Paper is a brief attempt to showcase the role and importance of art in defining and making value addition to the profession of architecture

1. (Art as Definer and Promoter of Architecture)
Jit Kumar Gupta Chitrangda
Ex Director I.E.T Bhaddal CCA, Chandigarh
+91-9041026414 +919878500209
Jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
ar6chitra@gmail.com
Abstract
Promoting various built forms, creating quality built
environment and iconic urban spaces have its genesis in
the synthesis of art and architecture. Art and
Architecture are known to have high degree of
convergence with a thin line defining and differentiating
them. If architecture is known to be the body, art has
been compared to be soul of the built environment. If art
has been labeled as,’ expression of human creative skill
and imagination in the visual form, producing works to
be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power;
Architecture ,as applied science, has its genesis in
creating buildings known for their form, usefulness
,strength and beauty. If a great piece of art is an object
of joy and pleasure, a well designed and constructed
building is not only useful but also brings joy and
happiness for the community and people who use it. Art
and architecture are distinguished by the fact that
Architecture is known to have a practical aspect which
art does not have. Architecture is primarily and
essentially driven by the context, economy, site, climate,
material, form, technology, light and structural language
whereas art has only visual and emotional connotations.
Despite these barriers, art has been prime mover of
architecture. All great master works created in
architecture, owe their genesis and creation to great
artists. All master architects had great understanding
and appreciation of art, which is clearly reflected in the
buildings designed by them. Good artists are known to be
good architects. Art as a creative science has leveraged
architecture in numerous ways giving architecture a new
theme, context, meaning and vocabulary. Chandigarh, a
role model in the field of architecture and urban
planning, designed by Mon Le-Corbusier and his team of
dedicated architects, have made extensive use of art as
integral part of the designing various buildings
comprising part of world heritage Capitol Complex i.e.
High Court, Assembly etc, to promote their aesthetics
and beauty. Paper tries to look through, define and detail
out the elements of art used to make these buildings as
state of art and universal buildings, locally and globally.
Paper will also try to explore the various forms of art
used, their context and impact on the quality of the
architecture of the building where they are placed.
1. Introduction
Architecture, mother of all arts, has been making use of
different forms of art to create quality spaces for the use
of human habitation and working. While every form of
art may not be architecture but every form of architecture
ought to be an art. Art in architecture besides visual,
have spatial and notional connotations involving scale,
proportions and massing. Art has been used in promoting
architecture using three basic approaches; conceiving
building itself as form of art; using art as the modulator
of space and making art integral part of architecture.
From time immemorial architecture has instinctively
been overlaid with art. Right from the cave dwellings it
has been human endeavor to integrate art in architecture.
Art and architecture remain inseparable because using all
kinds of arts; available at the human command to create
state of art buildings has always been part of the human
instinct to give a distinct meaning to the built spaces
created. Architecture has its genesis in creating buildings
known for their form, usefulness, strength and beauty.
Art finds its place in architecture through structure,
spaces or surfaces inspired from nature, material,
engineering or even the philosophy. Although art remains
subservient to the space created in the architecture but it
provides great opportunity to humanize and make value
addition to the space besides involving, interacting and
engaging the end user into spatial narratives. Looking at
the entire context of art and architecture, one can clearly
observe, if architecture is driven by context, form,
function and climate, art has its genesis in visual and
emotional connotations. Despite these barriers, art and
Architecture continue to share common canvas. They
have been admirably integrated through different
periods of history. Indian temples in the south are the
great examples of showcasing how art can be leveraged
to promote architecture and convey the essence of a
culture and theme of the building. However, current
approach to built environment involving structural
necessity and material functionalism has led to separation
of art and architecture where shape of buildings and
relationship between solids and voids created in the
building are considered as an art, necessitating the
elimination of any artistic expression applied to the
buildings. Infact aligning architecture with the fields of

2. science and technology and discarding functionality,
rationalism and humanizing qualities has played crucial
role in separating art from architecture. With
commoditization, commercialization, standardization and
multiplication guiding the designing and construction of
buildings, little room is left for making art integral part
of the buildings. Large scale visual poverty experienced
in majority of the 20th century cities around the world
has its genesis in the divorce between art and
architecture. Formal system of education, which never
put art and architecture on the same pedestal and
supportive of each other, have also largely contributed to
the ever widening gap between art and architecture.
