Who designed the city of Chandigarh ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:
Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect and urban planner, is famously credited with designing the city of Chandigarh. Following the Partition of India in 1947, a new capital was needed for the Indian state of Punjab (and later for Haryana as well), and Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, commissioned Corbusier for this monumental task in the early 1950s. Corbusier applied his principles of modernist architecture and urban planning to create a city laid out on a grid system, characterized by strict zoning, functional segregation, and an emphasis on concrete architecture (known as Brutalism). His design is especially noted for the Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the Secretariat, Assembly, and High Court. His vision created a modern, planned city that stands as a remarkable experiment in 20th-century urbanism.

The incorrect option is 1:
Edwin Lutyens was a British architect best known for his extensive role in planning and designing New Delhi, particularly the Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) and India Gate, alongside Herbert Baker. His work predates the planning of Chandigarh by several decades, and his style represents a synthesis of classical European architecture with Indian motifs, distinct from Corbusier's modernism.

The incorrect option is 2:
Herbert Baker was also a prominent British architect who worked closely with Edwin Lutyens on the design of New Delhi, specifically designing the Secretariat Buildings (North and South Blocks). While he was instrumental in shaping India's colonial capital, he had no involvement in the design or planning of Chandigarh.

The incorrect option is 4:
Lourie Baker (also known as Laurie Baker) was a British-born Indian architect renowned for his pioneering work in sustainable and cost-effective architecture in South India. His designs focused on local materials, vernacular construction techniques, and environmental compatibility, which is a contrasting philosophy to the grand, modernist concrete plans executed in Chandigarh.