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5. Charles Correa
6. 1982
7. AD Classics: Bharat Bhavan / Charles Correa

AD Classics: Bharat Bhavan / Charles Correa

 04:00 - 1 August, 2016

 by Bart Bryant-Mole
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AD Classics: Bharat Bhavan / Charles Correa

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© Charles Correa Foundation
In the late 1970s, the Government of India launched an initiative to build in every state capital an institution to
celebrate the cultural and creative output of the nation. Although the scheme was largely unsuccessful, one
shining example remains: Bharat Bhavan (‘India House’), located in Bhopal.
Designed by Indian architectural luminary Charles Correa, this multi-arts center first opened its doors in 1982.
More than thirty years later, it continues to house a variety of cultural facilities and play host to multitude of
arts events. The design of the complex is a product of Correa’s mission to establish a modern architectural
style specific to India and distinct from European Modernism. Drawing on the plentiful source material
provided by the rich architectural heritage of his home country, at Bharat Bhavan Correa produced a building
for the modern era which manages to also remain firmly rooted in the vernacular traditions of India’s past.
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© Charles Correa Foundation

Built into a hillside which slopes down toward a lake, a series of terraces and courtyards comprise the
complex. Upon entering, the visitor has the choice of following the path of terraces cascading down to the lake,
or descending to the three courtyards which provide access to the majority of the cultural facilities. These
include contemporary art galleries, a museum of tribal art, an auditorium, a library of Indian poetry, a print
shop, and a studio for an artist-in-residence. From the courtyards, wide glass-paneled openings to the buildings
ensure the arts program is both literally and figuratively accessible to all. At the bottom of the site sits an
amphitheater, where open-air performances take place with the lake forming a natural backdrop.

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© Charles Correa Foundation
The route through the terraces encourages movement down the site’s natural gradient, with the courtyards
providing tranquil spaces for rest and relaxation. The dialogue between these two components creates an ebb
and flow of energy around the complex, in what Correa described as a “Ritualistic Pathway”. The ritual of
following a sacred pathway is, he claims, “a universal impulse, found in all cultures and religions.”[1] Correa
emphasized the spirituality of his own pathways by drawing parallels with those found in religious
architecture, including “the sun temples of Mexico” and the Hindu temples of Bali “with their ritualistic
pathways up the hillside.”[2]

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© Charles Correa Foundation

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© Charles Correa Foundation

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© Charles Correa Foundation

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© Charles Correa Foundation
Correa also noted secular examples of the Ritualistic Pathway, such as the palace city of Fatehpur Sikri and Le
Corbusier’s promenade architecturale, though he claimed the latter was merely “a ‘secular’ phrase to express
what is in reality a deep and sacred instinct.”[3] At Bharat Bhavan, the flights of stairs between the terraces
reference traditional Indian architecture while implying the sanctity of the pathway. The stairs are reminiscent
of ghats; steps found in Indian cities which lead down to a body of holy water, just as Correa’s steps guide the
pedestrian to the lakeside. Indeed, Correa cited the bathing ghats on the bank of the River Ganges at Varanasi
as a stylistic influence.[4] At Bharat Bhavan the steps guide the pedestrian to the lakeside; the religious
connotations emphasizing the sacred nature of this pathway.

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European Modernism, and in particular that of Le Corbusier, had heavily influenced modern architecture
in India for much of the 20th century. Correa was somewhat wary of this trend, and criticized Le
Corbusier’s Palace of the Assembly at Chandigarh for being poorly ventilated, insufficiently lit, and wholly
unsuitable for India’s hot and humid climate.[5] Correa’s architecture, conversely, is shaped by its
environment, with climate control a primary concern in his design process. Indeed, this was often a necessity,
as much of his early work consisted of projects for squatter housing, where inhabitants did not have the means
to pay for air-conditioning and were forced to rely on the building itself to regulate temperature.

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Rather than importing the “sealed boxes” of European architecture, necessitated by the colder Western climate,
instead Correa created “open-to-sky spaces.”[6] He observed that “in a warm climate, the best place to be in
the late evenings and in the early mornings is outdoors, under the open sky.”[7] The sunken courtyards
at Bharat Bhavan provide shade from the scorching midday sun, while the raised terraces offer refreshing air
and space at cooler times of day. This climate-control solution was lifted directly from India’s architectural
history, inspired by the courtyards and terraces of the Red Fort at Agra.[8]

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The sky held a spiritual power and mythical significance for Correa, who described it as “the abode of the
gods” and “the source of light – which is the most primordial of stimuli acting on our senses.”[9] He aimed to
harness the power of the sky to create a metaphysical experience through architecture, proclaiming that “there
is nothing so profoundly moving as stepping out into an open-to-sky space and feeling the great arch of the sky
above.”[10]

At Bharat Bhavan, the intention is that those emerging from the galleries to the courtyards undergo a similarly
dramatic spatial experience. The sky is even incorporated into the interior spaces of the site, with concrete
‘shells’ atop the structure allowing light and air to pour in through their circular openings. From the exterior,
these shells seem to reinterpret another feature of India’s architectural vocabulary: the decorative chattris
(‘umbrellas’) which originally sat atop Rajasthani palaces.

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© Charles Correa Foundation
The outdoor spaces at Bharat Bhavan are physical manifestations of the concept of “Empty Space,” a recurring
theme both in India’s visual culture and, in particular, its philosophy.[11] Away from the activity within the
buildings, the courtyards provide a contemplative void, enhanced by the placing of sculptures in their center.
These act a meditative focal point for the viewer, much like the solitary tree often found in the center of
Japanese courtyards. Correa’s characteristic use of the void as an architectural tool has been widely described
as ‘non-building’. He marveled at the expressive potency of nothingness, reflecting that it is “strange indeed
that since the beginning of time, Man has always used the most inert of materials, like brick and stone, steel
and concrete, to express the invisibilia that so passionately move him.”[12]

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© Charles Correa Foundation
The long-term success of Bharat Bhavan is largely due to its enduring popularity with local residents. The
courtyards create communal public space, with the steps around their peripheries providing articulated seating
for residents to meet and socialize. The terraces have proven popular with families, who spend their evenings
promenading down to the water’s edge and enjoying the cultural offerings of the complex.[13] In creating a
building well-suited to the needs of contemporary society while making use of familiar architectural motifs,
Correa manages to reconcile modernity with tradition; a significant step towards his goal of establishing a
distinctly Indian Modernism.

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References