The document summarizes two conferences organized by the Indian Institute of Architects' Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter. The first conference discussed building green cities and featured presentations on reducing energy consumption in buildings. The second conference on global architecture featured talks on modern architecture trends in India, Mexico and other countries. Both conferences highlighted the importance of sustainable design and energy efficiency in buildings.

1. IIA TIMESA QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS : CHANDIGARH - PUNJAB CHAPTER
AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009
The world energy scenario shows that
buildings and construction consumes the
major share of the global energy. There is a
close connection between today’s building
designs and the increasing energy crisis,
which is rising day by day. However, comfort
can also be achieved with less consumption
of energy. Thus introduction to sustainable
building design measures can make an
important contribution to minimize the energy
crisis.
To discuss the significance of green buildings
and the architectural approach towards
building green cities, a conference on
“Building Green Cities” was held on
September 15, 2009 at Government Museum
and Art Gallery, Sector 10, Chandigarh.The
conference was organized jointly by the
Embassy of Switzerland in India, Indian
Institute of Architects, Chandigarh-Punjab
Chapter and Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology (ETH), Zurich.
Ar Surinder Bahga, Chairman of Chandigarh-
Punjab Chapter of Indian Institute of
Architects adds, “A green building uses less
energy, water and natural resources, creates
less waste and is healthier for the people
compared to a standard building. We should
adopt various mechanisms for reducing power
consumption substantially in a bid to combat
climate change.”
Dr Matia Celio, Science and Technology
Counsellor, Embassy of Switzerland
expressed that “Sustainable Urban
Development” and “Renewable Energy
Sources” have been pinpointed by the Swiss
and the Indian governments as priority
research areas in the programme of
cooperation. Besides, the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation has very
recently signed an agreement with the Indian
Bureau of Energy Efficiency for undertaking a
joint programme aiming at reducing energy
consumption in new commercial buildings in
India. Evidence shows that time is ripe and
propitious for addressing the issues on Green
Buildings.
The Ambassador of Switzerland HE Mr.
Philippe Welti was the Guest of Honour of the
occasion. He expressed that the conference
was a part of an array of events that the
Swiss Embassy in India is organizing in the
year 2009 which has been specially
designated as the ‘Year of Science and
Education’. He further spoke about the
relevance and importance of sustainable
buildings and cities at large in today’s
scenario of energy crunch.
In the technical sessions, Prof Dietmar Eberle
from Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich
talked about “Resources”. He explained that
one of the basic purposes within the
architecture is the creation of sustainable
buildings. He said, “Their structure is
therefore determined by the optimised
relationship between skin, development and
primary construction. Sustainability means
longevity and a reduction of the resources
consumption. Besides, buildings should be
taken seriously for what they are and as
metaphors, in order to produce far-reaching
social and emotional acceptance.”
The second technical lecture was by Prof
Daniel Spreng, Centre for Energy Policy and
Economics, ETH Zürich. He discussed that in
industrialized countries, all activities
connected with the construction, maintenance
and use of buildings consume about a quarter
of the entire energy supply. He further
emphasized that in developing countries, not
only the per capita energy consumption of
buildings is much lower, also the fraction of
the total energy consumption that is used for
buildings is smaller. The low environmental
impact of the building stock in developing
countries contributes to one aspect of
sustainability; however, poor housing
conditions are likely to be unsustainable in
terms of social sustainability.
Another presentation was by Prof Gerhard
Schmitt from Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology, Zürich. He expressed that our
ambition should be to develop future-oriented
strategies that implement new aptitudes
regarding sustainability. Future cities research
requires investigations ranging from the
micro-scale of building components to the
mezzo scale of urban clusters and the
macro-scale of mega cities or metropolitan
regions—thereby saving energy at all scales.
He elaborated on the concept of Science City
at ETH, Zurich which is being developed as a
role model and various methods and
instruments relevant for future cities have
been developed in that.
The sessions were chaired by Ar Jit Kumar
Gupta, Director, Bhaddal College of
Architecture, Ropar. He impressed upon that
the accelerated urbanization in the Indian
context imposes immense pressure on the
dwindling energy resources. However, the
resource crunch confronting the energy sector
can be effectively alleviated if we plan,
design and develop human settlements and
buildings by using appropriate strategies and
incorporating sound concepts of energy
efficiency and sustainability.
In the panel discussion, the other panelists
were Ar S D Sharma and Ar Manjit Tangri.
Ar Sharma emphasized on the sustainable
development of the cities in general and the
buildings at large. Ar Manjeet Tangri
discussed about the ‘Architecture 2030’, a
U.S. based group whose mission is to create
and quickly respond to opportunities that
shape the dialogue and address the crisis
situation surrounding the ‘Building Sector’
and its contribution to global warming.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILDING GREEN CITIES

2. 2 IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009 IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER
I would like to thank you personally for having
contributed to the success of the “Building
Green Cities” conference, held with
Professors from Switzerland on September 15
in Chandigarh. Drawing from this very
encouraging and positive experience, I am
looking forward to collaborating with the
Indian Institute of Architects, Chandigarh-
Punjab Chapter in the future on subjects of
common interest.
