
shops have now become unpleasant public spaces.
f.) Roads
Chandigarhs excessive provision of primary roads is arguably promoting personalized
transport.

Plan showing Sewage System of Chandigarh

Plan showing Sewage System and Storm Water Drainage System for
Chandigarh Town

27. Failures
a.) Restrictive zoning laws ensure further population growth and commercial
development can occur only outside the city.
b.) Apparent over-scaled spaces.
c.) Traffic jams and pollution are now a common feature.
d.) Chandigarh has not developed as planned in some ways. Rigid zoning

for regulating human activity is a form of assumed social control that

is difficult, if not impossible, to enforce
e.) The Chandigarh plan failed to provide space for - the sweepers, the
rickshawallas, the street vendors and the hawkers, the construction workers
and the hired labour, without whom the city could not be run.

f.) There is a hierarchy in the city plan, which runs from north to south, in
which the northern sectors are more privileged than the rest, with lesser
densities, more infrastructure, and better upkeep.
g.) There is no one to take a decision which will take years to realize due to poor
management.
h.) The speed at which the city is growing is swamping the master plan.

28. Conclusion
The growth of Chandigarh has been phenomenal. In spite of all teething problems,
the city has acquired a distinct personality in the last fi ve decades.
29. References
Documenting Chandigarh The Indian Architecture of Pierre Jeanneret, Edwin
Maxwell Fry, Jane Beverly Drew by Kiran Joshi
Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret Footprints on Sands of Indian Architecture
by Sarbjit Bagha and Surinder Bahga
Building Jaipur; The Making Of an Indian City by Sachdev, Vibhuti