MODULE 5

WORKS OF INDIAN MASTERS

CONTENTS

• LE CORBUSIER
• KOENIGSBERGER
• LOUIS I KAHN
• CHARLES CORREA
• B V DOSHI
• JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
• LAURIE BAKER
• ACHYUT KANVINDE
• NARI GANDHI
 LE CORBUSIER
Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer
October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965
Works
• Planning of Chandigarh • Sanskar Kendra City Museum Ahmedabad
• Villa Shodhan
• Villa Sarabhai

Chandigarh

Chandigarh was one of India‘s first

planned cities, created by the
Chandigarh Capital Project Team,
led by Swiss architect Charles
Edouard Corbusier (Le Corbusier). The
result is a city that feels both futuristic
and retro. It‘s a time capsule of Mid-
Century Modern and Brutalist
architecture set in the foothills of the
Himalayas. In 2016, the Capitol
Complex in Chandigarh was
declared a UNESCO World Heritage
site.
 New concepts introduced

▪ PRINCIPLES OF SUPER BLOCKS AND SECTOR

PLANNING :
( each sector made self sufficient by providing all the
daily needs like shopping
centres, hospitals, meeting places, schools, green
spaces and nurseries.)

▪ CONCEPT OF ( 7VS) :
( 7 kind of roads for different kinds of traffic
V1 : high ways connecting Chandigarh
to other towns
V2 : Arterial roads
V3 : fast vehicular roads dividing sectors
V4 : shopping streets
V5 : circulation roads within each sector
V6 : access roads to houses
V7 : foot-paths and cycle tracks

▪ TOWN AS AN ORGANISM ( HUMAN-BEING) :

▪ Head : government buildings
▪ Heart : city centre with commercial buildings
▪ limbs : industries and educational institution
▪ Lungs : parks & green belts
▪ Arteries : roads and footpaths
Capitol complex
Complex comprises
3 buildings:
- Palace of assembly
- The secretariat
- The high court
Palace of Assembly ( Legislative)

Each building in the capitol, complemented

each other. They are linked by foot paths,
bridges and pools.
▪ Stands out due to unique shape.
▪ Designed as Horizontal rectilinear
structure, square in plan.
▪ Has a monumental portico facing the
1 main plaza at the front.

4 main parts :
4 2
1. The assembly chamber
( Punjab assembly)
2. The Governor‘s council
3 Chamber ( Haryana assembly)
3.Office blocks
4. Forum space
 PALACE OF ASSEMBLY
A B

The assembly chamber The Governor’s council chamber

(Punjab assembly)
▪ Lies under massive hyperbolic tower, ( Haryana assembly)

▪ Tower extends above the roof line Has a rectilinear frame with
Pyramidal roof at the top.
▪ it resembles the cooling chimney in factory

▪ tower heights up to ( 124 ft), base dia ( 128 ft)

▪ Walls made of hyperbolic shell with the

thickness of 15 cm through out the surface.

C
The forum space
▪ The two assembly are linked by a foyer space (forum).
▪ bounded on three sides by 4-storey office blocks.
▪ used for circulation, informal meetings, discussion
 The roof line

The pyramidal roof of governor‘s council and hyperbolic structure of the assembly chamber were
allowed to extend beyond the roof line,

Thus break the linearity by adding different shapes to the roof line.
Playing against the jagged form of the mountains at the background .
 Front elevation

Section through assembly chamber

FURTHER READINGS
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123703
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-178850
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE1HOI2moyQ
https://www.middleeastarchitect.com/portfolio/archifocus-le-corbusier-buildings-in-india
 OTTO KOENIGSBERGER
The German architect who led independent India’s first attempt at
prefabricated housing
Educated in Germany during the Weimar Republic but subjected to Nazi
persecution, Koenigsberger migrated via Egypt to Bangalore and
employment by the Tata Dynasty in 1939. Upon independence, he was
appointed to Director of Housing in charge of New Town Development across
India, including the organization of the Chandigarh commission.
Koenigsberger‘s architecture and town planning, in particular for
Jamshedpur, mobilized current transatlantic modernist practice.
Throughout his time in India, he had also displayed enthusiasm and ambition for developing low-
cost, prefabricated housing. Arguing that mass production was particularly suited to India because
of the ―simpler‖ housing needs of the Indian worker‘s family, Koenigsberger designed the Tata
House for Jamshedpur.

