Jeanneret: Chandigarh

Translating to the 'fortress of Chandi', the Indian goddess of power, Chandigarh is an Indian municipality that was built with big dreams. Construction on the planned city in the north of the country was led by renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier who, following Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's wishes for 'a new town, symbolic of the freedom of India' after the nation's independence, created a vast utopian dream of an avant-garde city, in collaboration with cousin and fellow esteemed architect Pierre Jeanneret. Assouline's 'Chandigarh' charts the formation of this ground-breaking project across 350 pages and over 400 illustrations, looking in great detail at Le Corbusier's grand infrastructure, defined by large volumes of bold raw concrete and a unique horizontal grid layout. Furniture created by Jeanneret for public and private buildings is also examined alongside Chandigarh's many facets, which include residential neighbourhoods, green spaces, medical facilities, schools, temples, shops, sports grounds, and an artificial lake.