Preservation of Le Corbusier’s creations a challenge for UT: Foundation director

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 9

“Long term preservation of the Capitol Complex designed by Le Corbusier will be a challenge for the Chandigarh Administration if they do not immediately implement their management plan, which they have drafted for the purpose,” said Michele Richard, director of the Le Corbusier Foundation.

The foundation, which was concerned for the preservation of these buildings, had been pursuing the case for the UNESCO heritage status for the Capitol Complex for the last 12 years. The UT has drafted a detailed maintenance plan for the complex but the point of concern was that would they be able to execute it properly to preserve the original status of these monuments, Richard said. Concerned about the fact that the authorities have opened the complex to public, he said this was what Corbusier wanted but would the UT be able to maintain it as a large number of people visit the complex every day.

In case UNECSO awarded heritage status to these buildings, there would be annual monitoring of the structures by its teams, he said, adding that maintenance of these buildings was the Le Corbusier Foundation’s major concern.