The Palace of Assembly houses both the Punjab and Haryana legislative assemblies under a single roof and is arguably the most theatrical of Le Corbusier's Capitol Complex buildings. A hyperbolic cooling tower rises from the centre of the roof — designed to evoke the funnels of a power station, lit from above by a circular oculus and surmounted by an aluminium hood that catches the wind.
The main forum, a circular chamber inside the giant cylinder, is one of the strangest interiors in Indian architecture, with concrete walls washed in coloured light from skylights. The famous enamelled ceremonial door, painted by Le Corbusier himself, depicts the cycle of the seasons and the relationship between man and the cosmos; it opens only once a year, on Republic Day. Access is by guided tour from the Capitol Complex tourist office.