Encouraging understanding the relevance of art in
architecture and vice-versa in all institutions imparting
education in art and architecture right from the
beginning of their academic pursuit, by making them
integral part of course curricula ,would go a long way in
creating synergies in the professions of art and
architecture. Running courses in art and architecture
within the same institution under the same roof will help
in high degree of shared learning and teaching. Adopting
this approach would go a long way in not only promoting
synergy between two professions but would also help in
training professionals which would improve the quality
and context of built space.
1. Chandigarh
Chandigarh, famous for its Architecture, planning and
beauty, amply justifies its hard earned title of ‘The City
Beautiful’. City aptly justifies Michelangelo’s quote,
“Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle”.
Conceived, conceptualized and brought into reality by
Le-Corbusier and his team of dedicated and committed
architects, Chandigarh, after old capital city Lahore was
lost to Pakistan during partition of India in 1947, tries to
defines, details and scripts the destination of the capital
city of Chandigarh, unfettered by the traditions of the
past. Le Corbusier, multifaceted personality of twentieth
century comprising of an artist, painter, architect, city
planner, sculptor, furniture designer, writer, thinker,
publisher, amateur photographer and filmmaker, with
almost forty books and hundreds of published essays ;
backed by four-decade of turbulent professional career in
reshaping cities; designing seventy five iconic buildings
in a dozen countries; and working on over four hundred
architectural projects, gave a new theme and
architectural vocabulary to the city built environment
with the support and use of art, colour, tapestries
enamels, bas-reliefs, painted walls and images embedded
in the structures. Corbusier used colours and visual
imagery to represent a movement to integrate art and
architecture. He said: “You employ stone, wood, and
concrete, and with these materials you build houses and
palaces: that is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But
suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am
happy and I say: ‘This is beautiful.’- That is Architecture.
In search for appropriate solutions to make buildings
iconic, Corbusier used various forms of art in the interior
and exterior of buildings, considering the context,
ambience and quality of spaces to be created. Capitol
remains the area of focus where Corbusier used and
showcased his understanding, skill, experience, expertise,
knowledge and mastery of use of various forms of art to
create and support a new and distinct architectural
vocabulary.
2. Capitol
Capitol is the centre stage where Corbusier
demonstrated its skill as an architect and an artist.
Figuring among 17 World Heritage Listed buildings of
the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, Capitol
Complex Chandigarh is an architectural wonder. In the
words of Jane Pauline Hamilton, ‘Conceptualized and
built in the 1950s by Le Corbusier, it is a sprawling area
that houses three buildings – the Legislative Assembly
(or the Palace of Assembly), the Secretariat and the High
Court. Seeming to spring from the pages of a popular
Ayn Rand novel, the buildings are just the right
amalgamation of eclectic and old-world grandeur that
simply take one’s breath away. Considering Capitol the
crowning glory, most valuable and adorable part of the
city, with huge park and large distances separating the
Assembly and the High Court, Corbu felt that the need
to connect these buildings, both visually and physically,
playing with forms, using bright colors, having a
enameled door, creating water bodies for reflecting the
glory of buildings. In the words of Watts, ’At the Capitol,
art and architecture come together as one unified
conception, each complementing the other. This is not
surprising, for Corbusier was like a later-day 20th
century's Leonardo da Vinci and not only merely an
architect-urbanist. He was a painter, sculptor, writer,
philosopher and a poet too’. Designing Legislative
Assembly and the High Court buildings, Corbusier used
his basic instinct and expertise as a sculptor giving
unique shape to the making of these architecture marvels.