Phillip Welti
TheAmbassador of Switzerland
To discuss the significance of modern
architecture in India and in the world and to
celebrate World Architecture Day, an
International conference “Towards a Global
Architecture” was held on October 11, 2009
at Government Museum and Art Gallery,
Sector 10, Chandigarh. The conference was
organized jointly by the Embassy of Mexico in
India, Indian Institute of Architects,
Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter, and Saakaar
Foundation, Chandigarh.
Mr Conrado Tostado, a Mexican Diplomat
was the Guest of Honour. He spoke about
the bilateral relations of Mexico and India and
its influence on modern architecture. Mr
Conrado elaborated on the different aspects
of Mexican Architecture with respect to the
global architecture.
Ar Balbir Verma, Chair of Practice,
Commonwealth Association of Architects also
spoke about the relevance of this conference
in today’s date. He spoke about the number
of architectural issues being faced by Indian
Architects vis-à-vis global architects. The
architecture which Corbusier and his team
gave to independent India about 60 years
ago has undergone a radical change because
of the changing lifestyles and times. This is
prevalent both in India as well as in the entire
world. We need to assess the reasons behind
this and need to plan for the future needs.
The keynote address was delivered by Ar
Surinder Bahga. He said, “The modern
building materials and technologies have
made a tremendous change in the today’s
architectural scenario. Since the modernism is
penetrating in India at a very faster rate, it is
high time to underline the future strategies for
development”.
The world renowned architects from Mexico,
Italy and South Africa delivered their lectures.
Architect Eduardo Terrazas, gave a
presentation on his own projects. It was
based on four themes: Architecture, Urban
Planning, Design, and, Painting.
His presentation covered his association with
Mexico Olympic Games held in 1968. He
emphasized that profession of architecture is
a social service activity which creates artificial
spaces that function as integrators of
communal life.
Second Speaker, Prof Gerald Steyn from
Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria,
South Africa dwelled on “The Indian Impact
on East African Architecture”. He has related
the architecture of South Africa with the
architecture of Indian Subcontinent. He said
that we can learn to interpret and unfold
vernacular urban settings and building types
to create a more appropriate and predictable
living environment.
The third technical presentation was by
Stefano Boeri, a very well known architect
from Milan, Italy. He was Editor-in Chief of
International Architectural magazine, DOMUS
and presently with ABITARE. The
presentation of works by Stefano was
structured around the theme of “Architecture
and Politics”. He presented three important
projects i.e. the restructuring of the Ex
Arsenale at La Maddalena, Sardinia; the
Centre Régional de la Mediterranée in
Marseilles, France; the Concept Masterplan
for the Milan Expo 2015.
The technical sessions were chaired by Ar Jit
Kumar Gupta, Dr SS Bhatti and Ar Renu
Saigal. Ar Jit Gupta said that in the recent
years there have been radical, even
revolutionary changes in the design of new
buildings. The Modernist Architecture has
given way to Postmodernism which is stylistic
movement in its own right. The rise of this
new contemporary architecture is partly the
result of changing trends, but it can also be
attributed to the availability of constantly
advancing technology.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
“GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE”
IIACHD-PB CHAPTER 2008-2010
OFFICE BEARERS
EXECUTIVE MEMBERS
Ar Archana Chaudhary
Ar Sanjay Goel
Ar P P S Ahluwalia
Ar Bharati Kaushik
Ar Ram Murti Kalra
EDITOR IIA TIMES
Ar Sarbjit Singh Bahga
Email: bahga.sarbjit@gmail.com
PUBLISHED BY
Ar Sarbjit Singh Bahga for and on behalf of
THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
CHANDIGARH-PUNJAB CHAPTER
rd
SCO 53-55, 3 Floor, Sector 17-D
Chandigarh-160017 Ph: 0172 2722466
Email: iia.chdpb@gmail.com
www.iiachdpb.com
DISCLAIMER
The information in this Newsletter has been
compiled from various sources, and does not
necessarily depict the views of the Indian
Institute of Architects, Chandigarh-Punjab
Chapter.
(For Private Circulation Only)
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Hon Treasurer
Jt Hon Secretary
Jt Hon Secretary
-
-
-
-
-
Ar Surinder Bahga
Ar Rakesh Bansal
Ar Jaswinder Singh
Ar Sarbjit Singh Bahga
Ar Ashok Juneja
Comments by H E Mr Phillip Welti,
The Ambassador of Switzerland

3. 3IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009
In the panel discussion, Dr Prabhjot Kaur and
Ar Archana Chaudhary expressed their views
about the advent of modern architecture in
India. Dr Prabhjot Kaur dwelled on the
reforms in the architectural education in India.