Tata house, Jamshedpur: Built on a light steel framework,

Dining hall, indian institute of science, bangalore
with walls of precast aerated concrete blocks and a
barrel-vault roof of the same material, the component
parts could be transported by lorry and assembled on site.
Bhubaneshwar City laid out in a linear fashion. Central artery
forming the main spine. Neighborhood units
are attached to main spine. Each
Neighborhood unit accommodates major
amenities of life – schools, clinics, shopping
centers, libraries, etc., Easy walking distance
even for a child. Fairly high density unit can
hold up to 5000 to 6000 people.Each unit
planned around educational & recreational
area. Shopping center for every two units.
Central shopping district near railway station.
Every second housing site was allocated for
‗nonofficials‘. Standard amenities provided for
both ‗old‘ & ‗new‘ towns.

The city was to be the administrative town for

4050,000 population. It was not conceived as
an industrial town but however provisions
were given for small and light service
industries. The Capitol Complex with the
Assembly hall and the Secretariat is located
on the ridge overlooking the residential areas
on the eastern and the southern slopes and is
so designed to bring in the cool prevailing
breeze. The road follows a T-pattern. The
crossbar of the T links 2 rows of the residential
areas while the stem of the T,forming broad
avenues connects the Capitol Complex with
the business centre in front of the railway
station.
Hindustan Housing Factory in Delhi

• From October 1948, as Director of Housing, he began setting up the Hindustan Housing Factory in Delhi,
which was to serve the capital city.
• The simple single-storey housing units produced by the factory offered two rooms, rear and front verandahs,
a kitchen and a separate bathroom and lavatory accessed via a small rear courtyard.. The real innovation
of the houses was the use of large load-bearing aerated-concrete wall panels that were quickly cured by
the relatively new process of autoclaving.
• The aerated-concrete panels offered excellent thermal properties and could be produced using local
materials. Doors and windows were to be fitted to the panels in the factory so that site work could be
reduced to building simple masonry foundations and assembling the ready-made panels.

To begin with, the delivery of prototypes of the houses,

which were needed for testing in local conditions and
finalising design details, was delayed. Meanwhile, the
Ministry of Health took over six months to establish the
factory‘s management and administration structure,
define its constitution, select its committee and hire
skilled staff, which postponed the commencement of
actual building work.
Apart from that, a dock fire in Liverpool, the sinking of
a ship loaded with vital supplies in the Red Sea, the
overcrowding of Bombay‘s harbour in the summer of
1949 and shortages of special wagons for the transport
of heavy machinery from Bombay and Calcutta to
Delhi, all hampered progress. It was not until the
summer of 1950 that the factory started producing
houses, after a backlash in the press and Parliament
had already begun.
To make matters worse, a worrying number of the
aerated-concrete panels started breaking during Delhi prefab, 1950
autoclaving, while others developed cracks after
erection. The houses were falling apart. Unable to solve FURTHER READING:
the problem, production stopped in December 1950. https://scroll.in/magazine/881630/the-german-
The scandal that ensued ended Koenigsberger‘s architect-who-led-independent-indias-first-attempt-
career in India. at-prefabricated-housing
 LOUIS I KAHN
American architect, born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky
February 20, 1901 – March 17, 1974

He came to India after being selected to design IIM,

Ahmadabad
• IIM Ahmedabad is his only prominent work in India.

▪ Got influenced by ANCIENT RUINS.

▪ So, his style tends to MONUMENTAL and MONOLITHIC structures.
( the heavy buildings do not hide their weight, their materials or the way they are assembled).

▪ Use of local materials such as brick and concrete.

▪ Creating large monolithic facades with openings of different geometrical patterns.

▪ Blending modern architecture and local tradition.

