7. The Assembly

In this episode, we explore the Assembly building in Chandigarh. We discuss the evolution of its design, examining how it became the focal point of the Capitol Complex. We also critique the sculptural form of the building and the symbolic significance of the painted enamel door.

TIMESTAMPS:

1:07 - Why does the Assembly building seem to be in the centre of the Capitol? Was this always the case?

3:51 - How did the scrapping of the Governor’s Palace change the design and significance of the Assembly?

5:58 - Hyperbolic paraboloid connection to cooling towers of thermal power stations in Ahmedabad

9:44 - Assembly as self-conscious structure - the ‘bull’ metaphor

11:25 - Relationship to the cosmos in the Assembly building

13:47 - Developing a modernist ethics of living

18:10 - The sense of the sacred and divine in the Assembly chamber

24:32 - The roof of the Assembly with the amphitheater and bridge

26:19 - The painted enamel door and its visual concepts

28:43 - Corbusier’s fascination with the right angle

32:32 - The ‘potato’ cutouts as portholes or eyes

34:13 - The presence of the hand and its connection to arts and crafts

36:29 - Chandigarh, democracy and the embodiment of the Nehruvian state as a counterpoint to Lutyens’ Delhi.