Archana Chaudhary elaborated that there
needs to be a holistic approach to
Architecture and planning in order that India
can become a developed nation by 2020.
She further added that to improve the
scenario of architecture in any country, the
architects should be made accountable and
responsible. Continuing Developing
Programmes should also be adopted in the
profession of architecture in India.
B O O K O N “ C O R B ’ S
CAPITOL” RELEASED
Architect Sangeet Sharma’s book “Corb’s
Capitol” is a journey through Chandigarh and
its architecture, the quasi-fictional stories
analyzing the city’s transformation and
metamorphosis. The English and French
versions of the book were launched by HE Mr
Phillip Welti during the conference organised
by Embassy of Switzerland in India, Indian
Institute of Architects, Chandigarh-Punjab
Chapter and Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology (ETH) Zurich on September 15,
2009 at Chandigarh.
Corb’s Capitol is a dialogue between the city
of Chandigarh and the architects. It is a
gripping narration of Chandigarh’s growth
over a period of time. The book comprises
the author’s intimate conversations with the
visitors who come to Chandigarh to seek
inspiration and insight; besides stimulation for
enhancing their sense of aesthetic
appreciation or to exalt their ability for artistic
creation.
Narrated in a simple, witty, and
straightforward style, the technique adopted
by the author is gripping. The book not only
provides information about Le Corbusier’s
greatest masterpiece, the Capitol Complex in
Chandigarh, but also entertains through its
amusing and sharp snapshots at the way the
modern city and its architecture have been
taking shape.
A3 foundation, an organization promoting
sustainable art and architecture in the region
organised its 18th event and a seminar on
CHANDIGARH-CITY OF FUTURE on
September 6, 2009. The Foundation
believes in encouraging students and
endeavours to dispense information and
knowledge to them. Eminent speakers and
architects presented their views on the
subject.
Ar Sangeet Sharma, Founder Chairman of
the A3 foundation flagged off the debate on
the subject inviting student speakers from
different colleges. Kusha Dogra, Namita
Deol ,from GZSCET,Bathinda and Ms.
Sukriti Jain from Chitkara College of
Engineering spoke for the motion, Where as
Mr.Inderjeet Singh and Mr. Viplav Arora from
GZSCET, Bathinda spoke against the motion.
Ar Jit Kumar Gupta spoke on “Redefining
Chandigarh Periphery Development”. He
shared his views about Chandigarh periphery,
its approach and development. He also
expressed his concern about unplanned
development encroaching the periphery and
urged the professionals to contribute to the
efforts so that Chandigarh does not lose its
sanctity.
Dr SS Bhatti added his opinion about the city
and deliberated on how to contemplate the
phenomenon called the CITY BEAUTIFUL.
His talk emphasized on Le Corbusier being
the greatest architect of all times. This was
followed by Ar Surinder Bahga’s talk on
“Influence of Le Corbusier” explaining how
contemporary architects all over the world
follow Le Corbusier’s architecture.
On a concluding note, Ar S D Sharma briefed
that there is a lot of wisdom in Chandigarh’s
planning and that Le Corbusier had great
admiration for humanity that showed in his
works. He expressed modern cities will have
a lot to learn from Chandigarh for a long
time. He encouraged young and budding
architects to look to Chandigarh for solutions.
Continuing the practice to encourage young
talent, Ms Apurva Bose Dutta was honoured
by Ar S D Sharma for her contribution
towards architectural journalism. The winners
of various competitions including Best
Sustainable Thesis in order of prizes were
Divisha Jindal from Lucknow, Aditi Deep
Singh from Indo global college , Deepika
Gupta from GZSCET Bhatinda and
Priyanka Miglani from Indo global colleges .
In Debate Kusha Dogra and Inder Jeet Singh
from GZSCET Bhatinda were declared
winners. In Photography Rimaljeet
Bhogalrom from Chandigarh College of
Architecture, Shreejay from Kathmandu
University, Akriti Ahuja from GNDU
Amritsar and, Chhavi from CCA were
awarded the prizes.
Architects meet ‘Lets Talk and Cheer’ was
held at Jalandhar on September12, 2009 at
Club Cabana Resorts. About 80 architects
from the region participated in the meet. Ar
Jit Kumar Gupta and Ar Surinder Bahga gave
their presentations on “Architecture in
Punjab”. Ar Irwindeep Singh and Ar
Narinderjit Kaur compered the show.
ENERGY- EFFICIENT
BUILDINGS AWARENESS
PROGRAMME HELD AT
CHANDIGARH
National energy-efficient buildings awareness
programme was held at Chandigarh by
Bureau of Energy Efficiency, at hotel Shivalik
View in Chandigarh.The workshop was held
to highlight the use of ECBC (Energy
Conservation Building Code) for making
energy efficient buildings.
