With the recent recognition of Chandigarh’s
Capitol Complex as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the spotlight on its creator,
Le Corbusier, considered the 20th century’s greatest architect-planner, attains
a more illustrious glow. Against this backdrop, Le Corbusier Rediscovered:
Chandigarh and beyond weaves together an anthology of inspired essays
by eminent, global experts on Corbusier’s life, ideas and work, both in
Chandigarh and at other places. The diverse yet interlinked themes forming a
composite compendium, rediscover the timelessness of Le Corbusier’s
architecture and revisit his impact in India and the world over. Current issues
like conservation of Chandigarh’s architectural heritage, future strategies for
its growth and the Smart City model for Indian urbanisation are also addressed.
The book is imbued with a patina of historicity imparted by the inclusion of
some rare archival images and texts. With focussed essays by international experts
like B.V. Doshi, William J.R. Curtis, Raj Rewal, Rahul Mehrotra, Jacques
Sbriglio, Michel Richard, Alfredo Brillembourg, S.D. Sharma, Jagan Shah,
Rajnish Wattas and Sumit Kaur on thematically linked topics—this richly
illustrated book (with nearly 250 images) constitutes a seminal new publication
on this subject. It rediscovers Le Corbusier and his crowning glory Chandigarh,
viewed afresh in a new light.