Le Corbusier wanted Capitol Complex guards to live in Chandigarh's Sector 3

Amarjot Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 26

In the library of city’s Museum and Art Gallery, a peculiar letter acquaints you with the disposition of Chandigarh’s Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, who died on this day 56 years ago.

On January 2, 1958, Pierre Jeanneret, then a senior architect working with the Punjab Government, sent a translated note, originally written in French by Le Corbusier to ICS MS Randhawa. In his note, Corbusier, who worked as architectural advisor on Capital Project, highlighted problems faced by guards and peons working at the Capitol Complex. “Family accommodation for guards: This is not a professional question; it is a question of living,” he wrote.

In his proposal, he suggested ‘barracks, family accommodation for guards and clear point of view on the reality of the problem: working at the right place and family life at another right place’. About the site, he wrote: “…. part of Sector No. 3 provides the right place for the barrack and two villages of guards and peons (together 1,500 people: men, women and children).”

At the moment, Sector 3 is considered among the prime locations of the city, and comprises the Haryana CM’s residence and MLA Flats.

In the note, he wrote: “The problem of distance between the working and living (place) is an important one. The employer (the chief judge, chief secretary, the speaker and the chairman, etc.) are inclined to admit that this distance must not be big. They would, however, be happy to have this population beside this building.”

Corbusier proposed ‘containers and site’ for these shared problems of guards and peons of the Capitol Complex. “For barracks, it can be a beautiful round wall in a good useful diameter which will contain necessary amenities. For family life, villages are planned…. for approximately 750 persons, each surrounded by a belt of brick wall and beautified with trees inside.”

The note was sent to Randhawa for “the consideration of the Advisory Committee of the Chandigarh Capital Project Control Board”. Randhawa, who was chairman of the panel and later became the first chief commissioner of Chandigarh, replied to Jeanneret on January 8, 1958: “I’m in entire agreement with the views expressed by Mr Corbusier,” he wrote.