Artist in Corbusier propelled him to plan, design and
place the great sculpture of Open Hand, as the
crowning glory of the Capital Complex to create a
mascot and message of ,’Open to receive and Open to
give’. Commanding texture, strength, colour, aesthetics,
appeal and utility with value addition made through
specifically designed shuttering patterns, bas-reliefs and
motifs, rugged concrete, left unfinished was the material
chosen for the construction of buildings in the complex,
for connecting the buildings with Shivalik hills and to
give them robust character. Corbusier used the motif
ranging from seals, animals including bulls, cows, birds,
fishes drawn from ancient Indian civilization and nearby
rural settlements as integral part of the building interiors

3. and exteriors. Use of bold and primary colours in the
buildings is seen as another special feature of Capitol,
through which Corbusier tried to integrate art with
architecture.
3. Architecture and Tapestries
Tapestry remains the most pre-dominant form of art used
intelligently and innovatively by Le-Corbusier within the
buildings of the capital complex to give a new theme to
interior spaces.Tapestry is known as the art of weaving
pictures and images into textiles used for covering walls
and floors. Based on the choice of bright colours with
images revolving around man and its relation with
cosmos, Corbusier wanted to create harmony between
interior and exterior of the buildings. Through
Tapestries, Corbusier showcased his basic philosophy of
creating human settlements based on the radiant city
where the entire context was to meet the basic human
requirements of living, working, culture of body and
mind and circulation
using the three great
elements of nature
involving sun, space and
greenery. Accordingly,
this trinity encompassed
the entire solar system,
bio-sphere and the
numerous eco-systems
which regulate this world.
Thus symbols, motifs including clouds, water, rivers,
stars, reptiles, animals, birds, flora and fauna found
prominent place in the Corbusier art and paintings which
adored the buildings of Capitol. ," Corbusier created
Tapestries using Modular as a scale with common theme
involving rectangular patches of colors in the
background, adopted from Polycromie Architecturale,
adorned with manmade and natural symbols and forces
guiding mankind and eco-system (Watts).Sharing the
common medium and wool mix as the fabric, these
tapestries followed the pattern used in making traditional
‘durries’ in the villages of Punjab. These tapestries gave
a new aura and theme to the interiors, making them more
bright and colorful against the dull color and rugged
texture of the concrete used for construction. In addition,
these tapestries made interior acoustically perfect by
regulating the sound. In all 12 Tapestries were used by
Corbusier out of which three are placed in the Assembly
buildings whereas rest nine form part of court rooms of
High Court.
4.1 Palace Of Justice
With exposed concrete surfaces inside the large volume
courtrooms producing a visually dull feeling and creating
acoustic problem, providing an appropriate solution to
make courtroom acoustically sound and bright became a
necessity for proper functioning of the courts. In search
for appropriate cost-effective and innovative solutions,
Corbusier suggested the use of large tapestries to make
court room acoustically excellent besides creating a
distinct colourful aura in the otherwise monotonous
atmosphere of the courtrooms. Large tapestries were
accordingly proposed to cover the interior walls behind
the judges' seat. A set of nine large pieces of tapestries
were designed for the courtrooms of the High Court
building with largest one for the court of the Chief
Justice (144 sq. m.) and smaller ones, one each for eight
of smaller courts ( 64 sq. m. each) . In all 650 meters of
tapestry was designed and completed in five months by
Indian craftsmen in Kashmir. All tapestries were
designed and composed based on the design prepared by
Le- Corbusier. With underlying principles remaining
common, each tapestry had a different design. Called by
Corbusier as the "nomadic murals , colours primarily
used in majority were Red followed by Yellow, White
and Blue which represented action, light, serenity and
sky. In addition, large number of motifs and symbols
were also embedded in the basic design and made part of
tapestry designs. Tapestry designs included cosmos,
natural and manmade objects including sun, sky, stars,
clouds, lightening, meandering river, balance in justice,
wheels, human footprints in terms of hands and feet,
reptiles, flora and fauna etc as the elements and themes of
design. These tapestries provoked the delighted
acquiescence of Mr. Nehru and the Governor of Punjab
as well as the Chief Judge but these tapestries aroused
doubts in the minds of some judges who declared that
they were an outrage to the dignity of justice and caused
two or three of them to be removed.
