Punjab and Haryana High Court, Appellate court in Chandigarh, India
Punjab and Haryana High Court, known as the Palace of Justice, is a long rectangular concrete building designed by Le Corbusier. Its facade has two bands: an upper open loggia with deep recesses between vertical piers, and a lower wall with a dense grid of small square windows, some holding small red signs. At ground level, a colonnade of tall slender piers includes four central piers painted green, yellow, orange and pink.
The court began its work in August 1947 after India gained independence and Partition shifted the seat from the former Lahore High Court. The modernist design emerged in the 1950s as part of the new city plan for Chandigarh, which was to serve as the capital of the divided Punjab region.
The court serves Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, and its building is called the Palace of Justice. Le Corbusier designed it, and in July 2016 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with several of his other works. The painted piers of the ground colonnade, green, yellow, orange and pink, are among the details visitors look for.
The complex lies in the northern sector of Chandigarh and is best reached during cooler morning hours. Visitors should wear appropriate clothing, as the building continues to function as an active courthouse with daily hearings and security checks at the entrance.
The concrete surfaces of the court age naturally and develop rough textures and discoloration over time from monsoon rains and sunlight. This weathering patina was part of the design philosophy from the start, showing how the building interacts with the local climate.
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