Sanjay Seth from BEE (Bureau of Energy
Efficiency India) gave a brief on ECBC
usage. He explained that ECBC is a
document that specifies the energy
performance requirement for all commercial
buildings that are to be constructed in India.
ECBC has been developed by India’s BEE
and mandated by Energy Conservation Act
2001, passed by Indian Parliament in
September, 2001.
Manish Srivastav from Saint Gobain Glass
Company gave a lecture on building
envelope. He explained about the wall
window ratio which should be considered by
architects and builders for the glazed part in
buildings. He also explained about the
SEMINAR ON “CHANDIGARH-
CITY OF FUTURE”
ARCHITECTS MEET AT JALANDHAR

4. 4 IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009 IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER
different types of glass available which are
energy efficient.
Abdul Kader Bengali delivered his lecture on
insulation of building. He explained about the
material and methods of insulation of building
which provide the energy efficiency in
buildings.
Suresh Sharma from Carrier India delivered
his lecture on Energy-efficient Air-
conditioning systems. Ar Surinder Bahga
elaborated on the various aspects of the
energy-efficient buildings in different climate
zones in India. He explained the various
climate factors which are responsible for
energy efficient buildings. Building can be
made energy efficient with minimum glazing
on facade, use of cavity wall for insulation,
light colour on exterior façade and allowing
the way the natural light and air to be inside
the building.
SYMPOSIUM ON
“ARCHITECTURE AND
MUSIC”
First Friday Forum organised a Symposium
on ARCHITECTURE AND MUSIC on October
4, 2009 at the Government Museum & Art
Gallery, Chandigarh. Ar Shiv Datt Sharma
who had worked on the Chandigarh Capital
Project, was the Chief Guest. He lauded the
Forum’s persistent role in educating the
citizenry in aesthetic appreciation vis-à-vis
artistic creation in the many forms of Art of
which India has the richest tradition in the
world.
Dr SS Bhatti, Founder, First Friday Forum,
delivered the theme-oration: Architecture and
Music, and brought out the fundamental
affinities of the two disciplines. He showed in
a scientific way that in all the Forms of Art:
Literary [Poetry]; Visual [Architecture,
Painting, and Sculpture]; and Performing
[Dance, Drama, and Music], Rhythm is the
common Principle of Creativity—though its
presence is most palpably felt only in Music.
And Music at its sublimest is Mystical.
Dr Pankaj Mala Sharma, Chairperson,
Department of Music, Panjab University,
made a presentation on MUSIC
PERFORMANCE PLATFORM IN ANCIENT
INDIA: An Architectural Insight. She said that
from the Vedic literature we find references of
performance of music in open ground. She
gave a rare architectural insight, with the help
of Natya Shastra, into stage-design, suitable
for music performance, in terms of its
definition, types, measurements, material,
and light-‘n’-sound arrangements.
Speaking on MUSIC: The Architecture of a
Good Human Being” Mrs Dolly Guleria, the
celebrated Punjabi folk singer, revealed
interesting kinship between the two
disciplines. Music and Architecture are both
depiction and symbols of Creativity! Both
have a high magnitude of performance to
please humanity.
Seven professionals were presented First
Friday Forum Awards for Creative Excellence
(FFFACE) for outstanding contribution in
their respective fields: Ar RR Handa, Ar
Balvinder Saini, and Ar Surinder Bahga in
Architecture; Mrs Shobha Koser in Kathak,
Pandit Yashpaul in Hindustani vocal music,
Mr NS Rattan in Punjabi literature, and Mr
SD Sharma in art and cultural journalism.
Certificate of Commendation was awarded to
Angadbir Singh, student of class X-A, Vivek
High School, and Oshin Kataria, student of
class Plus I, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary
School, Chandigarh, for their essay on
“Architecture and Music”.
T H R E E A R C H I T E C T S
AWA R D E D B Y I N D I A N
CONCRETE INSTITUTE
The Indian Concrete Institute, Punjab State
Centre and Grasim Industries Ltd, (Cement
Division) have selected and awarded three
buildings from the region as “Outstanding
Structures of the year 2008”. These
buildings are: (1) Vidya Sagar Institute of
Mental Health, Amritsar, designed by
Architect Sarbjit Singh Bahga and Structural
Engineer V.K. Sood, (2) KMG Towers at
Mohali, designed by Architect Sangeet
Sharma and Structural Engineer Syal &
Associates and, (3) Boys’ Hostel in Post
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences,
Rohtak designed by Architect Hitender Singh
and Structural Engineer Sushil Dogra.
The Vidya Sagar Institute of Mental Health,
Amritsar, is a sprawling campus meticulously
built on 45 acres of land. It accommodates
more than 450 mentally-ill patients in a very
conducive environment. Since the average
stay of patients in a mental hospital is usually
much longer than their counterparts in other
hospitals, so they need more open spaces.