4.2 Palace Of Assembly
Propelled by the success of
the tapestries in High Court,
three tapestries were designed
and installed in the Assembly
building. Tapestries in
Assembly Buildings were
larger than those installed in the High Court because of
the larger space to be covered except the one installed in
the courtroom of Chief justice. These Tapestries adorned
the interiors of both the houses in the assembly besides
the entrance. Tapestries installed in the two chambers
measured 155 Sq.m each, whereas tapestry behind the
ramp in the entrance in the basement measured 135 sq.m.
Installed in the year 1962, these tapestries differed in
colour and manufacturing from the one installed in the
High court. With design principles remained the same,
choice and use of bright colours by Corbusier in
tapestries in Assembly building was based on the analogy
to create a harmony between interior and exterior of the
building based on colour pattern used for the ceremonial
enamel door.

4. 4. Architecture and Colours
Colours are known to be providers of great contrast,
distinct character and value addition to the buildings,
architectural character and spaces. The idea of using bold
colours in buildings of Chandigarh has its roots in the
theory Polycromie Architecturale developed by
Corbusier. Theory draws inspiration from musical
harmonies. As per Giuseppina Scavuzzo, "These colours
bear a strong relation to Nature; and introduce a new
kind of link between inside and outside, using colour as a
space-defining element.” While designing buildings,
Corbusier has made strategic use of colours to provide
distinct character and visibility to the buildings. In case
of Court of Justice, these bold colours adore the three
great pylons with pastel shades of green, yellow and
pink salmon facing the assembly building, whereas in the
case of Assembly, colours mark the great entrance to the
building, specially created for the head of the state to
enter the building on the special occasions.
5.1 Colour and Palace of Assembly
Palace of Assembly remains the iconic building due to its
peculiar form, unique shape and out of box design,
largely propelled by the artistic instinct of the Le-
Corbusier. The glory of the assembly is defined by the
colors, furniture, tapestries and images which Corbusier
used with great precision, to define the interiors and
entrance to the building. Each work of art comprises of
Corbusier signature-like arrangement of colors with
symbols and motifs in contrasting shades. This includes
an enameled door painted by Corbusier himself, which
appears at the entrance of the Assembly. The rugged
shade of the exposed reinforced concrete used for
construction coupled with bright primary colors, shapes
and forms punctuated with skylight and window cut-outs
of different shapes makes the Assembly building unique
and colorful besides promoting ventilation and the
illusion of height.
5.2 Colour and the Door
Nearly 25 feet square door, meant for providing entry
from the core is pivoted in the middle of the Assembly
portico, facing the High Court The outer face, a strong
visual counterpoint to the vibrant colours of the High
Court pylons, is divided into two equal parts. The upper
part has landscape with the red and yellow sky above
depicting the solar and the
lunar cycles, the solstices, and
the equinoxes manifesting
Corbusier's pre-occupation
with man's relationship with
the cosmos. The lower half is
populated with animals, natural formations, and other
cryptic symbols distributed evenly over the entire
surface. The background of the desert depicts the original
order on earth and the green, symbolizes the "Garden of
Eden" landscape. Amidst the greenery stands Corbusier’s
abstracted human figure, the upright Modular Man. A
river meanders on the left and as an abstracted
ecosystem, there is a turtle, a bull, a fish, and, of course,
the serpent. In the centre is the proverbial "Tree of
Knowledge" flowering into the fruits of knowledge. Use
of colours on the façade of door makes the entire space
vibrant, lively and meaningful. Assembly door is a living
tribute to Corbusier skill in the art and science of
synthesizing art with architecture.
