LE CORBUSIER'S WORKS IN INDIA : A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

Abstract

The premise of this work is to fill a gap in publications about Le Corbusiers architecture in India by critically examining the validity of his principles and designs in the cultural discourse of a developing nation. This study interprets his Indian ceuvre as a culmination of his life's work; scrutinises his endeavour to develop a modern architectural vocabulary to deal with the realities of the subtropical climate; illustrates his intention to distil relevant lessons from the Indian vernacular; acknowledges his inclination to integrate the surrounding landscape and cosmos into his architecture; deciphers the latent symbolism embedded into his functionalist architecture; and discusses the appropriateness of his modernist principles to the cultural climes of post-colonial India. Besides, the dissertation also examines the genesis of a new aesthetic that was born out of the stringent budget allocated to Le Corbusier in India. A precise bibliographical and documentary research has been conducted in addition to direct analysis of buildings to thoroughly investigate the assertions made by scholarship regarding the architecture of Le Corbusier in India. The research deals with the appraisal of the built-projects of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. Each topic begins with an in-depth examination of the Chandigarh Capitol Complex and thereafter the discourse extends over to the Chandigarh Museum Complex and the Millowners' Association building and Sanskar Kendra Museum in Ahmedabad.