The Campus is thus designed on the concept
of “buildings-in- the- garden”. The master
plan comprises primarily two zones: the Outer
Circle and the Inner Circle. The Outer Circle
accommodates the buildings like OPD-cum-
Diagnostic-cum-Administrative Block,
Occupational Therapy/Rehabilitation Unit,
Voluntary Patients’ Unit, Serai, Shopping /
Cafeteria besides, Services like Kitchen,
Laundry, and Stores. The Inner Circle having
wards of different types has further been
divided in two Sections: the Male Section on
the east and the Female Section on the west.
These Sections are enclosed by 6-foot- high
boundary-walls with restricted entries.

5. 5IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009
All the building blocks in the campus have
been laid out on a strict Cartesian pattern
with symmetrical juxtaposition reminiscent of
traditional Indian campuses. The built-up
masses and the open spaces are ingeniously
interwoven to create a building-in-the-
garden effect. The entire hospital complex
has been linked by vaulted corridor running
independently through open spaces with
greenery on both the sides. Built-up benches
have been provided at certain intervals for
casual sitting while walking in the corridor.
The entire Inner Circle has been kept strictly
pedestrian so as to impart serene and
tranquil environment to the inmates. Vehicular
traffic has been restricted to the periphery.
“KMG Towers” at Mohali is awarded for its
sustainable measures and efficient services
management. Combining technology and
aesthetics, the building stands out as a
landmark in the IT Park, Mohali.
The design of Boys’ Hostel in Post Graduate
Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak was
conceived mainly as a response to two
factors. Firstly the constraints of the site
which was hedged from three sides by
existing building blocks and a railway track on
the fourth from which a mandatory set back
had to be left, leaving little space for the
building block. Secondly, the users of the
building were medical students given to long
hours of academics in their hostel rooms.
The hostel building has been designed
around a landscape courtyard with entrance,
mess and allied facilities on one side and the
rooms on the other three sides. These have
been angularly placed alongside of corridor
which is doubly loaded. A unique system of
cutouts in the central passage on all floors
with skylights at top provides excellent light
and ventilation inside the building and lighting
up the rooms as well.
The decision to award these three projects is
taken by a Jury consisting of eminent
engineers and architects. The criterion for
selection was the innovative use of reinforced
concrete as a building material.
A Ghazal concert titled “Tarana” by an
accomplished vocalist Rinku Kalia was held at
the Tagore Theatre on September 29, 2009
in Chandigarh. The event was organized in
association with S-4 Trust, Chandigarh
Department of Cultural Affairs, Chandigarh
Punjab Chapter of Indian Insitutute of
Architects, Silver City Group, Allengers,
Fashion Technology Park and Glass Palace.
The concert was aimed at generating
resources for the S-4 Trust engaged in the
promotion of performing arts and uplift of the
girl child. Chief Justice RS Mongia,
chairperson of Punjab State Human Rights
Commission, while appreciating the S-4
Trust’s gesture, exhorted society to launch a
crusade against female foeticide. The ghazal
singer, Rinku Kalia, sang for a charity, social
and education cause. She is a winner of the
prestigious Zee TV Sa Re Ga Ma Award.
The musical evening was a good change
from the humdrum of life in which all the
architectural fraternity is engaged in. IIA
members have applauded the event. Some of
the members requested for more such
functions in the future.
ISSUE RAISED BY CHANDIGARH-
PUNJAB CHAPTER OF IIA:
NEED TO BUILD UNBUILT
EDIFICES OF
LE CORBUSIER AND PIERRE
JEANNERET
Have we ever thought, what really made the
difference between Chandigarh and any other
Indian city? Was it cement, brick, stone,
steel or glass? No, these materials are the
same all over. It was the human mind,
political will and constructive thinking of
administrators of that time, and above all the
genius of master architects like Le Corbusier,
Pierre Jeanneret, Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew
who gave shape to these materials and
translated their client’s brief into reality. It
was due to these architects that the city of
Chandigarh is famous world over as Mecca of
Modern Architecture. A retrospection of
events in the past four decades reveals that
after the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, Partap
Singh Kairon, P.N. Thapar and M. S.
Randhawa, their successive administrators
have almost forgotten to contribute their share
to complete the pending projects designed by
Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Prominent
among these are the Museum of Knowledge
in the Capitol Complex, a high rise Office
Tower in the City Centre, a Senate Hall in
Panjab University campus and a Sports
Stadium near Sukhna Lake. Most of the
people of Chandigarh and even some
administrators and architects may not be
aware of these unbuilt legacies of the past. A
brief overview of these edifices may remind
and inspire the present day decision-makers
to complete these pending tasks and add
some more masterpieces to the city’s kitty.
The Museum of Knowledge, earlier conceived
by Le Corbusier as Governor’s Palace was
proposed to crown the Capitol Complex at the
highest point, almost touching the foothills.
Corbusier suggested that a building, to
research and study in various fields, should
be constructed keeping in mind the future
industrialization and development of Punjab.
