The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement

• Management systems / management plan (Need to introduce Heritage Impact Assessment procedures for proposed development at all component sites; Lack of monitoring indicators for all component sites and of agreed overall conservation approaches and procedures for the series (issue resolved); Need to complete the Management and Conservation Plans for Chandigarh)
• Governance (Need to refine the power of the Standing Conference to allow full understanding by all States Parties of major development proposals in all component sites, in relation to their potential impact on the overall series) (issue resolved)
• Legal framework (Unclear protection of the buffer zone for Maison Guiette; Unclear implications of the new Heritage Law in France (issue resolved))

N/A

On 28 November 2022, the States Parties submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/197454, which presents an overall report for each component of the property and outlines progress on the conservation issues identified by the Committee at its last session, as follows:

• Reinforced coordination through the International Standing Conference and enhanced control for works undertaken at each component of the serial property, including its buffer zones;
• Confirmation that the seven State Parties are informed of the imperative to notify the World Heritage Centre of any planned works that may have an impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, and to undertake Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for these projects accordingly. Furthermore, State Parties have committed to consult with relevant stakeholders on proposed projects;
• Advances in new digital tools, allowing for videoconferences and virtual visits, have been incorporated into mediation activities, particularly in Argentina, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland;
• The activities undertaken by the national steering committee, established for the ten French components of the property, are progressing in order to enhance coordination among themselves and with national organisations and the Fondation Le Corbusier, and to provide a coordinated response to the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS International for each component, including monitoring indicators and impact assessment studies;
• Regarding the component Unité d’Habitation in Marseille (France), the information requested on the potential views’ impairment will be provided during the preparation of the specifications for the ‘Michelet development and programming guidelines’, currently underway, is expected to be approved before the end of 2024 following a public inquiry in October 2023. For the Manufacture in Saint-Dié des Vosges (France), an impact study was sent to the World Heritage Centre in June 2020, and additional information related on the proposed visitor centre and car park project should shortly be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS;
• HIA reports have been submitted for the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) ancillary structures project, for the multilevel basement car park project, located in the south-eastern part of the property, and the Holistic Development of Punjab and Haryana High Court Project in the Capitol Complex of Chandigarh (India). All HIA reports conclude that the proposed projects would have negative impacts on the OUV of the property and make recommendations, in particular the HIA for the multilevel basement car park concludes that impacts would be significant, long-term and irreversible, hence the project should not proceed at the proposed location, and offers additional recommendations. With regard to the Holistic Development of Punjab and Haryana High Court Project, the HIA suggests as a preferable option an alternative project that decongests the High Court by decentralising its activities. An integration of all HIA reports is reportedly still in preparation. Work has begun on internal restoration works of buildings, including flooring, lighting, HVAC, firefighting and the preservation of tapestries and furniture;
• Concerning the specific protection measures for the buffer zone, the State Party of Belgium reports that the same protection measures used for all components of the property also apply to the buffer zone of the Maison Guiette. The legal provisions currently in force are sufficient to ensure that irreversible decisions are not taken without the necessary consultation with the Flanders Heritage Agency. The State Party is currently considering the possibility of strengthening the protection of the buffer zone by establishing a ‘transition zone of a protected property’;
• In Switzerland, the cantonal authorities are currently working to strengthen the protection of the buffer zone of the Clarté building by creating a site plan aimed at safeguarding or improving the maintenance of existing buildings, conditions relating to constructions and installations, public accessibility, view angles and alignment on the edges of woods, forests or watercourses;
• Restoration works are planned or ongoing at several components of the property, including Maison Guiette (Belgium), Maisons La Roche et Jeanneret (France), Rental Building at the Molitor Gate (France), in the buffer zone of the Villa Savoye and the gardener’s lodge (France), House of Culture in Firminy (France), Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut (France), Cité Frugès (France) and Houses in the Weissenhof Estate (Germany);
• Renovation of the forecourt of the National Museum of Western Art (Japan) was completed on schedule in March 2022.

On 30 May 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party of India transmitting the ICOMOS Technical Review for each of the above-mentioned three proposed projects relating to the Capital Complex of Chandigarh, a component of the property located in India, including clear recommendations.

The enhanced coordination between the States Parties for better management and conservation of the components of the property, through regular meetings of the International Standing Conference, is welcome. It is further noted that the state of conservation of the 17 components of the serial transnational property is generally satisfactory, thanks to national protection measures which ensure that no intervention is carried out without the authorisation of the competent national authorities.

Regarding the components of the property in France, and in particular the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, it is noted that the State Party has undertaken the preparation of the specifications for the new study for the ‘Michelet development and programming guidelines’, which should be adopted before the end of 2024. This document, including additional information requested by the World Heritage Centre in October 2020 concerning works in the buffer zone of the component, is awaited by the World Heritage Centre for analysis by the Advisory Bodies before any development is undertaken. It is further noted that the State Party will shortly be submitting to the World Heritage Centre additional documents on the impact study carried out for the construction of an interpretation area at the Manufacture in Saint-Dié des Vosges, for analysis by the Advisory Bodies. Finally, concerning all the restoration works mentioned above, the State Party is encouraged to consistently notify the World Heritage Centre, to authorise only those works for which HIAs do not reveal negative impacts on the OUV of the property, and to carry out such assessments for project proposals in accordance with the Operational Guidelines and the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.

The HIA reports undertaken by the State Party for the projects in the Capitol Complex of Chandigarh are welcome. Regarding the HVAC Ancillary Structures Project, it meets legitimate needs, but its proposed location could negatively impact the OUV of the property. The HIA report identifies two proposed HVAC structures, including an underground air-conditioning plant and an aboveground cooling tower. Annex 3 of the States Parties state of conservation report, however, mentions two additional structures that were not mentioned in the HIA itself (one above-ground cooling tower near the Assembly Hall and an underground electrical sub-station near the air-conditioning plant). The HIA does not mention either impacts on the interior of the components. It is therefore recommended that the project be suspended and that the additional information requested in the ICOMOS Technical Review, including graphic representations (plans, sections and photographs), be submitted to the World Heritage Centre to fully assess the impact of the overall project.

While the reduction of surface parking in the multi-storey basement car park would be positive, the impact of the proposed development would be negative, as it would have a significant impact on the landscape and a negative impact on the property’s OUV. It is therefore recommended that the scheme is suspended, and alternative locations are analysed and evaluated.

An HIA has reviewed the Holistic Development of Punjab and Haryana High Court Project in Capitol Complex of Chandigarh, which arises from an increased need for workspace resulting from rising judicial demand. The project proposal includes two new structures, sitting on a three-level basement car parking, and the expansion of two existing structures. The scheme also calls for the demolition of the one-storey Tonga Block building, considered part of Le Corbusier’s original layout. It is therefore recommended that, in searching for legitimate needs for additional workspace, the current multilevel underground parking project should not be implements in the proposed location; areas where the proposed structures could be built should be reassessed. The proposed demolition of the Tonga Block should also not be implemented as it would be considered a major negative impact.

The World Heritage Committee might wish to request the State Party of India that the recommendations contained in the ICOMOS Technical Review of each of the above-mentioned three proposed projects relating to the Capital Complex of Chandigarh be implemented prior to commencement of any construction.

Regarding the protective measures for the buffer zone of Maison Guiette (Belgium), it should be acknowledged that the relevant heritage authorities are consulted in the decision-making processes concerning proposals for changes. The Committee could encourage the State Party of Belgium to seek other legal tools that would enhance the protection of the buffer zone of this component.