In 1947, India achieved independence from British rule— but this freedom came at a tremendous cost. The region had been split in two, displacing over 10 million residents and leading to riots that saw the deaths of roughly 1 million people. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, was eager to usher his country towards a brighter, united future.
And one of the projects that would prove most essential to realizing this vision was the construction of Chandigarh: a modern metropolis designed to symbolize “the nation’s faith in the future. ” But the path to Nehru’s futurist city was far from simple. Since money was tight for the burgeoning nation, the project was only able to secure a budget of 175 million rupees.
That’s the modern equivalent of roughly 500 million US dollars— which is barely enough to build a pair of skyscrapers today. The project also had low public support because the plans required the further displacement of local villages. The government compensated protesting residents with funds to buy new homes.
But their agricultural lands would still be overtaken by the new city. Nehru’s plan for unity was off to a rocky start. But the city’s plans were as inspiring as they were innovative.
In 1949, Nehru commissioned American architect Albert Mayer, whose initial designs laid out green spaces, sectioned neighborhoods, and organized traffic systems. When Mayer left the project due to his business partner’s death, his plans were taken even further by renowned French architect Le Corbusier. Known as one of the fathers of modern architecture, Le Corbusier prioritized functional designs devoid of ornamentation.
His style championed unornamented concrete for creating efficient structures that prioritized function over decoration. Building on Mayer’s plans, Le Corbusier introduced the metaphor of a human body to describe and design Chandigarh’s urban environment. The head of the city would comprise the main administrative area.
Alongside the State Secretariat, Parliamentary Assembly and High Court, the complex included symbolic structures like the Martyr’s Memorial, dedicated to those who perished fighting for Indian independence. From the head, residents could travel down the city’s circulatory system: a network of roads and pathways known as the 7Vs. These hierarchical roads connected Chandigarh to other cities while seamlessly linking the sectors within for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Chandigarh’s heart was Sector 17— a commercial district housing large shops, offices, a parade ground, and the main interstate bus terminal. And the city’s lungs took the form of a continuous Leisure Valley. This series of green belts was modeled after the popular garden city concept, which sought to increase green cover and guarantee all residents access to fresh air and open space.
Taken as a whole, these plans were unprecedented, daring, and expensive. Fortunately, Le Corbusier’s streamlined modernist aesthetic helped keep costs low. Most structures were built of brick, which was left unpainted and unplastered.
Even the city’s grandest concrete buildings remain naked to this day. And since the budget couldn’t accommodate mechanical heating and cooling systems, Chandigarh was designed with passive cooling and ventilation built into every structure. Other tropical cities employed similar techniques on a smaller scale, but in Chandigarh every room had direct access to adequate sunlight and ventilation.
Overhangs provided shade during the summer and let in heat during the winter. And today, the energy efficiency of Chandigarh’s many brick buildings has made the city famous for its eco-friendly design. Of course, neither Chandigarh’s past nor present is perfect.
The hierarchy of housing types resulted in segregation between affluent, large households and small, denser plots. And the city’s focus on residential and government buildings prevented the development of other industries. But many other elements of Mayer and Le Corbusier’s plans have aged quite well.
Thousands of trees and open spaces make it one of India’s greenest cities. And its high quality of life continues to make Chandigarh one of the most desirable cities to live in the nation. Over 60 years after its construction, Chandigarh remains an international exemplar of urban design.