5.3 Colour and Assembly Chamber
The assembly chamber, with a seating capacity of 252
persons, is a study in colour, form and space with the
hyperbolic parabolic
dome set within the three
layers of pastel shades of
green, yellow and pink,
punctuated by sound-
absorbing acoustic tiles
and cloud-like shapes.
The art in the interior of
the large chamber has
been structured in three distinct layers, each defining a
specified theme, meaning and objective. First layer,
dedicated to provide perfect acoustics required for the
rational functioning of the house, is occupied by the
sound-absorbing acoustic tiles laid over a red painted
wall. The second layer, painted in pastel yellow,
superimposed by numerous patches in different shapes to
give an impression of floating clouds over the sky
spanning the narrowing diameter of the dome and finally
merging into the skylight, forming the third layer. The
richness and brightness of colours continues with yellow
carpets defining the floor and green upholstered chairs,
specially designed by Corbusier team for seating the
legislators.
5.4 Colour and Palace Of Justice
Marked with three massive flattened piers leading inward
and rising sixty feet from the ground to meet the heavy
outward thrust of the roof, personified as a grand
entrance with its awesome scale to manifest the majesty
of the law to all who entered the building, High Court
emerges as most powerful statement adoring the capitol
with Corbusier used his instinct of gelling
art with
architecture
using
colours as

5. the medium. With columns and portico walls painted in
bright contrasting colours, the colour scheme envisioned
an order involving inside wall painted black, with
adjacent pillar made green, central pier painted yellow,
whereas right-hand pillar painted red, and remaining
portico wall made primary blue. Completed in 1962,
colour scheme provided a distinct aura, character,
culture, image and appearance to the High Court.
6. Embedded Art
In addition to using
colour, form and
textures as form of
art, Corbusier also
used extensively the
mechanism of
embedded art. In this
form of art, Corbusier made all the participants, living
creatures and local flora and fauna as integral part of the
building by casting them on walls, columns and beams
within the concrete by creating reliefs. This he has done
in the assembly and institutional buildings. For small bas
– reliefs of animals, abstract designs and the modular
figure found in the concrete column of the portico and
other wall surfaces.
Through this Corbusier has tried to recognize those who
were having their habitat locally and made contribution
to make city a distinct reality. In addition, he also tried to
relate the cosmos with the built environment through
these reliefs.
7. Public Art
Public art is a powerful tool in reflecting the experience
of the urban, provoking an engagement of urbanites with
their environment, and in re-socializing public spaces.
7.1 Wall at Govt. Hospital, Sector 16
Chandigarh is known to be dull and drab city with brick,
mortar and glass largely defining its architectural
character. In order to improve the visibility of buildings
and to make them distinct, unique and giving them a
theme, Chandigarh administration has started the concept
of painting the outer walls of the buildings.
First initiative in this regard has been taken for the
outer wall of the General Hospital facing Madhya
Marg which has been painted with great messages. Being
a hospital wall, theme and message displayed on this wall
is ‘getting healthy’ depicting yoga and cycling as the
ways to a healthy life. In addition, public places are being
provided with sculptures and murals and other works of
art to improve the visibility and quality of urban spaces,
Rock Garden constructed by Mr Nek Chand out of the
city waste is a great example of how art can be leveraged
to make cities more attractive and liveable.
7.2 Wall at City Centre, Sector 17
The Mural in sector -17 piazza reflecting Chandigarh in
itself. Made of handmade color tiles, it is a three
dimensional representing the elements of Chandigarh e.g.
Its emblem, Sukhna Lake, Lush Green valleys, Capitol
Complex, Round abouts, Rock Garden, Grid roads and
sector 17 Fountain.
