New Parliament House. file | Photo Credit: PTI
Aarchitecture deserves to be at the center of recent inauguration of parliament house, In many ways, the event was about the value of design and the ability of Indian architects to build sustainable structures in a timely manner. The new Parliament House draws public attention to the growing prestige, enhanced competence and potential of the architectural profession in India. Even the controversies surrounding the project are about public consequences for the profession.
However, architecture cannot serve and advance only when it is used only occasionally in public buildings or more monumental projects. As the history of the profession shows, architecture can meet the growing needs of people at large. Harnessing this potential will largely depend on state investment in the design.
a brief History
Over the past 100 years, the effort has grown enormously from a small group of trained architects with few educational institutions. It is the result of serving private interests as well as public interests. Pre-independence, the challenge and urgency was to differentiate and define architectural services from other close professional contenders. Architects such as GB Mhatre in Mumbai and LM Chitale in Chennai created admirable structures ranging from petrol stations, stadiums and banks to demonstrate what the young profession could offer. Nation-building in independent India and extensive state support required the creation of a number of projects: new cities, industrial centres, housing and infrastructure. The architecture efficiently met everyday needs and at the same time enabled the nation to function. Away from the exaggerated architectural hubbub of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, architects such as Chatterjee and Polk in Kolkata, JC Alexander in Thiruvananthapuram, and Chandavarkar and Thacker in Bengaluru made the case for good design to regional clients and the state. The post-Emergency saw a desire to return to the roots while producing gold and scum. If Uttam Jain’s university buildings in Jodhpur were inspiring, Charles Correa’s Jaipur museum was depressing. The profession has passed this problematic phase.
If mainstream practice embraced concrete and cities, many architects, supported by capable community leaders, sought alternative avenues. He showed the relevance of using local materials, working with communities, housing the poor, and adopting eco-conscious practices. Cooperative refugee housing in Faridabad, the Rural Institute by architects trained under Laurie Baker, craft-based building rejuvenation by Parul Zaveri and Nimish Patel, and low-cost technologies brought into the mainstream by Revathi Kamath ushered in sustainable practices.
In the past two decades, a variety of practices have emerged, with about 70% of them being led by young talents. Firms are better dispersed geographically, and architects are beginning to serve smaller towns. Buildings are imaginary, critical as well as practical. a small but stunning brick vaulted school library at Kopargaon near Shirdi; Elephant shelters set up in Jaipur; Sympathetic Ashwinikumar Crematorium in Surat; Rural sports facilities and other meaningful work in Adisaptagram, West Bengal, are showing how good design in public service can enliven a place and enrich communities. Undeterred, many young Indian architects continue to design socially relevant buildings.
These achievements have raised expectations. However, how much service they can provide depends on bridging gaps within the profession and, just as importantly, how well the profession’s potential is harnessed in the public sector.
On a professional level, vanity projects abound. Meeting the unreasonable demands of markets and the involvement of the profession in this raises doubts about the interests of architects. The gender disparity within the profession calls into question the lack of sensitivity. The growing gap between low educational standards and rising professional and industry expectations raises concerns about skills.
short term goals
Architecture doesn’t need radical inventions to perfect and enhance its capabilities. in an essay the new Yorker, surgeon-author Atul Gawande explains that failures happen in businesses that face uncertainties and complexities; However, what separates a great profession from a mediocre one is not which one is less likely to fail, but how quickly that profession rescues itself. A greater commitment is needed to design meaningful buildings, strengthen ethical orientation, make the practice more inclusive and upgrade competencies to meet the challenges of building environmentally sensitive buildings and technological disruption.
Though these are within the reach of the profession, what remains outside it is to take advantage of the possibilities, especially in public projects. Design’s role in enhancing quality of life and contributing to the economy is best felt in collective projects. through it Design 2025 Masterplan, Singapore It is envisioned to use design as a major tool to strengthen the economy. Closer to home, it is encouraging to see the Kerala government trying to create a ‘design-based ecosystem’ for the creation and conservation of public assets.
While such ambitious plans may be a long-term goal, in the short term, states can invest in the design and use of quality professional services by improving their procurement processes, creating reliable selection methods, and lowering entry barriers to the development of young talent. Could ,
A Srivatsan is a professor at CEPT University. views are personal