▪ using light and shadow as an important element in his design, by creating harmonious
amalgamation of opaque surfaces and punctures that would filter light into the interior by creating
patterns of light and no-light spaces.
▪ he uses windows and doors on double walls to direct light into interiors. He introduced the idea of
deep intrados ( the lower curve of the arch) so as to provide cool deep shadow , when sun light
enters the interior through arched openings.
▪ he provided built-in sitting spaces around these openings to foster interactions with in these
spaces .
 IIM AHMEDABAD, 1974
Components with in the campus :

▪ main academic block

▪ Admin block , class rooms , faculty
rooms and library around central
plaza ( Louis Kahn plaza)
▪ Kitchen and dinning
▪ Faculty and staff housing
▪ Management and development
centre
▪ Students hostel ( dormitories)

▪Brick is used as primary building

material.

▪Exposed brick work is used through

out.

▪ For wide windows and door

openings, brick arches have been
used to support wide span.

▪ Even the columns are made of

brick piers.

▪ Concrete is used in foundation,

floor slabs and ties for arched
openings.
FURTHER READINGS
https://www.archdaily.com/83697/ad-classics-indian-institute-of-management-louis-kahn
https://archeyes.com/indian-institute-of-management-louis-kahn/
 JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
American architect
10 April 1912 – 6 October 2001
Works: Indian Institute of Management, Calicut
▪ India Habitat Centre
▪ India International Centre

In 1950, moved to India and became head of the

department of the architecture at Bengal Engineering
College in Calcutta. He worked in New Delhi for 30
years
He mainly put two things into his design:
QUALITY OF THE SPACE
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS OF BUILDING
India International Centre, Delhi
He brought CALIFORNIA MODERNISM SENSITIVITY to
India. His approach is called MODERN REGIONALISM.
( According to him regionalism without modernity is
unprogressive and modernism without being regional is
insensitive and inappropriate.)

▪He tried to create harmony with the nature by simple

and ecologically gentle design solution.

▪His designs were modernistic but inspired by India’s

past.

▪ He was good at working with local materials, He also

used jalis in most of his works. India Habitat Centre, Delhi
 India Habitat Centre, Delhi
▪ There are 5 main building blocks interconnected by aerial walk ways.
▪ The external facade comprises of exposed brick works, exposed concrete and glass.
▪ The pedestrian and vehicular entry are segregated with the use of level differences.
▪ Horizontal and vertical ribbon windows are used , with planter box for plantation.
▪ The building blocks are arranged around courtyards, landscaped with stone sculptures and is
green through out.
▪ Shading devices are used in the courtyards, these are designed as space-frame structures with
blue aligned reflectors. They caste interesting patterns of shadow on the paved ground when
sunlight falls on them.
India Habitat Centre, Delhi
 FURTHER READINGS:
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/know-your-
architects/a299-life-and-works-of-joseph-allen-stein/
http://www.archiestudio.in/masters_gallery/joseph_allen_st
ein
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123727
https://architexturez.net/pst/az-cf-189160-1542687141
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123724-3

India Habitat Centre, Delhi

Indian Express Towers, Mumbai

Triveni Kala Kendra India International Centre, Delhi

 B V DOSHI
Indian architect
26 August 1927 - today
Pioneering in the low cost housing.
▪ Led the evolution of contemporary Indian Architecture.
▪ He applies modernists concept to an Indian contexts.
▪ His works is a visual feast of diverse mediums, dimensions and textures.
PRINCIPLES
Doshi's work has consistently revolved around the interrelationship of indoor and outdoor space.
Doshi followed it in his architecture by providing openness in buildings through colonnades, pergolas,
porticos, sky lights etc.
The success of any project depends on effective construction, contracting, logistic planning and co-
ordination
Doshi applies Modernists concepts to an Indian context

Major works : IIM

Bangalore
Sangath, 1980
Husain Doshi Gufa
(Amdavad ni Gufa),
1994
Aranya low cost
housing,1989
Kamala house, 1963

Tagore Memorial Hall

He has categorised 8 principles in traditional architecture, which he
believes would greatly enrich contemporary practice :

▪ MYTHICAL SENSE :
According to him, a space is never static, it can be modified as per the
desire of the perceiver.