If realized, the Museum of Knowledge would
have been a unique structure whose functions
were defined by the architect himself. Le
Corbusier had foreseen the application of
electronics in processing, synthesizing and
IIA ORGANISED A MUSICAL EVENING

6. 6 IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009 IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER
capacity of 40,000 persons. It was designed
as reinforced-concrete structure with a
cladding of shingles and pebbles on the
sloping surfaces. Though this ambitious
project was approved by the government, but
ultimately the project could not be realized
due to paucity of funds.
The people of Chandigarh and the
architectural fraternity across the globe are
ardently anxious to see the realization of
these projects. They thus join hands to urge
the Chandigarh Administration to build the
unbuilt edifices of Le Corbusier and Pierre
Jeanneret at the earliest. Only then we shall
be able to pay our tributes to the masters.
SUAVE, handsome, charming and a truly
multi-faceted personality, Patwant Singh was
the polished face of the Sikhs in the later
decades of his life. He had, by that time,
already earned a formidable reputation by
writing on international affairs, the
environment, the arts, and as a TV and radio
commentator as well as a magazine editor.
Patwant Singh was born in New Delhi on
March 28, 1925. He was educated in Delhi,
after which he worked on construction sites.
An urge to communicate his thoughts, and
influence things around him, led to his
becoming the publisher of the periodical “The
Indian Builder”, in 1953, with which he
started a career in writing and publishing. He
was always immaculately turned out and
loved the good things of life. His house, in
presenting information in times to come. He
wanted this building to function as a
decision-making Centre for bureaucrats. He
proposed that the museum would house
laboratories where data pertaining to current
problems could be processed in computers
and used to take high-level decisions.
Corbusier explained it thus, “Your museum
becomes practicable and capable of being
used as soon as the overwhelming
techniques of electronics intervene (pictures,
sounds, words, colours, diagrams, etc…)
manifested by magnetic tape recordings which
I have called the ‘Round Books,’ that is to
say audio-visual films. These ‘Round Books’
are therefore a new form of modern edition:
instead of being printed on paper they are
recorded on the magnetic tape.” He was of
the view that the scientists, educationists,
universities and general public would find the
museum of immense value. Nehru strongly
approved of this project, but the
administrators felt that it was too costly.
Function wise, the museum would
accommodate offices, laboratories,
workshops, exhibition spaces, and a hall to
celebrate state level functions. Le Corbusier
stressed the necessity of completing the
building at Advisory Committee meetings held
on June 15, 1963 and April 18, 1964
whereas it was recorded “that to complete
the architecture of the Capitol Complex, it is
necessary that the building of Museum of
Knowledge should be constructed.” In spite
of all these developments the building has not
yet been constructed.
Chandigarh’s City Centre in Sector-17 is
always accused of lack of direction, which is
caused mainly due to the unbuilt eleven-
storied Office Tower, conceived by Le
Corbusier at that time as Post and Telegraph
Building. Again it was due to paucity of funds
and lack of understanding about the project
and its importance in the City Centre, the
same could not be realized. Recently, the
Housing and Urban Development Corporation
was engaged by the Chandigarh Housing
Board to carry out the feasibility study of the
office tower. It concluded,”…the project is
feasible, since little office and shopping space
is available in Sector-17 and buyers are still
scouting for office and commercial space in
and around the City Centre.” A site between
the Jagat Cinema and the General Post
Office is earmarked for the high-rise complex
comprising two blocks including a double-
storied shopping. According to the report, the
building complex would act as a focal point
for the City Centre. It would offer facilities like
office, commercial and shopping space, super
departmental stores, medical halls, cyber
cafes, games plaza and other entertainment
halls, exhibition halls, and cinema complexes
with multiple screens, apart from conference
and seminar halls. Penthouse-offices would
occupy the top floor and the basement would
be used as parking space. In spite of the
feasibility, the project has not been realized
so far. If there is paucity of funds, private
developers may be invited to construct this
tower on Build-Operate-and-Transfer
(BOT) basis.
Amongst the buildings designed by Pierre
Jeanneret and were not constructed, is a
giant Convocation Hall which is also known
as the Senate Hall. The foundation stone of
the building was laid in February 1962, but
due to paucity of funds it has not yet been
realized. If constructed the building will
comprise a large convocation hall, the offices
of the Vice-Chancellor, the Dean of
University Instruction and the Senate, the
syndicate chamber and committee rooms.
The oval contours of the Senate Hall has a
roof which will be held by two concrete
portals making four saddle-shaped hyperbolic
shells springing again from four arches from
the ground. If and when built, the building will
be another architectural masterpiece on the
university campus.
The Sports Stadium in Chandigarh is another
unrealized project designed by Le Corbusier.
