Can a city be designed to represent a nation's future after colonial rule?
In short: Following India's 1947 independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru commissioned the construction of Chandigarh. This futurist city was intended to symbolize a new, united national identity. Vikramāditya Prakāsh examines the planning and architectural vision behind this ambitious project.
In the wake of the 1947 partition and the end of British rule, India faced the challenge of defining its post-colonial identity. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sought to manifest a vision of progress and unity through the creation of Chandigarh, a city designed to be explicitly futurist.
The project was led by the architect Le Corbusier, who was tasked with translating Nehru's political aspirations into a physical urban landscape. The city serves as a case study in how architecture can be used as a tool for nation-building, reflecting the complex intersection of modernist design and the urgent need for a new national narrative.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Is Chandigarh a perfectly planned city? - Vikramāditya Prakāsh
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