Photo © Fondation Le Corbusier
Description
Constructed, 1953
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Current Location
Capitol Complex, Sector 1, Chandigarh, India
Previous Locations
Nearby
Palace of Assembly
876 feet
The Tower of Shadows
1293 feet
Chandigarh Capitol Complex
1480 feet
Palace of Justice
2096 feet
The Open Hand Monument
2123 feet
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The Secretariat building helps in defining space of the Capitol Complex. It emphasize a sense of hierarchy of facades and by its sheer cliff like size and volume.
The facade of the building gives a sculptural appearance with exposed concrete ramps.
The facade is perforated with small square windows dominating the front and rear views. It is provided with projections for sun control.
The rough concrete again interposes in the fenestration of the two main façades : more than 10.000 units of a unique design -one stanchion type 27x7 cm in section and 366 cm high constitute the "undulatory glazing".
Vertical circulation is ensured by batteries of elevators matched by a staircase running in both directions encased in a vertical spine rising from ground level to the summit of the roof. Rough concrete similarly caps the two end walls bringing out the effect of the standard sheet-metal formwork.
1953 - Constructed
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1953 - Constructed - Images
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The exterior is of rough concrete - the vertical brise-soleil - the parapets and the horizontal brise-soleil, the acroterium which stands out against the sky leaving visible the rooftop accommodations which are to be used for a club and for receptions.
The building is composed of six eight storeyed blocks separated by expansion joints and bears close resemblance to the Marseilles apartment block, one of Corbusier's earlier projects.
Modulor which permits the stretching of a veil of glass extending the entire length and height of the building, interrupted by elements called "ventilators" which comprise a shutter of sheet-metal pivoting vertically from floor to ceiling across an opening of 43 cm and capable of being opened to any desired width, from 1 millimeter up to 43 centimeters; covered, in addition, by a curtain of copper mosquito-netting.
The employees of the Secretariat arrive by bus, bicycle, or on foot, and (have different accesses depending upon whether the route which they take from the city is the “Boulevard of the Waters” or the "Valley of Leisure".
1953 - Constructed - Drawings and documents
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The Modulor has; dictated the basic section of the office types in the building (3.66 meters of height under the transoms) permitting a harmonization of the heights of the ministerial chambers by a doubling of proportions and has given to blocks 5 and 6, which rest on pilotis at park level, a play of height of true eloquence (entrance level to the Ministers' pavilion, level of ministerial offices and the pilotis of blocks 5 and 6).
The Ministries are grouped in a central pavilion, Block 4, one of the six ministerial blocks, each separated from the next by a vertical expansion joint extending the full height of the building.
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