▪ VASTU- PURUSHA MANDALA :

He prefers prevailing wind flow and breeze and encouraged
courtyard planning.

▪ TRANSFORMATION OF ENERGY :
Transformation of energy between the building and people, using the
space for functional use. He followed it in his architecture by providing
openness in buildings through colonnades, pergolas, porticos, skylights
etc.
▪ HUMAN INSTITUTIONS :
He had faith in the dialogue between people and architecture of
which he speaks and powers of dialogues to bring about old
institutions and create new ones. Sangath
▪ FLEXIBLE RATHER THAN RIGID APPROACH :
His most specific principle that he followed was ― flexible rather than
rigid approach to the structures. This is how he transformed a space
from a mere static container, to
a place where people actually feel a psychic interchange. Here he
refers to the multiple mixed structural systems, of the type found in FURTHER READINGS:
Madurai temple and city of Fatehpur sikri. • https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-179716
• https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-192639
▪ SYMBOLISM : • https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-179686
The idea of flexibility leads him to the principle of symbolism. He
believes that it can • https://architexturez.net/pst/az-cf-186293-
Only be accommodated by mixture of structural systems. Symbolically 1520910501
charged space must be designed as receptacle for human activity. • https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-166658
• https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-168133
▪ AMORPHOUS RATHER THAN FINITE FORMS : • https://www.world-
He uses multiple structural system and flexible forms architects.com/en/architecture-news/insight/3-
masterpieces-by-balkrishna-doshi
▪ TIMELESSNESS :
He uses this principle in his architecture while describing his quality in
historical precedents as ― OPEN ENDEDNESS‖
Kamala House
informed by both western
and eastern designs, kamala
house was named after
doshi’s wife, and is the
architect’s personal
residence. doshi relies on a
sustainable and economical
approach. natural light is
maximized and streams
throughout, while cavity
walls trap and minimize heat.
Amdavad ni gufa
amdavad ni gufa was designed to
demonstrate the collaboration between an
artist and architect. an underground gallery
housing the works of artist maqbool fida
husain, doshi‘s design was inspired by a
discussion between the two that occurred
thirty years prior to the project. it was about a
response to climate, and the benefits of
interred spaces. in designing the landscape
and entrance, the architect connects the
building to the extended world
CEPT UNIVERSITY, Ahmedabad
 Sangath

sangath is the architect‘s own studio. in sanskrit, sangath

means ‗moving together‘. there is an easy flow of
terraces, reflecting ponds, mounds, and the curved
vaults which are the distinguishing formal elements. there
is variety and richness in the interior spaces that have
different qualities of light, different shapes as well as
different uses, while united through the use of concrete.

The building is surrounded by tall buildings and it easily

could have been taller, but Doshi maintained about 60%
open space and embedded the building in the earth,
reducing the scale of the building but also cooling the
interior spaces.
 Doshi quickly became known for his commitment to providing
Aranya low cost Housing
affordable housing throughout India, where a shortage of
homes had plagued cities for decades. Notably, he designed
the Life Insurance Corporation Housing in Ahmedabad (1973)
and the Aranya Low Cost Housing in Indore (1989). The latter,
arguably his best-known project, was a township for low- to
middle-income families. The master plan called for a central
spine of private businesses and houses constructed on each
side. A cluster of 10 residences share a central courtyard, while
paved streets and squares break up the ordered space. Doshi
offered future inhabitants a selection of 80 models that ranged
from one-room units to larger houses that suited different needs
and incomes. The minimalist designs show Doshi‘s dedication to
waste little space and material. The completed township
provides 80,000 individuals with 6,500 residences.

