2 Governor’s Palace, Chandigarh. Le Corbusier, 1950-1951 . The model of the palace and its site at the scale of 1/8″=1′. The ramp of the Monument to the Martyrs is in front. Two levels of gardens and water pools face the palace.
2 Governor’s Palace, Chandigarh. Le Corbusier, 1950-1951 . The model of the palace and its site at the scale of 1/8″=1′. The ramp of the Monument to the Martyrs is in front. Two levels of gardens and water pools face the palace. - The palace is situated at the end of an enclosed precinct of multi-level gardens and pools (see fig. 2). This seemingly ancient forecourt of giant ramps, stairs, and obelisks rising from the water belies its modern articulation. The original sketches show a static, symmetrical approach to the palace, while in the final design the axis is broken, creating a shifting series of plazas before the palace. The garden is framed in plan by two interlocking L’s, a form derived from the rotation of the arms of a spiral. The pedestrian ascends the Martyr’s Ramp to find the distant palace visually thrust forward. The garden levels fall away in shearing blocks as the reflecting pools double their height, creating a foreground and plinth for the palace, which enforces the image of a temple on an acropolis (fig. 18). Descending the spiral ramp, a counter-spiral activates the procession to the palace. The collapsed arms of the spiral compress its centripetal force into a dynamic push pull effected by the pressing forward of the pools against their static frames (fig. 19). As the three plazas shift to the left, the palace oscillates between two obelisks, a cylinder, and a pyramid, shifting the eye to the mountains and the Open Hand monument to the right. Finally the dense symmetrical mass of the palace wrenches the eye to the center, to settle in the curve of the barsati, an elevated valley framing the Himalayas © Alexander Grolin

The upcoming visit of French President Francois Hollande to Chandigarh is likely to help the UT Administration complete the Capitol Complex projects. Hollande, who will be the chief guest at the Republic Day function in New Delhi, has evinced interest to see the works of Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier.

Sources said the French President was expected to spend maximum time at the Capitol Complex, which was a part of transnational dossier prepared with five other countries where Corbusier left his imprint and would be submitted to UNESCO for world heritage status.

....

Sources said the Administration was also keen on completing two pending projects, Museum of Knowledge and Martyrs’ Memorial.

A senior UT official said there were many sketches and original drawings, which have been kept at the Le Corbusier Foundation in France.

There are various monuments in the Capitol Complex symbolising the basis of the philosophy by which Corbusier arrived at his understanding of the city design.

Martyrs’ Memorial is dedicated to the martyrs of the country and consists of a square enclosure with a side elongated into a ramp by which one mounts the enclosing wall. The Geometric Hill is situated adjacent to the memorial.

Sources said original drawing of the memorial was lying at the foundation and with the help of the experts of the foundation, the project would be completed.

The Museum of Knowledge will be set up as per the original design plan of the French architect. Based on the four postulates laid down by Le Corbusier — ethics, sociology, economics, technology — the museum would be a state-of-the-art building with discussion rooms, seminar rooms, research facilities and a library-cum-research centre. It will also house an exhibition/display room with all related facilities.