Chandigarh Unbuilt
Chandigarh Unbuilt - Paloma gets an Honorable Mention
9 Aprile 2018
There are various elements of Chandigarh, that were conceived by Le Corbusier but remained confined to documents, pictures and archives. Despite being the symbol and identity of the city for many years, the Capitol complex is still incomplete, for a fourth building, the Museum of Knowledge was planned to accompany the existing Secretariat, Assembly Hall and High Court. The MoK, according to Corbusier was to function as a decision-making or a briefing centre for the government officials, highlighting the importance and applied use of technology and electronics in processing, synthesising and presenting large bodies of information related to the state matters.
The aim of this competition is to design the Museum of Knowledge (MoK) at the original cumulative site of the then proposed MoK and Martyr’s memorial in the Capitol Complex.The participants are tasked with defining the purpose of a KNOWLEDGE/ CONAISSANCE MUSEUM in the Chandigarh of the 21st century. The proposal for the MoK needs to interpret the function of a knowledge museum in a way that is germane and relevant to the present and future and helps in alleviating chaos and disorder, be it economic, political, social, environmental, urban, technological, demographical etc. in nature.
The participants are required to contemplate the relevance and importance of Le Corbusier’s version of modern architecture in present time and enrich community life by injecting, activating and rejuvenating the public space in and around the Museum of Knowledge.
The proposal should aim to intensify the democratic principles of the Capitol Complex by incorporating the civil society inside the Museum of Knowledge. The MoK proposal needs to accommodate and facilitate intellectuals and to provide a conducive live working environment for them, serving as a space for ‘creation’ of knowledge rather than just ‘exhibition’ of knowledge.
The site is located in the Capitol Complex exactly opposite the Geometric hill to the north and is contained between the other edifices of Legislative Assembly and Secretariat on one side and High Court on the other.