aranya low cost housing accommodates over 80,000 individuals through a system of houses, courtyards and a
labyrinth of internal pathways. the community is comprised of over 6,500 residences, among six sectors — each of
which features a range of housing options, from modest one-room units to spacious houses, to accommodate a
range of incomes.
 IIM Bangalore
▪ Slopping topography of the site.
▪ Built up area, 54,000 sq mt.
▪ use of external space to create link between the interior spaces.
▪ Functional and physical attributes of the design are related to the local
traditions of the pavilion like spaces and courtyards.
▪ Ample provisions for plantations.
▪ Use of local materials.
▪ The forecourt and the entrance are at the lower left of the plan. Dormitories
are arranged diagonally around an interlocking series of courtyards in upper
part.
▪ Design includes long and unusually high ( three storied ) corridors with
innumerable vistas of focal point.
▪ Some corridors are open and some are partially covered with skylights and
pergolas.
▪ Varying amalgamation of direct and indirect sun light coupled with solid-
void combination.
▪ To further heighten the spatial experience , the width of the corridors were
modulated in many places to allow casual sitting, interaction or moving
forward to one destination or more.

inspired by traditional maze-like indian cities and

temples, IIM bangalore is organized as
interlocking buildings, courts and galleries. it also
provides a variety of spaces protected from the
hot climate, and infuses greenery through semi-
open corridors and gardens.
 ACHYUT KANVINDE
Indian architect
1916 – 28 December 2002

This romance with geometrical architecture lasted through his lifetime. Over
the years, the geometrical shapes imbibed a certain fluidity, which made
them almost speak. It is difficult to pinpoint a particular genre he was
comfortable in, since he has covered a wide spectrum of buildings.

The projects include, IIT Kanpur,

Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai,
IRMA Campus and GCMMF. In Delhi,
Ashoka Estate, St. Xavier‘s School,
National Science Centre,
Cooperation Office, Embassy of
Switzerland, Azad Bhavan, NDDB,
ISKCON Temple and CCRT. Of these,
Gandhi Memorial Hall, Azad Bhavan,
NDDB office, National Science
Centre and ISKCON temple make it
to the list of modern heritage
buildings in the National Capital.

FURTHER READINGS: Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai

https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-182208
https://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/achyut-kanvinde/
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-192486
• Two other features is the
emphasis on staircase in the
buildings. Similarly, the front or
porch was designed in such a
way that it would add drama to
the building. It also allowed
natural light to enter the
building. Apart from staircases,
covered verandahs and
walkways connected various National Science Centre, Delhi
buildings allowing for light and
ventilation. This is aptly reflected
in the University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bengaluru where the
design allows for natural
ventilation and light everywhere.

National Dairy Development Board, Delhi

Darpana Academy of Performing Arts,1965.

The project was designed

for dancer Mrinalini
Sarabhai, conceived with
an objective to teach the
arts and to propagate
Indian art through
performance.
The two-storey structure
includes classrooms, offices,
and support spaces on the
ground floor with the
director‘s residence on the
upper level. The building
takes advantage of its
setting next to the
Sabarmati river by orienting
a linear, semi-covered
terrace toward it, with the
classrooms clustered around
it.

(1). Entrance; (2) Classroom; (3) Store; (4) Service Quarters, (5) Washroom; (6) Courtyard; (7) Existing Building; (8) Office; (9)
Bedroom; (10) Dining Hall; (11) Kitchen; (12) Living Room and (13) Terrac
This central space also serves as an
extension of the teaching area. The
shape of the residential unit on the first
floor is dictated by the linear form
generated on the lower level, partially
spanning over the extended terrace
below. The overall layout of the complex
is oriented diagonally with respect to the
plot, offering vistas towards the river. The
building has an exposed concrete frame
structure with exposed brick infill walls. The
floors are finished in Kota stone
interspersed by marble strips.
 NARI GANDHI
His trademark design style inspired generations of architects. One of
India's pioneering proponents of organic architecture, the name Nari
Gandhi at once conjures images of stone walls, exposed bricks, and
arches.
His works display a distinctive organic character. They appear to have
evolved as a response to the context, remaining strongly rooted to the
site and being very well connected to the surroundings.

Nari's works display highly

skilled craftsmanship and
structural ingenuity. He has
stacked earthen pots to
construct arches out of them
and built stairs out of brick
arches. Throughout his works
you see extraordinary use of
stone, brick, wood, glass and
leather.

