Chandigarh

Chandigarh: An Irony of History is the richest exposition, with an enlightened evaluation, of actual Chandigarh, which grew out of Le Corbusier¿s planning theories and their realisation. It comprehensively deals with Town Planning, Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape, Art, and Services, in the context of Le Corbusier¿s written word and his realised works vis-à-vis the dynamics of urban phenomena whereby the citizens have attained a new lifestyle. Though enormous literature, mostly...
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Chandigarh: An Irony of History is the richest exposition, with an enlightened evaluation, of actual Chandigarh, which grew out of Le Corbusier¿s planning theories and their realisation. It comprehensively deals with Town Planning, Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape, Art, and Services, in the context of Le Corbusier¿s written word and his realised works vis-à-vis the dynamics of urban phenomena whereby the citizens have attained a new lifestyle. Though enormous literature, mostly journalism spiced with glossy pictures, exists worldwide on the city, Dr. SS Bhatti shows for the first time how the creation of Chandigarh ¿ a state capital that outrivals national capitals of the modern world ¿ is, in fact, An Irony of History! The publication¿s uniqueness springs from the author¿s amazing professional versatility, with insightful expertise in History of Modern Architecture as well as Indian Architecture, to put Chandigarh in the right global perspective. Having lived in Chandigarh since 1961 and seen it grow ¿ from a daring experiment to an unforgettable experience ¿ the author brings to his doctorate a rare authenticity. Discountenancing the hypothesis-based method, he has developed a holistic system of scholastic enquiry, ¿PAR-SOM,¿ for comprehensive investigation and critical evaluation of city that he regards to be ¿a social organism and a work of art.¿ Plan, Action and Reality, in combination with Subjective, Objective and Metaphysical dimensions, constitute his novel method. As a rich resource for future research, the book is a definitive work, which should be compulsory reading for all those concerned with planning for vital communities in the 21st century.