The Building of a Modern India

 

The government of Madhya Pradesh commissioned the building of the state assembly in Bhopal in 1980, with Charles Correa as its designer. Construction began in 1983, and continued for the next 10 years. Many factors have influenced the form of the structure: Its location on the crest of a hill, the Islamic monuments in the neighbourhood and the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, 50 km from the city.

Correa based his design on the ancient Vedic concept of the mandala as the basis of architecture. The plan of this structure is a series of gardens within gardens, with administrative offices defining a pattern of nine compartments—the five central ones are halls and courtyards, while the four corner ones are meant for specialised functions (the Vidhan Sabha, the Vidhan Parishad, the Combined Hall, and the Library). There are three separate entrances—for the public, for the VIPs and for the MLAs. These three streams of entrants are separated from each other and experience the complex internal space of the building differently.