Moon Dust residence, Madh Island

He took inspiration from nature for his architecture. He believed that land is the purest form of nature
and a building grows towards light like a plant. Light, for him, was the soul of architecture. He would
spend hours studying the relation of moving sun and his building. Though his work was very organic, it
had a strong geometry to it.
Another important aspect of his architecture was his use of materials. He worked with brick, stone,
timber and steel. He chose materials meticulously as per the site location and demand of the space.
His pottery skills aided him in choosing textures and
colours, adding a unique taste to his work. His
projects would be deliberately spread over a long
period, for the landscape to grow along with the
building.
His clients believed that his architecture enhanced their lives not only physically but also spiritually.
―Nari Gandhi firmly believed that architecture was an emotional expression along with being an art.
His work is a marriage of architecture & ornament, space & form, materials & texture.‖

He played with an extensive material palette: burnt brick, stone and wood being favourites, but also
metal, bamboo, leather, woven textiles, glass, shells, pebbles and a variety of plasters—approaching
each with a curiosity that occasioned unconventional outcomes.
At Korlai, he chose regular country bricks for the heavier base, but above he employed hollow,
machine-moulded bricks, using their capacity for reinforcement to create forms that seem to defy
gravity.
Daya Residence Alibag

The house is staged

on an elevated
platform, a
beached boat of
brick, with
sandstone paving
below echoing the
beach behind and
leading through a
ribbed underbelly of
archways and flying
buttresses, past twin
submersible-like
bedrooms tucked
into the landscape,
and onto a sea of
lawn at the far end.
Having passed through this portal, a subtle
line of force—evident only as a strip of
grass flattened by repeated footsteps—
directs movement along a gently
modulated slope to the ‗upper‘ deck.
Framed by soaring segmental arches on
either side, this primary space opens to
vistas of shores both real and conceived;
the filigree of voids that punctuate the
masonry screens above produce a play of
light from dawn to dusk. From here, one
flight of cantilevered stone steps leads up
to the crow‘s-nest vantage of a wooden
loft, while another spirals down to the
kitchen, back to the carport and out to
the main gate.
 LAURIE BAKER (1917-2007)

Principles
 ―Make only what is necessary‖
 Locally available materials
 Climate responsiveness
 Low-cost / Cost-effective
 Recycled materials
 Extensive use of bamboo (renewable resource)
 ―Let buildings be honest‖ (no need of plastering/
painting/cladding)
 Lime in place of cement – locally made(less transportation cost),
exothermic process(energy efficient)
 Mud house is not just for the poor / small structures.

Concerns of architectural practice:

Sensitivity to the natural contours and elements of site
Optimum utilization of materials.
Concrete is used sparingly
Innovative bonding techniques for brick
Interprets traditional patterns of thermal design in contemporary
idiom
Construction techniques
• Random rubble foundation
• Bamboo pile foundation
• Bamboo-reinforced surface beam
• Basement infill of brick bats / excavated
mud / construction debris
• Built-in furniture
• Mud walls – Cob, adobe
• Brick wall – Rat trap bond(less number of
bricks, insulation, easier for plumbing and
wiring), corrugated walls(more strength
using lesser materials, lighter) (slenderness
ratio, effective depth)
• Brick lintels & arches
• Line pointing, patch pointing, mud
plastering, mud painting, protective
coating
• Oxide flooring, brick flooring
• Brick jaali (privacy, air circulation,
aesthetics, patterns, light and shade,
lightweight) , bottle jaali (colours, patterns,
light, recycling)
• Pivoted windows FURTHER READINGS:
https://architecturelive.in/laurie-baker-architect-for-the-common-man-an-
• Filler slab (tile, pot, etc.) interview-with-gautam-bhatia/
• Bamboo slab https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/article/life-and-works-of-architect-laurie-
baker/
https://thinkmatter.in/2015/09/28/laurie-baker-life-works-writings-gautam-bhatia/
CDS Trivandrum
The project that is most representative of
Baker‘s architecture.
Established in 1965, to promote economic
development in State.
Incorporate all the elements characteristic of
Baker‘s style: jalis,traditional roofs, stepped
arches, the overhanging eaves and skylights.
Example of how to transform vernacular
architecture to suit the requirements of a
modern academic institution.
Main approach to design: Varying levels of the
site fragment the complex into its individual
components, each in its own landscape,
created by grooves of existing trees and
foliage.

