Baghdad as seen from Chandigarh: The thwarted Architecture of Dream Cities

The M.N. Sharma Architectural Society, Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Department of History and the Department of English & Cultural Studies at Panjab University, Chandigarh, organized a lecture today by French Artist Louis Cyprien Rials titled “Baghdad as Seen from Chandigarh: The Thwarted Architecture of Dream Cities.”

The event, held at Panjab University, was well attended by a large number of students, research scholars, and faculty members.

Louis Cyprien Rials, a French artist who has spent the past three years in Baghdad, collaborates with UNESCO on the preservation and recreation of Iraq’s heritage doors. During his talk, he explored the connection between Chandigarh and Baghdad, highlighting the gymnasium halls designed by Le Corbusier, who worked on both projects around the same time.

Through interviews and pictorial research, the speaker sought to convey the essence of buildings and monuments in Baghdad that were destroyed amid political upheavals. He discussed Le Corbusier’s influence, noting how symbols, language, structures, and gardens were integrated into Baghdad’s architectural landscape.