After India's independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of the country, dreamed of "a new city, symbolic for the freedom of India ... expressing the faith of the nation into the future." Chandigarh, which means "Fortress Chandi," the Indian goddess of power, is the incarnation of Nehru's vision. The construction of this city, which was the idea of the famous modernist architect Le Corbusier, was born of his utopian dream of an avant -garde city, symbolizing India's determination to enter the modern world.
Instead of the "vertical city," Chandigarh was organized as a horizontal mesh with wide alleys, housing districts, green areas, medical facilities, schools, temples, shops, sports fields and artificial lake. Le Corbusier designed most of the infrastructure, emphasizing large spaces by boldly using raw concrete. By adapting his architectural plans to the climate of the region, Le Corbusier provided protection against sun and monsoon rains, while facilitating air circulation with ventilated shutters and large terraces. In close cooperation with his famous cousin, Pierre Jeanneret supervised the production of numerous furniture elements for public and private buildings, using wood from forest clipping, which were necessary for this huge undertaking.
Recently, record prices achieved at auctions for these elements have brought a wider audience aware of this great project and its creators. Currently, Indian leaders are aware of the values of this great cultural heritage, and from January 2011 no piece of furniture can leave the country without the consent of the authorities and the Ministry of Culture. This specialized Raisonné directory sheds new light on this visionary urban project, which arouses growing interest among design lovers around the world.
- 350 Pages
- More than 400 illustrations
- English language
- Hard cover
- Publisher: ASSOULINE