An area of 9 acres accomodates

administrative offices, a computer centre, an
amphitheatre, library , classroom, housing
auditorium and other essential components of
an institution.

The library dominates the centre of the site

with a seven storey tower.

The buildings remain tightly connectd through

corridors.
K.N.Raj Library Block

CDS Trivandrum
The site plan makes a clear demarcation
between vehicular and pedestrian routes:
heavy cutting of the site for major roads is
confined to lower slopes while walkways
meander along upper contours.
 Administrative block

Computer Centre
 CHARLES CORREA
Indian architect, urban planner and activist
1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015

Main Approach to Design:

Open to sky space
Tube House
Manipulation of floor
levels(Kovalam/Kanchenjunga)

Charles Correa remarks that in a warm climate

people have a very different relationship to built
form. He singles out the chatri, an overhead Kanchanjunga Apartments
canopy and a traditional Indian form , as an
example of the minimal protection from climate.

FURTHER READINGS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzK86VPXUs8
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-123736
https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-192664
Leela Kovalam

The site is adjacent to Kovalam Palace.

Project commenced in 1969 and first phase
completed in 1974
300 beds/ specialized facilities over the site,
rather than concentrating in one area,
The building follow the hill slope
Each room gets its own private terrace
Numerous detached units /kudils are also
there.
Even though Design is contemporary and not
derived from local forms, the buildings refer to
the vernacular with the plastered white walls ,
red tiled roofs and sun decks.
Beach Centre Pavilions which are lightweight
bamboo chatris.
 Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya at Sabarmati Ashram

This memorial museum is located in the ashram where the

Mahatma lived from 1917 to 1930. Housing his books, letters and
photographs, this modest and humanly-scaled memorial uses
brick piers, stone floors and tiled roofs to find a contemporary
expression for the spirit of swadeshi.
The commission was the architect's first important work in
private practice.

In order to reflect the

simplicity of Gandhi's life
and the incremental
nature of a living
institution the architect
used modular units 6m
x6m of reinforced
cement concrete
connecting spaces,
both open and
covered, allowing for
eventual expansion.

The modular simplicity of the structure is continued in the use of

basic materials: stone floors, brick walls, wooden doors and
louvred windows devoid of glass, and riled roofs. The units are
grouped in a consciously asymmetric manner to be analogous
to the Indian village with its pathways and seem ingly randomly
placed buildings and its meeting points; in this instance the
central water court.
The initial construction
consisted of 51 modular
units. Some of the units
are enclosed by walls; the
exhibition spaces so
created counterpointed
by areas for rest where
the visitor can sit ... Since
its inauguration by
Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963
the units have been
added to, extending the
existing pattern.

In this work Correa

demonstrates the
uncompromising
execution of an idea as a
powerful statement of
form, an approach found
in many of his works such
as the ECIL Office
Complex and the later
Kanchanjunga
apartments - where single
overriding concepts
become the major
organising element of the
architecture.
 QUESTIONS
(Sketches are compulsory)

• Explain the layout and planning of Chandigarh? Who was the architect who worked on
it? Explain in detail the characteristics of any one major building within the city designed
by him.
• Who was Otto Koenigsberger? What were his contributions in India?
• Explain the features, the characteristics and the philosophies associated with the design
of IIM Ahmedabad.
• Sketch and explain any one major work of Achyut Kanvinde. What were his ideologies
and principles in architecture?
• Explain in detail any one work of Ar. Joseph Allen stein.
• Explain in detail through sketches, any one project by B V Doshi which portrays the
connect between the indoor and the outdoor.
• What were the ideologies and concepts in Charles Correa‘s architecture. Explain citing a
notable example of his works.
• How is the architecture of Laurie baker one for the common man? What were the
construction techniques used by him?
• Explain the concepts of Nariman Gandhi‘s architecture through an example.