Conclusion
India is passing through an
era of rapid urbanization
with large addition of
population making cities
as their preferred place of
living. With the addition in
population, large built up
space is being added to the
cities. As per estimates made by the McKenzie Global
Institute, India will need 700-900 million Sq. m of built
space annually to meet the demand for living, working,
industry, trade and commerce etc of the people coming to
cities. Thus large footprints of buildings are going to dot
the urban settlements. Most of the built up structures are
being taken up as commercial ventures where focus is to
make buildings only cost-effective. Quality of buildings
and spaces being created in the process has the least
priority. Most of the cities are passing through an era of
crisis with bare buildings creating concrete jungles. In the
process, quality of public spaces being created are of
very poor quality. With the dominance of the vehicles,
cities are fast losing its vital public spaces for creating
parking and road widening. It is time to look at the issue
objectively and critically, It is time for re-looking at the
art and science of architecture to make it more
meaningful and to create spaces which promotes better
living, learning, healthcare etc. Architecture needs to be
effectively integrated with art to make urban areas and
built spaces more meaningful. Art and architecture needs
to be synthesized at the institutional, professional and
practice level to make all architects and artists co-operate
and collaborate in creating quality buildings. Course
curricula need to be reviewed, revised and re-defined to
make the education more meaningful. All schools of art
should get involved in understanding the role and
importance of art in architecture. All schools of
architecture must have schools of art as part of the
institution and the vice- versa so as to synthesize and
integrate their role in making the art and science of
designing buildings and spaces more rational and
community oriented. Building bye-laws would also need

6. a critical review so as to ensure that art is made integral
part of planning, designing, construction and operation of
buildings constructed for human habitation.
REFERENCES
• http://www.theartstory.org/artist Corbusier-
artworks.htm#pnt_1- The Art Story- Le-
Corbusier-- Modern Architecture, The
International Style, Purism, Brutalism
• http://www.cindrebay.com/blog/palace-
assembly-chandigarh-beautiful-collision-art-
architecture--The Palace of Assembly,
Chandigarh: Beautiful Collision of Art and
Architecture
• Colorful enigmas of Corbusier’s Capitol--
Rajnish Watts- published article- The Tribune
• Le- Corbusier Tapestries for Chandigarh- High
Court and Legislative Assembly- Chandigarh
Perspective, Chandigarh.
• Anand Raj Mulk, by Chandigarh – pp 17-18.
• Gupta Jit Kumar ; Sharma Chitrangda, 2018
Defining Role of Art in Promoting Chandigarh
Architecture, Journal of Indian Institute of
Architects, India
* Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta
Founder – Director
College of Architecture
IET Bhaddal, Punjab
Email id- jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
** Ar. Chitrangda Sharma
Assistant Professor
Chandigarh College of Architecture
Chandigarh
Email id- ar6chitra@gmail.com

7. a critical review so as to ensure that art is made integral
part of planning, designing, construction and operation of
buildings constructed for human habitation.
REFERENCES
• http://www.theartstory.org/artist Corbusier-
artworks.htm#pnt_1- The Art Story- Le-
Corbusier-- Modern Architecture, The
International Style, Purism, Brutalism
• http://www.cindrebay.com/blog/palace-
assembly-chandigarh-beautiful-collision-art-
architecture--The Palace of Assembly,
Chandigarh: Beautiful Collision of Art and
Architecture
• Colorful enigmas of Corbusier’s Capitol--
Rajnish Watts- published article- The Tribune
• Le- Corbusier Tapestries for Chandigarh- High
Court and Legislative Assembly- Chandigarh
Perspective, Chandigarh.
• Anand Raj Mulk, by Chandigarh – pp 17-18.
• Gupta Jit Kumar ; Sharma Chitrangda, 2018
Defining Role of Art in Promoting Chandigarh
Architecture, Journal of Indian Institute of
Architects, India
* Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta
Founder – Director
College of Architecture
IET Bhaddal, Punjab
Email id- jit.kumar1944@gmail.com
** Ar. Chitrangda Sharma
Assistant Professor
Chandigarh College of Architecture
Chandigarh
Email id- ar6chitra@gmail.com