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<\/a>\u25a0Light Rays \u25a0Door<\/p>\n\n\n The architect\u2019s vision of natural light can be read from the legislative assembly building located about 450 meters opposite the High Court. This building features a tower on its rooftop formed by hyperbolic curves, inside which lies the parliamentary chamber. To the left of the tower is a structure modeled after the Jaipur sundial and observatory. Le Corbusier\u2019s approach to astronomy is also reflected in a large enamel mural that serves as a door panel. This enormous door mural consists of 55 enamel plates arranged vertically, measuring about 7 \u25a0Shadow \u25a0The Palette of 63 Colors \u25a0Waterfront \u25a0Open Hand \u25a0Sector 17 \u25a0Main Roads
First, I quote the words of Le Corbusier:
“Chandigarh is planned on a human scale. It connects to the infinite universe and nature. It is a place for all human activities where citizens can live a rich and harmonious life. Here, the radiance of nature and the heart is within our reach.”
A vast paved ground is moistened by a dense white mist. About 180 meters ahead from where I stand, the High Court building faintly appears. Its enormous facade faces east and west. The sky behind peeks from beneath the portico, and the rays of light passing through it gently caress the huge concrete pillars painted red, yellow, and green, casting the morning sun on the ground. In this city, I encountered several lyrical daylight scenes. I believe this is because the philosophy of Atelier Le Corbusier in Paris, who designed this Capitol Complex, also extended to the urban layout. Until now, Chandigarh has been discussed mainly from an architectural viewpoint. However, I feel it has not been explored much from the perspective of urban lighting. In this survey, while observing the traces of natural light, I want to consider its merits and demerits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
meters in height, 0.7 meters in height per plate, and about 1.4 meters wide. It depicts a lush, vibrant land where humans, animals, and plants coexist, overlaid with multiple planetary orbits in the sky above. Upon close observation, the central theme is revealed to be the sun. The large arch near the top center represents the sun\u2019s path in summer, while the lower, near-horizon path depicts the winter sun. On the left edge, the sun, earth, and moon are illustrated. On the right edge, the solstices and equinoxes\u2014summer solstice, spring and autumn equinox, and winter solstice\u2014are shown across two enamel plates.\u3000This grand, weighty door mural can be seen as Le Corbusier\u2019s diagram of natural light. The door itself might symbolize the gateway to understanding this city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could Le Corbusier\u2019s deep reverence for natural light have ultimately taken shape as the brisesoleil<\/em>, a solution to reconcile the harsh Indian climate with inviting light into interiors? The Tower of Shadows<\/em> standing beside the legislative assembly seems like an architectural husk\u2014its entire structure exposed to the wind, continually responding to the changing seasons, weather, and the sun, casting shadows that shift in expression moment by moment.
The brise-soleil<\/em> was also incorporated into the house of Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier\u2019s cousin and collaborator, which Le Corbusier used as his studio during his time in India. There, too, soft natural light filtered through, embodying the very essence of this architectural philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
Le Corbusier developed a palette of 63 colors in collaboration with a wallpaper manufacturer, and he used these extensively in his architecture. For instance, the green-painted exterior walls on the first floor of the Villa Savoye blend into the forest behind, and the natural light, blocked by the eaves, casts shadows that give the building a sense of levitation. I believe that in his architecture, color and natural light are inextricably and purposefully linked.
Here in Chandigarh, too, Le Corbusier must have imbued color with meaning. The fact that the enamel mural on the doors of the Assembly Building is rendered in the same red, yellow, and green tones as the pillars of the courthouse is surely no coincidence. Perhaps, during his travels across India, he discovered a distinct palette\u2014possibly inspired by roadside red walls, ochre earth, or the fiery green of roadside trees. Could it be that he introduced these vivid colors into the otherwise inorganic landscape of the Capitol Complex?
One of the museums Le Corbusier designed stands here in Chandigarh. Color has been applied to the walls where light streams through the brise-soleil<\/em> and skylights. By applying color to such critical points in a building, he captured the elusive quality of natural light and used it to imbue his spaces with boundless depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
In the mid-1950s, a chair known as PH28 was designed for administrative facilities. Made of teak wood with distinctive V-shaped legs and woven cane, it is a notable piece. The designer, Pierre Jeanneret\u2014who also participated in the development of Chandigarh\u2019s districts\u2014is an indispensable figure when discussing the city. There\u2019s something endearing about the photo of him and Le Corbusier floating on Sukhna Lake in a handmade boat. The artificial lake, created as part of the urban plan, was envisioned as a place of relaxation.
Two guidelines apply to this area: first, motorboats are prohibited on the lake; second, vehicles are not allowed on the promenade. These rules are still respected today, helping to preserve a peaceful and refreshing waterfront landscape, away from the city’s noise.
