Chandigarh, envisioned by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was brought to life through the vision of renowned French architect Le Corbusier. Nestled against the scenic backdrop of the Shivalik Hills, the city is one of the most successful examples of urban planning and modern architecture in post-independence India. Its foundation laid in 1952, represents the aspirations of a new India. The city’s architectural legacy was shaped by Le Corbusier, alongside key contributions from Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry, making it a landmark of 20th-century design.
Le Corbusier’s Master Plan
Chandigarh’s city plan is a brilliant example of modern urban planning, blending functionality with aesthetics. With his keen understanding of spatial organization, Le Corbusier designed a “living organism.” The master plan was laid out in two phases:
- Phase-I: Encompassed 30 low-density sectors (Sectors 1 to 30), covering about 9,000 acres, designed to accommodate 150,000 people. This phase focused on creating spacious, green environments, symbolizing the garden city image.
- Phase-II: Consisted of 17 high-density sectors (Sectors 31 to 47), spanning 6,000 acres, with a target population of 350,000. This phase balanced the need for higher density while maintaining green spaces and urban efficiency.

City Analogy
Le Corbusier famously compared urban structure to the human body:
- Head: Capitol Complex, representing the seat of governance.
- Heart: City Centre, where commerce, trade, and leisure activities pulsate.
- Lungs: Leisure Valley and various gardens act as the city’s green breathing spaces.
- Limbs: The city’s cultural and educational institutions form the “limbs” of this analogy, nurturing the populace’s mind and body.
- Circulatory System: Chandigarh’s roads, divided into seven categories (V1 to V7), function like veins, allowing the city to flow efficiently.
Road Design
Le Corbusier introduced an efficient and hierarchical road system in Chandigarh, ensuring smooth traffic flow and segregating different types of movement. The city’s roads are divided into seven distinct categories, each serving a specific purpose:
- V-1 Roads: These are the fast roads that connect Chandigarh to other nearby towns and cities. They facilitate long-distance travel and ensure connectivity at a regional level.
- V-2 Roads: Known as the arterial roads, V-2s run through the city and serve as the primary movement corridors for vehicular traffic, connecting the city’s major areas.
- V-3 Roads: These are the sector-dividing roads, designed for fast vehicular movement without interruptions from pedestrian crossings or signals.
- V-4 Roads: These are meandering shopping streets, characterized by slower traffic. These roads cater to commercial areas and form the main market streets in the sectors.
- V-5 Roads: These sector circulation roads are narrower and designed for local vehicular traffic, facilitating movement within residential areas.
- V-6 Roads: These are the access roads that lead to individual houses, offering direct entry to homes and private areas.
- V-7 Paths: The final layer in the hierarchy, V-7s are footpaths and cycle tracks. These are non-vehicular routes designed for pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring safety and ease of movement without interacting with vehicle traffic.

The hierarchy of roads effectively manages the flow of traffic, from high-speed long-distance routes to slow, pedestrian-friendly streets within each sector. This separation of different traffic types reduces congestion and makes Chandigarh one of the most livable cities in terms of urban transport.
Sector Design
Le Corbusier envisioned Chandigarh as a city of sectors, each a self-contained unit. His sector design ensures that each sector provides everything its residents might need, from residential areas to commercial streets.
- Primary Module: The sectors follow a grid pattern, with each sector measuring 800 meters x 1200 meters. This layout ensures uniformity and helps organize urban functions effectively.
- Self-Sufficient Units: Each sector is a self-sustained unit containing residential areas, schools, shops, health centers, places of worship, and spaces for recreation, all within walking distance.
- Shopping Streets (V4 Roads): V4 roads act as the main commercial streets within sectors, linking various shops to form continuous shopping stretches that cater to daily needs.
- Central Green: A unique feature is the central green space in each sector. This green area is connected to other sectors, forming a network of parks and gardens across the city.

City’s Green Spaces
Chandigarh is often referred to as a “City of Gardens” due to its extensive network of green spaces at multiple levels:
- City Level: Leisure Valley is the city’s primary green space, running through its length, dotted with gardens such as the Rose Garden, Rock Garden, and Bougainvillea Garden. These green expanses not only provide aesthetic relief but also improve air quality and offer leisure areas.
- Sector Level: Each sector has its central green, making green spaces accessible to everyone, and fostering a connection with nature.
- Community Level: Smaller parks are distributed around clusters of houses, creating micro-environments for families and neighbors to gather.
- Residential Level: Homes are designed with courtyards, both in front and rear, allowing for private outdoor spaces.

Capitol Complex
The Capitol Complex is Chandigarh’s political and judicial heart, housing the most significant governmental buildings and monumental structures. This area is symbolic of Le Corbusier’s philosophy, combining architecture with civic purpose.
Main Buildings
- The Secretariat: The largest structure in the Capitol Complex, designed to accommodate 4,000 government officials. The Secretariat’s rhythmic façade and playful roofline break up its large size, offering visual relief while showcasing Le Corbusier’s mastery of proportion and scale.
- Assembly Building: The Assembly, or Legislative Building, is sculptural in form, featuring a hyperbolic drum and a pyramidal roof. Two grand entrances welcome officials, while inside, a large cubist mural adds artistic grandeur.
- High Court: The High Court building stands out with its parasol-like roof and linear structure. Le Corbusier used bright, primary colors and abstract geometric forms to inject a sense of energy into the judicial space.

Monuments
Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex also houses several monuments that symbolize Le Corbusier’s larger philosophies of design and life.
- Open Hand: This monumental structure serves as Chandigarh’s emblem, symbolizing peace and reconciliation. The hand, which rotates with the wind, signifies the city’s openness to give and receive new ideas.
- Geometric Hill: An artificially created hill, the Geometric Hill represents both architectural and natural elements. Its surface is adorned with concrete reliefs, creating an interplay of geometric patterns.
- Martyrs Memorial: This monument pays tribute to the martyrs of Punjab’s partition, representing a painful yet significant chapter in the region’s history.
- Tower of Shadows: This structure is a practical demonstration of Le Corbusier’s theories on sun control. The tower’s design allows sunlight to filter through in a way that controls temperature, showcasing his architectural brilliance.

