Chandigarh Capitol Complex

Chandigarh Capitol Complex
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Palace of Assembly at the Capitol Complex
Interactive map of Chandigarh Capitol Complex
Official nameComplexe du Capitole
LocationChandigarh, Chandigarh capital region, India
Part ofThe Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
IncludesPalace of Assembly, Secretariat Building, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Open Hand Monument
CriteriaCultural: (i), (ii), (vi)
Reference1321rev-014
Inscription2016 (40th Session)
Area66 ha (0.25 sq mi)
Buffer zone195 ha (0.75 sq mi)
Coordinates30°45′33″N 76°48′17″E / 30.75917°N 76.80472°E / 30.75917; 76.80472
Chandigarh Capitol Complex
Location of Chandigarh Capitol Complex in India

Chandigarh Capitol Complex is a government compound designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and his co-workers in Chandigarh, India.

It comprises three buildings: the Palace of Assembly, Secretariat Building and the High Court plus four monuments (Open Hand Monument, Geometric Hill, Tower of Shadows and the Martyrs Monument) and a lake.

Spreading over an area of around 100 ha (0.39 sq mi), it is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with sixteen other works by Le Corbusier for its contribution to the development of modernist architecture.

Le Corbusier designed the "Tower of Shadows", an experimental construction, in such a way that not a single ray of sun enters it from any angle. The north side of this tower remains open because the sun never shines from this direction. Le Corbusier used the same principle for other Capitol Complex buildings as well.