French architect opposed raising building near HC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 31

Le Corbusier was against the construction of a new building near the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The French master architect had also refused to give his consent to the “provision of chambers for lawyers on the premises of the High Court building” some 60 years ago after asserting Capitol Complex was not for private offices.

Documents in possession of The Tribune suggest the HC building committee’s nod to construction of multi-storey buildings in the vicinity would not have met his approval for reasons evident in a letter he wrote.

Corbusier asserted: “In the architectural and urbanistic composition of the Capitol, a new building is not to be erected near about the High Court; it would spoil the unity. In my point of view, the advocates have to have their offices in the city — City Centre or any other place — with their own apartments or otherwise. Private life and business is not to come to the Capitol.”

The letter was sent to “BB Vohra, IAS, Secretary to the Punjab Government, Capital Project, Chandigarh” on the issue of providing chambers. Referring to communication by the “Chief Architect and the Chief Town Planner from Chief Engineer, Capital”, Corbusier wrote he could not give his consent to the proposition, “which to me seems to be arising out of confusion”.

Elaborating, Corbusier asserted the Capitol was an area devoted to government functions. It was not to receive private offices doing private business. “On the other hand, amenities for the advocates are already existing — In the basement of the main High Court (big areas inside and outside with possibility to plan a very agreeable garden immediately in contact with the advocates’ chamber. A second place of the same amenities is the expansion of the High Court which is under construction”.

Corbusier’s views were referred to in a subsequent letter to the HC Deputy Registrar (Administration) by “RS Lall, Architect, for Chief Architect and Secretary, Department of Architecture, Chandigarh Administration”.

Lall asserted the matter regarding the provision of chambers on the HC building premises was referred by the government to Corbusier in 1960. He was of the strong view that no such building accommodating private offices doing private business should come up in the Capitol Complex as the area was devoted to government functions only. “Moreover, residential plots were allotted mostly to lawyers of the High Court in the nearest Sectors such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11, keeping in view the functioning of their offices attached to their own houses,” he added.