Is Chandigarh a perfectly planned city? - Vikramāditya Prakāsh
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In 1947, India achieved independence from British rule — but this freedom came at a tremendous cost. 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. Vikramāditya Prakāsh details the creation of the futurist city.
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Want to learn more about how Chandigarh is faring today in the age of globalization? From 2009-2015, students from the University of Washington developed a series of studios entitled the “Modernist City in the Age of Globalization.” Their work can be found at the Chandigarh Urban Lab. Sift through the “Topics” tab on the website to learn about issues that Chandigarh is facing today.
The phenomenal success of the city has resulted in astronomical real-estate values, which in turn have fed unprecedented growth both within and around the city. This growth is described on the website at various scales under topics such as “Deruralization,” “Peripheral Growth,” “Capitol Complex,” “Master Plan,” “Greater Chandigarh,” “Frame Control,” and “Furniture.”
In 2016 Chandigarh was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but only some of Le Corbusier’s buildings were protected— unlike Brasilia, another modernist city, which was fully protected. The work of Indian architects like Aditya Prakash was left similarly unprotected and is today being destroyed. There is also significant controversy about the modernist furniture of the city that has been bought for pennies by international art dealers and is still being sold for thousands by Western auction houses.
If you visit Chandigarh yourself, use this architectural guide to help you appreciate all the city has to offer.
The phenomenal success of the city has resulted in astronomical real-estate values, which in turn have fed unprecedented growth both within and around the city. This growth is described on the website at various scales under topics such as “Deruralization,” “Peripheral Growth,” “Capitol Complex,” “Master Plan,” “Greater Chandigarh,” “Frame Control,” and “Furniture.”
In 2016 Chandigarh was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but only some of Le Corbusier’s buildings were protected— unlike Brasilia, another modernist city, which was fully protected. The work of Indian architects like Aditya Prakash was left similarly unprotected and is today being destroyed. There is also significant controversy about the modernist furniture of the city that has been bought for pennies by international art dealers and is still being sold for thousands by Western auction houses.
If you visit Chandigarh yourself, use this architectural guide to help you appreciate all the city has to offer.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Vikramāditya Prakāsh
- Director Jeff Le Bars, Jet Propulsion
- Composer Stephen LaRosa
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Abdallah Ewis, Anna Bechtol
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
- Script Editor Nidhi Upadhyaya
