French keen on sharing expertise in restoration work

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, February 6

A delegation of the French Government has shown keen interest in sharing expertise for the restoration work being undertaken in Chandigarh and France to highlight the legacy of Le Corbusier.

The delegation comprised Brigitte Bouvier, Director, Foundation Le Corbusier, Bénédicte Gandini, Conservation Architect, Thierry Zimmer, Deputy Director, Laboratory of Research of Historic Monuments (LRHM), Myriam Bouichou, Research Engineer (concrete specialist), Jean-Paul Midant, Professor of Architectural History and Culture at ENSA Paris-Belleville and Vanessa Fernandez, Research Teacher. They met UT Adviser Manoj Parida here today.

They have proposed a roadmap so that engineers and architects from both countries can get together in the field of restoration of heritage buildings.

The delegation visited the Capitol Complex for assessing the ongoing restoration work in High Court, Civil Secretariat and Assembly building. The delegation also visited the restoration of exposed concrete façade work being undertaken in 30 Bays building, 17 Bays building, Library, Town Hall, DC Office, Pierre Jeanneret House and Le Corbusier Centre. The delegation was pleased and impressed to see the magnitude of restoration work being undertaken in the Capitol Complex by the Chandigarh Administration. The Capitol Complex is the largest complex among all UNESCO listed heritage buildings planned by Le Corbusier.

The French delegation also visited the Government College of Art, Government Museum, Chandigarh College of Architecture and the Government Press building where the restoration of buildings has to be undertaken by the Chandigarh Administration.

The delegation reached the city on February 3 to study restoration of the Le Corbusier heritage.