Along the promenade, sturdy concrete garden lamps\u2014about 600 mm in height\u2014are installed at 10-meter intervals. These lamps have been in place since Chandigarh was first established. Their color temperature is around 5000K. As one walks along the path, the orderly arrangement of the lamps gradually dissolves, evoking a sense of astronomical rhythm. They seem to emerge naturally from the heavy, raw concrete aesthetic that defines the cityscape\u2014quintessentially Chandigarh.
The waterfront at night is lively. Light connects the city to the water, and the moist night breeze flows along the promenade. This is a space where people gather to talk, reflect, and share their thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
I would like to mention a scene I witnessed at sunset in Sector 17, the most vibrant district of this city. It was the sight of a small fire lit by homeless individuals beside the pillar of a grade-separated intersection. The flickering flames illuminated their faces and bodies. I hesitated to approach and instead took a photograph from a short distance away. This moment made me realize that an urban nightscape cannot be described solely with beautiful words.
What Le Corbusier envisioned in Chandigarh was the image of an ideal city. However, in reality, the people originally living in this area were displaced, leading to the formation of slums within the city. In other words, the city has moved forward bearing the weight of inequality atop the architect\u2019s dream. The Open Hand monument, a symbol of the city standing in the Capitol Complex, was completed in the 1980s after Le Corbusier\u2019s death. It was meant to represent a gesture of giving and receiving freely. Le Corbusier never witnessed the city\u2019s completion. What would he think of its present state?
The lights kindled by the people living in the city\u2014whether the elegant garden lamps of Sukhna Lake or the fire beside the flyover pillar\u2014are all indispensable elements of the nightscape. There is no hierarchy between them. The raw realities that arise in areas beyond the reach of lighting design may, in fact, hold the true essence of an urban nightscape. And light reveals the lives of the people who dwell in that place.
If, in the future, we move toward creating a new urban nightscape\u2014one that is overly high-tech, stimulating, and devoid of humanity\u2014I would choose to criticize it. But perhaps it takes several decades after a city or lighting plan is completed for it to mature. That is what I felt during my time in Chandigarh. This city still holds poetic scenes of light. It is likely because the urban environment here is not purely driven by functionalism, but instead retains the richness of India\u2019s vast and expressive climate. (Masafumi Yamamoto)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
at the base of a pedestrian overpass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<\/a>
Sector 17, located at the heart of Chandigarh, was planned as the city\u2019s economic and commercial hub. Upon entering the area, one is immediately struck by a sense of contradiction\u2014simplicity and clutter, decay and vibrancy coexisting\u2014creating a mysterious atmosphere unlike that of any other city.
The area features rows of industrial, four-story buildings lined with concrete columns that evoke a sense of a bygone era. These structures stand neatly on either side of a main street approximately 50 meters wide. Pedestrian and vehicle paths are clearly separated, making it easy to navigate. With many open sightlines, the surrounding buildings and shops can be easily seen from the main road or plazas, reinforcing the sense of a deliberately planned shopping district.
The lower levels of the buildings are occupied by a wide variety of stores, ranging from local businesses to internationally popular brands, and were bustling with shoppers. The contrast between the minimalistic urban design and the shops\u2019 efforts to stand out was striking and fascinating. Displays piled high, colorful signage, and eclectic lighting\u2014downlights, floodlights, bare bulbs, even tape lights wrapped around pillars\u2014gave the streets a lively energy.
As I walked through the area, I could sense the shops’ energy radiating from all directions. Even within the orderly, meticulously planned urban environment, there was a strong presence of the individuality and vitality of the local people of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
Streetlights approximately 10 meters in height with a color temperature of 5000K are spaced every 30 meters along the main arterial roads running north\u2013south through Chandigarh. Normally, such sharp beams of light would be piercing to the eyes, but here they diffuse outward, illuminating not only the street trees but even the air above. The fine particles in the atmosphere act like a diffusion lens, making the entire airspace appear to glow\u2014as if the light had taken on mass.
The grid-pattern road system crossing east\u2013west and north\u2013south is one of Chandigarh\u2019s distinctive features. Dedicated lanes are provided for pedestrians, bicycles, and cars, promoting walking and cycling as means of transportation. On the sidewalks, streetlights about 3.5 meters high illuminate the pavement at about 25 lux at night. Though these, like the main road lights, lack shielding and produce glare, the densely growing tropical street trees help protect pedestrians\u2019 eyes, allowing them to experience a shower of light similar to sunlight filtering through leaves. In this environment where air pollution and light pollution coexist, Chandigarh\u2019s nighttime roads exhibit a unique lighting character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>