In 1951, Indian government representatives commissioned Le Corbusier to collaborate on an ambitious project, the construction of Chandigarh, India's largest post-colonial urban development project. Sculptural architectures and a master plan characterized by right angles have since defined Chandigarh's urban structure. Today, 50 years after Le Corbusier's death, over a million people live in the so-called 'City Beautiful.' Bärbel Högner examines the design process of the planned city, which is marked by mutual influence, and sheds light on the social aspects of the artificially created urban space for the first time. It becomes clear that Le Corbusier's guidelines align with local customs: his vision of the 'functional city' receives its own interpretation.