At a meeting of the Council of Ministers held
on August 4, 1955, the Punjab Government
took a decision to construct a Sports Stadium
in Chandigarh. It was to be named after
Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Le Corbusier was
asked to prepare a design for the stadium. It
was proposed to be located in the bed of
Sukhna Choe in the neighborhood of Sector-
26. It would consist of a playing field
surrounded by an athletic track. A five-metre
wide rain-water canal was proposed around
the playing field to drain out the rain water in
the stadium. The height of the seating
pavilion was to be 25 metres with a seating
AN OBITUARY
PATWANT SINGH (1925-2009)-
AN AESTHETE PAR EXCELLENCE
Patwant Singh died on August 8, 2009

7. 7IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009
Honorary Treasurer Ar.Bhupinder Kumar Mangotra
Joint Secretary-I Ar. Raj Kumar Aggarwal
Joint Secretary-II Ar. Pankaj Chhabra
Executive Members
· Ar. Bina Bansal
· Ar. Sanjiv Aggarwal
· Ar. Gurjit Singh Chawla
· Ar. Amit Arora
· Ar. Sukhpal Singh
Special Invitee Ar. Mohinderjit Singh
PATIALA SUB-CENTRE
The Sub-Centre was launched at the glittering
ceremony held at Hotel Harbans Residency Patiala on
October 14, 2009
List of Office Bearers for Patiala
Sub-Centre:
Chairman Ar LR Gupta
Vice Chairman Ar Pritpal Singh Ahluwalia
Honorary Treasurer Ar Sanjeev Kumar Goyal
Secretaries Ar RS Sandhu,
Ar Lokesh Gupta,
Ar GC Aggarwal
· Ar Gurdeep Singh
· Ar Mohan Singh
· Ar Gurbachan Singh Rehsi
· Ar Ramesh Kumar Grover
· Ar Amit Raj Singla
· Ar Sanjay Kumar
· Ar Vikram Shah
· Ar Aman Deep Singh
FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Special JIIA Issue on Chandigarh-
PunjabArchitecture in January 2010.
IIA is bringing out a special issue on
Chandigarh-Punjab Architecture in the month
of January, 2010. All the IIA Members are
requested to send their selected projects to
IIA office at Chandigarh before December 7,
2009. It should consist of maximum four
pictures of the projects alongwith a brief
write-up of about 500 words. Also send a
brief CV and photo of the author. You can
send the entries either by email
(iia.chdpb@gmail.com) or by post to the Jt
Honorary Secretary, IIA Chandigarh-Punjab
Chapter.
Travelling Exhibition on” Modern
Architecture”
Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter of IIA intends to
curate a travelling exhibition on “Modern
Architecture” including projects of its
esteemed members. It is proposed that
maximum 40 numbers of projects shall be
displayed on panels having size of 2’-
0"x3’-0". All the IIA Members are requested
to send their selected projects with a
maximum of six pictures having a resolution
of 300 Dpi alongwith a brief design concept.
The exhibition shall be shown in various cities
of India and Abroad.
The Jury Members shall be Ar Jit Kumar
Gupta, Director Bhaddal College of
Architecture, Ropar, Ar SS Sekhon, Principal,
Indo Global College of Architecture and Ar
Renu Saigal, Former Chief Architect,
Chandigarh.
The last date for sending the submission is
Dec. 15, 2009. You can send the entries
either by email (iia.chdpb@gmail.com) or
by post to the Jt Honorary Secretary, IIA
Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter.
National Conference on Energy-
Efficient Building Design, Wednesday,
November11, 2009. Organised by Indo-
Global College of Architecture, Abhipur,
District SAS Nagar.
Exhibition “Horizontal City-Vertical
Village” at Government Museum & Art
Gallery, Sector 10, Chandigarh by Ms
Barbara Hoegner on 24-30 November,
2009. Organised by German Ministry for
Foreign Relations, German Embassy in New
Delhi & Institute for Foreign Relations,
Stuttgart, Germany.
Presentation by Ar Anil Laul at Hotel Taj
on December 5, 2009. Organised by
Hindware & IIA.
one of the nicest areas of Lutyen’s Delhi,
was very well appointed, full of books on
literature and art, and it was a delight to hear
him speak impeccable English. No wonder,
he was much in demand as an orator. He
lived with his wife, Meher Dilshaw. Design,
multidisciplinary journal edited and published
by him, was a trailblazer when it came out in
1957. He wrote in various Indian
newspapers, and his views were also
published in the US’s New York Times,
Canada’s Globe and Mail and the UK’s
Independent. His first book, “India and the
Future of Asia” (1967), had the 1962
Sino-Indian War as a backdrop. The Struggle
for Power in Asia (1971) sought to counter
the biased Western perceptions. Patwant
Singh was the main person responsible for
building Kabliji Hospital and the Rural Health
Centre, near Gurgaon. He had a heart attack
in 1977, but resumed normal life soon after.
