Tale of three cities

The intent,explains Wattas,former principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture,is architectural documentation. “Geographically,the US is the new world. The classical architecture is,however,in Paris where every corner is a piece of art. It is a journey of an architectural eye from the East,looking at the panorama of cityscapes in the West,transcending the old to the new.” Wattas travels frequently to Chicago,which he refers to as the Capital of Skyscrapers. “The steel and glass skyscrapers are both marvels of technology and art,be it Owing Merrill’s Sears Towers or the Corncob Towers. What you see now in the IT parks in India were done several decades back in Chicago,” he adds.

Pictures exhibited include those of architectural splendours like the Notre-Dame cathedral,Eiffel Tower,Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo lived,Musee d’Orsay,the museum of Impressionist art along with modern marvels like the glass Pyramide du Louvre,artists’ quarter at Montmartre,pictures displaying varied architectural styles like Baron Haussmann’s boulevards in Paris,the soaring skyscrapers of Chicago or the towering skyline of Manhattan. “From the sedate,horizontal Chandigarh to the jostling skyscrapers of Manhattan,it is quite an experience,” says Wattas,pointing out the contrasts between the bustle of Times Square and Wall Street against the night time silhouettes of the Manhattan skyline.

Le Corbusier is a bond that connects Paris and Chandigarh. While Chandigarh was his creation,his roots lie in Paris. Photographs from Foundation Le Corbusier display his manuscripts,paintings and sculptures.

The exhibition is on till March 14 at Government Museum & Art Gallery,Sector 10.