The city of Chandigarh is planned to human scale. It puts us in touch with the infinite cosmos and nature. It provides us with places and buildings for all human activities by which the citizens can live a full and harmonious life. Here, the radiance of nature and heart are within our reach.”
This is how the Swiss born French aArchitect le Corbusier defined the city in ‘Edict of Chandigarh’ prescribed by him. The trendsetter of urban architecture — Corbusier —perhaps never thought of how the city’s social and physical infrastructure would reel under heavy pressure due to having more than doubled the planned population, after five decades of its creation.
The urban city-Chandigarh was planned as an administrative town for a population of 5 lakh, although, the population has now crossed 10 lakh. The unprecedented and unforeseen growth in population of Chandigarh, today threatens to overwhelm master architect Corbusier’s vision of aesthetically planned city.
Interestingly, Corbusier had conceived the master plan of Chandigarh as analogous to human body in terms of Head (the Capitol Complex, Sector 1), Heart (the City Centre, Sector 17), lungs (the leisure Valley, innumerable open spaces, and sector-greens), the Intellect (the cultural and educational institutions), the Circulatory System (the network of roads, the 7Vs) and the Industrial Area.
But, the epitome of great architecture-Chandigarh-is now turning into an entirely different city, far from the original plan and vision of Corbusier. With growing population exerting tremendous pressure on city’s infrastructure, major violations in building bylaws are seen everywhere.
The architectural controls, frame controls, zoning regulations and building rules were put in place by the higher authorities to maintain the original character of the city, albeit, both intermingled commercial and residential areas are today witnessing violations of these rules and regulations.
The violations include coverage of balconies and courtyards, illegal construction through additional floors, construction beyond zones areas, encroachments of public corridors, breach of frame controls, to name a few.
Due to inadequate infrastructure to meet current day requirements and economic compulsions, Corbusier’s well acclaimed concepts and architectural elements does not sit well with the current scenario. Besides, the space constraints pose a challenge to maintain the urban architecture of Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab and Haryana.
Also, the relaxations in architectural controls and issues like redensification of residential pockets, Apartment Rules, increase in FAR (floor area ratio), high rise buildings have always remained a matter of concern to planners and policy makers.
The architectural controls were created here, primarily for commercial and residential buildings abutting the shopping streets wherein the entire external facades and internal planning was to compulsorily conform to the standard design provided by the planners.
Over the past few years, the UT Administration has undertaken gradual and periodical review of various architectural controls to provide for more space. In one such major amendment, the UT Administration had in 2008 permitted increased ground coverage and FAR for all sizes of private residential plots and introduced the concept of zoning in place of frame control.
As per a survey of UT Administration, more than thousands of houses made alterations in the existing structures or erected new spaces in their houses after the relaxations in buildings bylaws which spoiled has Chandigarh’s picturesque image. While large number of houses in every sector has extended the ground coverage with new constructions, other houses remained as it is, giving an impression of asymmetry everywhere in whole of Chandigarh.
later, the UT Expert Heritage Committee, constituted to recommend measures to preserve city’s heritage had suggested revoking the notification of 2008 which allowed enhancement of FAR to private residential properties, due to its adverse impact on the urban design of the city. It highlighted that doing away with the frame control of marla houses and additional construction in the rear courtyards of these houses has adversely impacted the Sun, Space and Verdure concept and the streetscape/urban design of the city.
Nonetheless, revoking the notification remains a far-off possibility now and the issue of maintaining the architectural control in both residential and commercial areas continues to put the higher authorities in a tight spot.
MN Sharma, first Indian chief architect of Chandigarh while talking to The Pioneer says, “Chandigarh is a well-ordered matrix of Corbusier’s designing of modern architecture. The city has witnessed a series of changes in the recent past and is now struggling to retain its real character. With the changing times, many amendments have been allowed in building bylaws. Some have been for good while some are not good for the city as Chandigarh has now started to look like any other common city of the country.”
Sharma, who has penned down a book titled ‘Making of City Beautiful: le Corbusier and After’ for le Corbusier Foundation, Paris says, “The city was planned for half a million but it is catering to the needs of over a million today and this excludes the population of the satellite towns of Mohali, Panchkula and other townships which are completely dependent on city’s infrastructure. little did we know that Chandigarh’s infrastructure would have to bear with so much pressure after five years of its creation...”
“The population is increasing and the demand for need-based changes has been growing as well. Already, the higher authorities have made changes in coverage area of courtyard, total Floor area ratio (FAR) among others in both commercial and residential areas. The architectural nomenclature of the city has been changing due to his,” says Sharma, who was also an associate of Corbusier.
“The countries like Denmark and Singapore have been able to maintain their original character. The higher authorities here should not allow major changes in building bylaws and look for permissible modifications only,” adds Sharma.
Expressing concerns over the architectural changes, the UT Master Plan Vision 2031 draft states, “The new emerging hotels and commercial activity in the showrooms of Sector 7, 26 among other sectors here create an unhealthy mix of high end commercial activity, heavy traffic and noise generating service activities. Signages are also taking over the frontage of commercial buildings without any regard to the architectural control designs.”
On the issue of changing building bylaws, UT Chief Architect Sumit Kaur says, “The Chandigarh Master Plan: Vision 2031 draft is prepared and would be notified soon. The Master Plan has laid down a number of recommendations to preserve the original character of Chandigarh.”
“Chandigarh’s principles of town planning of Sun, Space, and Verdure and monumental architecture, as enunciated by Corbusier, along with urban design, landscaping, honesty in the use of construction materials, like shuttered concrete and exposed brick-work, has to be preserved as Modern Heritage of Universal Value for which the city has become known throughout the world,” she says.
Corbusier’s urban planning was undoubtedly a popular idea, even though it could not adequately comprehend and cater to the social dynamics of today’s community.
In one of the major initiatives undertaken by UT Administration to preserve Chandigarh’s heritage; the buildings, campuses, and natural features have been categorized as heritage zones, heritage precincts and heritage buildings. The Capitol Complex, Government Museum & Art Gallery Campus, Central State library, Town Hall Building, Government Press Building among other buildings have been listed as heritage buildings.
Subsequently, the UT Administration has initiated a process to formulate conservation management plan for Chandigarh and framing up of conservation byelaws/specific regulations, guidelines and conservation principles that will be undertaken by Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee in consultation with the subject matter Ministries for upkeep, maintenance and management of heritage buildings and heritage zones.
Meanwhile, the planners and architects, in an endeavor to keep pace with the emerging changes in the socio-economic trend and future needs of the changing times in the city, are struggling hard to find solutions to all the challenges within the stipulated architectural controls.
At present, the main concern for the experts is to maintain the existing architectural regulations in a way that it works for city’s large number of inhabitants.
Also, the future development has to ensure that the original concept of landlocked Chandigarh is not marred by any physical barriers.
(The story is written under the aegis of a CSE fellowship)