It was after 1984 that he wrote on matters
concerning the Sikhs and wrote the main
article for the book “Punjab: The Fatal
Miscalculation” (1985). The famous volume
“The Golden Temple” (1989) was followed
by “Of Dreams and Demons” (1994), a
memoir and “The Sikhs” (1999). “Garland
Around My Neck: The Story of Puran Singh
of Pingalwara” was co-written with Harinder
Kaur Sekhon. In “The World According to
Washington: An Asian View” (2005), he
returned to the relationship of the West with
Asia as a whole. Last year, he co-authored
“Empire of The Sikhs: The Life and Times of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh”, with Jyoti M Rai.
With Patwant Singh’s death at the age of 84
on Saturday, an aesthete presence has left
No. 11, Amrita Shergil Marg, New Delhi.
Patwant Singh left an elegant mark on the
world around him.
A Tribute by Roopinder Singh [Courtesy: The
Tribune, August, 9 2009]
AMRITSAR SUB-CENTRE
The Sub-Centre was launched at a ceremony held in
st
Hotel Ritz at Amritsar on 31 October, 2009
List of Office Bearers forAmritsar:
Chairman Ar.Paramjit Singh Mahoora
Vice Chairman Ar. Rattan Singh
IIA SUB-CENTRES AT
AMRITSAR AND PATIALA FORMED
Executive Members & Special Invitees
Phillip Welti, The Ambassador of
Switzerland has all praise for IIA Times

8. 8
If undelivered please return to :
THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
CHANDIGARH-PUNJAB CHAPTER
SCO 53-55, 3rd Floor, Sector 17-D,
Chandigarh-160 017. Ph. : 0172-2722466
Email : iia.chdpb@gmail.com
www.iiachdpb.com
STAMP
BOOK POST / COURIER
To
IIA TIMES / AUGUST - OCTOBER 2009 IIA: CHD-PB CHAPTER
It was so informative.
It is good to know that lots of things are
happening over there!
Jagath Munasinghe, University of
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
It is a noble endeavour on your part to have
launched the newsletter. It is very important
to create and spread awareness about the
issues in architectural education and
profession. I am sure that you will ensure
that the circulation is extended to authorities
and experts and social activists from related
fields.
I wish you all the success in this constructive
endeavour.
Prof.Akhtar Chauhan, Director
Rizvi College ofArchitecture,
Mumbai 400 050
Newsletter looks great. Add hyperlinks to
access key websites in the notes. This will
help the reader to access relevant information
with more depth if needed.
My best,
Ameen Farooq, PhD
Chair, Department ofArchitecture
Southern Polytechnic State University
1100 South Marietta Parkway
Marietta, GA30060
Good effort indeed for the e-mail copy of the
newsletter. Thanks and very best wishes for
your dynamism in activities of the chapter.
Ar Rajiv Biala, New Delhi
IIA Newsletter Chandigarh chapter includes
some interesting details and developments in
the region. I will welcome to receive further
editions whenever made public.
All the best for your noble efforts,
Prof. Vishwamitter
I was very glad to know (thru news letter)
that IIA-Punjab chapter convinced CPWD for
no EMD for architects.
This was necessary since long. Many Govt
organisations have been collecting EMD
despite presence of Architects Act. I consider
this step as big achievement/initiative by IIA-
Punjab Chapter.
Architect-Planner Kandarp Bhatt,
Vadodara
Thanks and my sincere compliments for the
very informative and interesting Newsletter.
Keep it up,
Ar Pondz POTNIS
Vice President... IIA
Your newsletter is wonderful. Keep up the
excellent work.
You are setting up new standards in
architectural professionalism.
Dr SS Bhatti, Former Principal, CCA
READERS’RESPONSE
IIA Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter invites the
members and readers responses on
“ARCHITECTURE-2050”. You can email
your responses at (iia.chdpb@gmail.com) or
fax at 0172-2721145 or post at the Chapter
address.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following newly elected
members to the Chandigarh-Punjab Chapter
of Indian Institute of Architects:
Fellows:
Ar. Sanjay Goel, Ludhiana
Associates:
Ar. Gurdeep Singh, Patiala
Ar. Rohit Kapoor, Patiala
Ar. Tarun Garg, Patiala
Ar. Amit Raj Singla, Patiala
Ar. Meenaxi Sharma, Mohali
Ar. Raghav Bhardwaj, Jalandhar
Ar. Magandip Singh Riar, Jalandhar
Ar. Raman Kumar, Jalandhar
Ar. Dinesh Chander Bhagat, Jalandhar
Ar. Amrinder Paul Singh, Jalandhar
Ar. Anshu Kohli, Jalandhar
Renewals:
Ar. Pramod K. Garg (A-06301)
Ar. Gagandeep Singh Ghai (A-13092)
Ar. Anu Singh (A-16027)
Ar. Gagandeep Singh (A-15290)
Ar. Ravinderjit Singh (A-13094)
READERS’ COMMENTS ON IIA TIMES