Getty Foundation gives PU ₹1.4 crore for Gandhi Bhawan
CHANDIGARH:PANJAB University’s department of Gandhian and Peace Studies has received a ₹1.4-crore grant from the Getty Foundation, USA, for the conservation of the Gandhi Bhawan on campus.
This is the second such grant from the foundation, which had earlier given the varsity ₹87 lakh for the bhawan’s conservation management plan (CMP).
The project, which will be started by November 2020, will entail conservation of the building’s exterior, cladding panels and reflecting pool. With a deadline of one year, the project will be followed by monitoring for another year to determine the impact of the pool on the microclimate of its interiors.
Built in the 1960s, Gandhi Bhawan has been categorised as a Grade-1 heritage building in the Chandigarh Master Plan. It was designed by Le Corbusier’s cousin Pierre Jeanneret, who also designed several other buildings on the campus, including the administrative block, and the arts and science blocks.
PU vice-chancellor Raj Kumar said, “This excellent announcement of grant for Gandhi Bhawan will also enable the university to do more researchbased projects related to architecture and heritage, and boost the morale of the faculty and students to take up similar projects in the future.
As the university has a rich history, iconic architectural heritage and artefacts too, we appreciate such grants for preserving our repository of heritage for future generations.”
Based in Los Angeles, California, USA, the Getty Foundation supports institutions and individuals committed to advancing the greater understanding and preservation of the visual arts throughout the world.
Since 1984, it has awarded more than 8,000 grants benefitting over 180 countries on all seven continents.