A new book shows the modernist utopia today, after decades of adaptation and decay Good times rarely last, a cliche that?s particularly apt for architectural utopias and planned cities. Originally envisioned as a new metropolis in 1950, Chandigarh, a capital complex built by the Indian government to house half a million residents, has become both a fading monument to modernism and an important part of the legacy of French architect Le Corbusier, who prepared its master plan.
Over more than a half-century of expansion, growth, and time, it?s also become a lived-in, modern Indian metropolis, a fascinating example of mid-century architectural vision meeting contemporary urban realities and improvisation. In his new book. Chandigarh Revealed (Princeton Architectural Press), photographer, designer, and writer Shaun Fynn examines the reality of the planned city, creating a photographic profile that shows how ?the patina of time? has shaped the city in unforeseen ways. ?The rich legacy of Indian culture has emerged in the adaptation and decoration of buildings, and has imposed its own visual code,? Fynn writes.

A view across the plaza of the Capitol Complex toward the Assembly, with the MArtyrs? Monument in the foreground

Located in the Himalayan foothills of northwest India, Chandigarh came about due to the confluence of post-colonial politics and architectural vision. Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sought to build a new capital after the 194...