French honour for architect SD Sharma who helped shape City Beautiful’s modernist vision

Connected to the city through his role in the Chandigarh Capital Project, architect Shivdatt Sharma was conferred the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) at the Residence of France.

French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou presented the honour in recognition of Sharma’s contributions to modern architecture, his lifelong engagement with Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier’s legacy and role in strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and India.

Instituted in 1957, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres recognises figures who have contributed to furthering arts and literature in France and around the world.

Accepting the honour, Sharma said, “I feel humbled and profoundly honored to receive this most prestigious award from France, a nation whose cultural spirit and artistic generosity have inspired generations across the world.”

A self-taught architect of remarkable talent, Sharma began his career in Chandigarh at a defining moment in the city’s history. He joined the team of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, taking part in one of the most ambitious urban projects of the 20th century. The formative period would go on to mould his architectural vision, and its lessons influenced him during his tenure as Chief Architect of the Indian Space Research Organisation. He demonstrated his skill in reconciling high-performance technological requirements with contextual and sustainable design.

Lauding the architect, Ambassador Mathou said, “…France pays tribute to a visionary practitioner whose career continues to shape public understanding of modern architecture and its cultural value. Anchored in honesty, rootedness, humanity and dedicated to providing public good, his work reflects the values that defined the Chandigarh experiment. His lifework stands as an enduring bridge between our two countries, and as a living chapter of Le Corbusier’s tradition, on which France and the UT of Chandigarh continue to collaborate closely.”

Sharma contributed to the completion of major works in the city, including the Government Museum and Art Gallery and the Museum of Evolution of Life.

Over the following decades, he developed a distinctive architectural language rooted in Indian conditions. The commitment of the “Sharma practice” plays a vital role in documenting, preserving and transmitting the heritage.