Preserve Le Corbusier’s legacy, say experts

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 12

The last words of master architect Le Corbusier, “Whatever I could give to this city as an architect I have constructed, now the city has to maintain and preserve this for future generations”, were the focus of experts on the concluding day of the international symposium, “Celebrating Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh: 50 years after the master”, here today.

Interestingly, as national and international panelists debated on various issues pertaining to Corbusier’s works over the past four days, city residents showed keen interest in visiting the illuminated Capitol Complex. A visit to the Capitol Complex today revealed that in the past three days, over 1,500 persons have visited the illuminated buildings and monuments late in the evening.  Among the visitors were the UT Home Secretary, the Income Tax Commissioner and four judges, who came with their families to the complex to enjoy the beauty and ambience of it.

Earlier in the day, SD Sharma, a former UT Chief Architect  who was one of the members of Le Corbusier’s team, while speaking at the symposium, said with the increase in the population, the pressure on the existing infrastructure had increased. The Administration had to find a solution for it without chsnging the original character of the city.

Another former Chief Architect of the UT Sumit Kaur, while speaking on the issues of parking and development of commercial sub-centres in the peripheral areas of the city, said all these issues had been dealt with in the master plan of the city and recommendations had been made to the Administration in this regard.

Former Chief Town Planner of Punjab KK Kaul said the population burden had increased in Chandigarh as it was the capital of two states. He said the Administration should follow stringent rules while permitting development on the periphery of the city. John Bass, an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, was more concerned about the preservation of heritage buildings.   

Visit Capitol Complex in evening for one more month

Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal said due to huge footfall at the Capitol Complex during the evening hours, the Administration had decided to extend the facility for the public by one month. Visitors would be allowed to visit the complex till 8.30 pm.

Annoyed historian leaves panel discussion  

An award-winning historian and expert on Le Corbusier, William JR Curtis, got annoyed and left the panel discussion when the audience started opposing the “one-sided” discussion. Curtis left the stage stating that it was rude on the part of the people to behave with an expert in this manner.