‘Kanade – Shankar and Navnath’ is a documentary by Tepoi that depicts the journey of the architect-brothers with a spotlight on their ‘down-to-earth philosophy’. The film has been shortlisted for four international short film festivals in Italy, India, Netherlands and Australia.
‘Kanade – Shankar and Navnath’ is a documentary by Tepoi that depicts the journey of the architect-brothers with a spotlight on their ‘down-to-earth philosophy’. The film has been shortlisted for four international short film festivals in Italy, India, Netherlands and Australia.
How often do architects film architects? Very rarely, but when the film is made like “Kanaade – Shankar Aur Navnath”, it gets acclaim across the society. No wonder the 50-minute long documentary made by Team Tepoi has been selected for four international short film festivals in Italy, India, the Netherlands and Australia.
Named after two architect brothers who found the firm ‘Shilpa Sindoor’ in Bengaluru during the 1970s, the film narrates the journey of their lives and projects. It is a documentary, but more than that, reveals a philosophy. It showcases their projects, but more than that, the home owner Lohitashv and interviews with architects Sanjay Mohe and Meghana Arya mixes up the images. It lets architects do the talking, but more than that, attempts to read their minds. It is visual, but more than that, conversational.
foreign location | photo credit: TEPOI
After studying at JJ School of Architecture, elder brother Shankar Kanade came to Bangalore to teach and design. After working with Paolo Soleri of Arcosanti fame, BV Doshi and Louis Kahn, to create a unique approach to architecture, Navnath Kanade returned from America to admire them.
The Kanade brothers brought a curious mix of architectural designs, essential teachings and frugal living without many worldly desires for wealth, wealth or power. Shankar has not traveled to India or abroad to get ideas, surf the internet to update himself, or read books to quote from them.
Of course, they acknowledge inspiration from the BASE Group – a former group of Soch Architects from Bangalore – who regularly discussed matters of architecture.
An ardent follower of the modernity introduced in India by Louis Kahn and Corbusier, Shankara followed Swami to become a master. Navnath followed him to gain equal praise. This was achieved by realizing that modernity is not mere innovation; The style isn’t just fancy; Optimizing space and cost is more important than abundance and rustic can be appreciated as much as it is refined.
ecologically sustainable
Canadian architecture is simultaneously both local and universal. Houses built in the 80s and onwards were ecologically sustainable and economically affordable. HUDCO honored him for his innovative ideas, though he rarely applied for awards or sought to speak at national symposia or yearned for name and fame. Constructed from local granite stone, illuminated by multiple skylights, spanning the house on multiple levels and ensuring low maintenance costs, Kanade became recognized as a native-architect.
Canada’s unified universal design principles of light, space, scale and the like, took its buildings beyond the local. Soon the Jalvayu Vihar project, a large housing complex for Air Force and Navy personnel, led to a new typology for such projects not only in Bengaluru, but in India itself. The sculptural tall water tank welcomes visitors, guiding them to open, then semi-open and finally to enclosed spaces. These spots also vary in size and scale, making the order from low light to bright light spots accordingly. A slow walk through the complex becomes a revelation of the many principles of architecture, openings, materiality, texture, light, space, scale and finally self-perception. Be it a small house or a large complex, the act of movement becomes the way the design is experienced.
The signature designs of Kanade buildings have 3-dimensional form and mass, achieved through a careful combination of volumes, terraces, skylines and such others. The externally visible mass is not a shallow face, but is integral with the interior creating spaces that flow horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Stone as a single material, a philosophy they believe in, enables the expression of materiality in a very different way than many other designer buildings. Kanade buildings are deeply theme-based, stubbornly organized by architects, be it Asha Niketan, Gulbarga Art College, Hyderabad Art Department or tiny houses. Therefore, his designs become experiential, beyond mere visuals.
Meghal explains that the key lessons to be learned from him are design and life integrity; Lohitashva said to enjoy what comes like a saint without searching; and designing and manufacturing systems as per the analysis of Sanjay Mohe.
In many ways, Shankar Kanade was like Laurie Baker, unfortunately little known. We want the younger generation to learn from their old gurus, so the society needs films like ‘Kanade-Shankar and Navnath’ made by Tipoi.
(The author is an architect working on eco-friendly design and can be contacted at varanashi@gmail.com)