Le Corbusier was against the construction of a new building near the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The French master architect had also refused to give his consent to the “provision of chambers for lawyers on the premises of the High Court building” some 60 years ago after asserting Capitol Complex was not for private offices.

Documents in possession1 of The Tribune suggest the HC building committee’s nod to construction of multi-storey buildings in the vicinity would not have met his approval for reasons evident in a letter he wrote.

Corbusier asserted: “In the architectural and urbanistic composition of the Capitol, a new building is not to be erected near about the High Court; it would spoil the unity. In my point of view, the advocates have to have their offices in the city — City Centre or any other place — with their own apartments or otherwise. Private life and business is not to come to the Capitol.”

....

• 1. The letter was sent to “BB Vohra, IAS, Secretary to the Punjab Government, Capital Project, Chandigarh” on the issue of providing chambers. Referring to communication by the “Chief Architect and the Chief Town Planner from Chief Engineer, Capital”, Corbusier wrote he could not give his consent to the proposition, “which to me seems to be arising out of confusion”.