Join us for a fascinating look into the mind of Le Corbusier during his two-week trip to Punjab in 1951. Architectural historian Maristella Casciato will talk about her new book, Le Corbusier, Album Punjab, 1951 (Lars Müller Publishers, 2024).
This reprint of the notebook “Album Punjab Simla. Chandigarh, Mars 1951” kept by Le Corbusier (1887–1965) during his visit to India in anticipation of the planning and construction of Chandigarh, presents sketches, memos, and personal reflections, as well as notes and schematic solutions elaborated during project meetings. The Album Punjab constitutes a primary source for reconstructing the topics addressed by the small team of architects and governmental officials who in only a few days developed the outlines of the Chandigarh plan.
The spiral-bound notebook facsimile is accompanied by a paperback volume featuring previously unpublished photographs taken by Le Corbusier’s cousin Pierre Jeanneret (1896–1967) during this early expedition. The detailed commentary by Casciato reflects upon the variety of topics assembled in the notebook and retraces the story of the days in which the new capital city was planned. By transcribing Le Corbusier’s famously illegible handwriting in French and English, this book allows its readers complete access to the architect’s mind.
As described by the cultural historian Edwin Dimendberg, “The book is immensely impressive and combines Maristella’s impeccable scholarship with Lars Müller’s extraordinary book making. A more dynamic duo is hard to imagine, as is a work that poses more challenging issues of presentation and contextualization.”
Casciato on Corbu’s Album Punjab, Sunday, November 17, 2024; 1-2:30 PM Pacific; $5. Go to www.sahscc.org and pay via PayPal; or mail in order form with check; Zoom link sent upon registration.
