The Power of Utopia – Living with Le Corbusier in Chandigarh

The city of Chandigarh embodied the new democracy of India after it gained independence in 1947. The French-Swiss architect and urban designer Le Corbusier designed this modern and humane city – one that promoted cultural life, where humankind and nature coexisted harmoniously. Seventy years later, The Power of Utopia examines what remains of the initial optimistic expectations. Residents, artists and architects assess the quality of the city according to the original ideas. The current, overpopulated and seemingly chaotic country appears to have little in common with the newly independent India. But the old plans offer unexpected opportunities for the new inhabitants.