Badnore opens Pierre Jeanneret museum

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

On the 121st birth anniversary of architect Le Corbusier’s cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, VP Singh Badnore, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, inaugurated the Pierre Jeanneret museum today.

The museum is dedicated to the contribution of Jeanneret to Chandigarh that has been set up on the ground floor of the house, whereas three bedrooms on the first floor are proposed to be made into guest rooms for researchers and architects. The museum has sections dedicated to his residential, education and furniture design, besides personal images, correspondence, etc.

There is an ample text with vintage images to make the visitors understand the finer nuances of Jeanneret’s buildings and the challenges he faced to create these works of great functional and aesthetic merit.

The row of type 4J houses was designed by Jeanneret and he lived in the corner house number 57 in Sector 5 for almost 11 years. After he left, the house was allotted to senior officials of the Administration and the High Court.

The frequent additions and alterations in the house had almost destroyed the original fabric and concept of the house. Around five years back the then Chief Architect objected to this stating that at least this house should be retained as a tribute to Jeanneret.

Famous buildings of Pierre Jeanneret in Chandigarh are Le Corbusier Centre, Primary Schools and colleges, the Chief Minister’s house, MLA hostels, etc. At Panjab University, he designed Gandhi Bhawan, Library and Administration Building, hostels for boys and girls, etc.

Parimal Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, Maninder Singh, Chairman, Chandigarh Housing Board, Jitender Yadav, Director Tourism, Kapil Setia, Chief Architect, SD Sharma, senior most architect, Sumit Kaur, former Chief Architect, and other senior officials of the Chandigarh Administration were present on the occasion.