Holistic Development Plan: Heritage concerns flagged upfront on new HC complex

Strong and pointed concerns on protecting the UNESCO status of the Capitol Complex framed the deliberations even as the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) unanimously cleared the conceptual holistic development plan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to be sent to the Fondation Le Corbusier, Paris, for approval.

At the 26th meeting of the CHCC held on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of UT Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad, members underlined that while the functional needs of the high court were undeniable, the sanctity of the Le Corbusier-designed World Heritage Site could not be compromised at any cost.

“UNESCO status is a matter of pride for Chandigarh. Nothing should be done which endangers this status,” said Sumit Kaur, CHCC member and former Chief Architect, while appreciating the high court’s space requirements. She stressed that mandatory Heritage Impact Assessment and environmental clearances must be completed before any approval, adding that it was the committee’s duty to safeguard heritage while ensuring compliance with court directions.

Echoing her views, senior advocate ML Sarin, another CHCC member, said, “It is the responsibility of the citizens of Chandigarh to protect its architectural legacy,” and referred to various judicial pronouncements emphasising preservation of heritage assets.

The concerns were responded to by UT senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji, who pointed out that the present exercise itself flowed from the explicit high court directions issued after hearing all stakeholders. He said no construction could begin unless the World Heritage Committee approves the proposal, where it would be examined “microscopically”, making it imperative to forward the plan without delay.

Against this backdrop, Jay Kaktikar of M/s Design Associates, Noida, the consultant engaged for the project, made a detailed presentation on the conceptual proposal that is to be forwarded by the high court to the Fondation Le Corbusier. Explaining the design philosophy, Kaktikar said the intervention area in the buffer zone had been carefully defined, with open spaces and existing vegetation determining sightlines so that the original HC building remains visually dominant. He told the committee that several existing structures, many of them at the end of their service life, were proposed to be removed to eliminate the present cluttered agglomeration and reorganise the area in a planned and coherent manner. For the proposed courts block, he said the “blue line” indicated in the ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) Technical Review was being strictly adhered to, while all other new blocks had been offset from the original building to ensure the site’s Outstanding Universal Value and attributes were fully maintained.

“The public spaces being planned will help create a largely traffic-free zone, improve the overall experience of the Capitol Complex and streamline different functions according to their roles,” Kaktikar said. He also explained the proposed phasing strategy to ensure uninterrupted court functioning during demolition and construction, and said all services would be shifted to basements to avoid rooftop clutter. Existing and proposed parking, he added, would be integrated for seamless circulation.

On architectural expression, Kaktikar said the external façade of the new courts block echoes the vocabulary of the HC extension building, with elements following the Modulor proportions and Golden Ratio used by Le Corbusier in the original structure. The proposal, he said, addressed present and future requirements of the court, and would be backed by all required impact assessments and supporting studies.

Earlier, the Chief Architect-cum-Member Convener outlined the genesis of the holistic development plan, tracing nearly a decade of efforts and legal proceedings. He informed the committee that following HC orders on September 26 last year, an Administrative Committee of the high court was constituted to rework the plan. Subsequent directions on December 24 led to the appointment of Design Associates, Noida, as consultant on January 14 through a competitive process.

VERANDAH BUILT, PLAN FAST-TRACKED

With the Supreme Court-mandated verandah outside the Chief Justice’s Courtroom No. 1 now completed, the UT Administration is expediting the UNESCO-mandated Site and Buffer Zone Management Plan being prepared by the IIT-Roorkee, which will govern all future interventions in and around the Capitol Complex as Chandigarh once again comes under global heritage scrutiny.

Two conceptual options were prepared and forwarded to the HC Registrar General. Acting on this, the high court, by orders dated January 18, directed that the first option, with an area of about 20.5 lakh square feet, be sent to the Fondation Le Corbusier by January 20. The next date of hearing is January 21.

The Chief Architect also reminded members that an earlier proposal was suspended by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session in Riyadh in 2023, with directions to submit revised plans in line with the ICOMOS Technical Review.

Dilmeet Grewal, CHCC member, said only bare essential construction should be permitted within the Capitol Complex and suggested that shifting some high court functions be explored. The Chief Architect responded that alternative locations had been examined but did not meet stakeholder expectations, leaving expansion within the existing complex as the only viable option.

The Director, Cultural Affairs, UT, and the Principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, reiterated that the expansion was a pressing need and that heritage conservation and development must move together in a balanced manner.

Summing up the discussion, the UT Chief Secretary appreciated the views expressed by all members and said the proposal must be sent to the Fondation Le Corbusier and the Government of India in compliance with high court orders. The committee unanimously resolved that the concept proposal be forwarded as a first step, while ensuring that all statutory approvals, Heritage Impact Assessment, environmental clearances and other mandatory formalities were completed before any execution.