CRITICAL REGIONALISM

CRITICAL REGIONALISM IS WAY DIFFERENT FROM POST MODERN ARCHITECTURE.

INTRODUCTION :

1) THE FIRST IMPRESSION OF A COUNTRY’S CULTURE AND TRADITION IS CREATED FROM ITS
PEOPLE AND ARCHITECTURE .

2) “ARCHITECTURE IS ABOUT THE PLACE, ROOTED IN ITS CONTEXT AND

CULTURE” - KARAN GROVER
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3) IN EARLY 1930 ‘s EUROPEAN –MODERN ARCHITECTURE TRIED TO MAKE

HEADWAY IN INDIA .

4) INDIA IS COUNTRY HAVING VAST HISTORY RESULTING IN GREAT DIVERSITY .

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5) INFLUENCE OF CORBUSIEN ARCHITECTURE .

WORKS OF AN ARCHITECT SHIVNATH PRASAD.

6) ARCHITECTS LIKE B. V. DOSHI, LE CORBUSIER, CHARLES CORREA, RAJ REWAL,

ACHYUT KANVINDE ATTEMPTED TO MERGE MODERN ARCHITECTURE WITH FUNDAMENTAL
CREDENTIAL INDIANESS TO BRING ‘MODERN INDIAN ARCHITECTURE’.

7) CRITICAL REGIONALISM IS PROGRESSIVE DESIGN APPROACH WHICH IS A

MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE GLOBAL AND LOCAL LANGUAGE OF ARCHITECTURE.
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8) LE CORBUSIER RESPONDED TO THE CONTEXT, UNDERSTANDING ISSUES

SUCH AS SHADING, PASSIVE VENTILATION, APPROPRIATE USE OF MATERIAL
AND LANDSCAPE.

9) THE GENERATION THAT FOLLOWED LE CORBUSIER AND KAHN, OFTEN

WORKED ON THEM AND BROUGHT REFINESS TO MODERN – REGIONAL
ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE.

10) B. V. DOSHI BELIEVED IN, A THROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST

AND RELIABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PRESENT WILL CREATE
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
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EXAMPLES :
1) B. V. DOSHI : DARIVATION OF SANGATH, AHEMDABAD.

EXAMPLES :
2) B. V. DOSHI : L I C HOUSING, AHEMDABAD.

EXAMPLES :

1) RAJ REWAL :
‘BUILDING SHOULD RESPOND TO COMPLEX DEMANDS OF
RAPID URBANIZATION, CLIMATE AND CULTURE AND STILL
RELATES THE EXPRESSIVENESS OF TRADITIONAL HISTORICAL
ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA’.
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EXAMPLES :

2) RAJ REWAL : CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY, NEW DELHI.

EXAMPLES :
3) B. V. DOSHI : ARANYA HOUSING, INDORE.

EXAMPLES :
1) CHARLES CORREA :
‘TRIED TO CREATE, A BUILT ENVIRONMENT WHICH IMITATES
THE TRADITIONAL AS WELL AS MODERN ELEMENT.
HE WANTED TO ESTABLISH THE NEW IDENTITY OF
INDEPENDENT INDIA
THROUGH ANCIENT TRADITIONAL AND VERNACULAR
ARCHITECTURE’.
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EXAMPLES :
01) KENNETH FRAMPTON :
MENTIONS IN HIS BOOK “TOWARDS A CRITICAL REGIONALISM”.
1) HOW TO BECOME MODERN AND TO RETURN TO SOURCES.
2) HOW TO REVIVE AN OLD, DORMANT CIVILIZATION AND TAKE PART IN UNIVERSAL
CIVILIZATION.
CRITICAL REGIONALISM SHOULD ADOPT MODERN ARCHITECTURE, FOR ITS
UNIVERSAL PROGRESSIVE QUALITIES BUT AT THE SAME TIME VALUE SHOULD BE
PLACED ON THE GEPGRAPHICAL CONTEXT OF THE BUILDING.

EXAMPLES :
02) KENNETH FRAMPTON :
EMPHASIS ON ...
1) TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATE AND LIGHT.
RATHER THAN
2) SCENOGRAPHY (PAINTING, THEATRICAL SCENE).
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EXAMPLES :
01) GLENN MURCUTT :
SIMPLE – VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE STYLE IS
REPRESENTATIVE OF AN AUSTRALIAN VARIENT TO CRITICAL
REGIONALISM.
HE SAYS...
“ I CAN DESIGN FOR OTHER PLACES, BUT ITS IMPORTANT FOR ME
TO BE WORKING IN MY OWN CULTURE” .