ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF INDIA

The main historical period and styles are as follows

Indus valley civilization

3000- 1700
B.C.

600 B.C.
-200 A.D. Post Mahajan pada period

200 – 1500
A.D. Middle ages

1500 – 1615
A.D.
Mughal architecture

1615 – 1947 A.D.

Colonialism
 HISTORY
• India had a glorious history in terms of its rich art and architecture, starting from
3000 B.C

• During the British period from 1615- 1947, the major cities of Delhi, Calcutta,
Mumbai and Chennai were highlighted with rich colonial styles of Indo -
Saracenic architecture.

PRE INDEPENDENCE ERA

• British rule governed the Indian architecture before independence.

The former British residency building,
• Influence of colonialism. Hyderabad

• An insensitivity to native art traditions as a result of British dominance.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

• Colonial architecture

• Indo Saracenic architecture

Secretariat building, New Delhi, designed

by Herbert Baker
 POST INDEPENDENCE ARCHITECTURE (AFTER 1947)
• Indian architects before Independence were working under the British architects.

• After the British left India in 1947, Indian architecture was in chaos.

• Perhaps, there was an identity crisis, a dilemma whether to adhere to historical

precedents or move forward with times using new ideas, images and techniques.

• While in other fields like art, music and culture, the distinct Indian imprint was
more enhanced in the post-Independence period; no such thing was discernible in
the case of architecture.
Mills owners building
• Jawaharlal Nehru invited Le Corbusier to design the capital of the state Punjab,
Chandigarh.

• Le Corbusier designed the Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and High Court.

• Le Corbusier designed the Mill Owner’s Association Building Headquarters for

the Textile Company 1954.

• Other invited Architect, the very notable Louis Kahn created the Avant Garde
architecture with the little spice of ‘Mughal’ , in Ahmedabad.

High court
 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE
BEFORE COLONIALIZATION DURING COLONIALIZATION AFTER COLONIALIZATION
Primary intention was to establish a mark and Primary intention was to please & pacify India Primary intention was to provide for a new
please Indian upper society. as well as British upper society independent nation.

Glorification and Individualization – the Colonialization and Suppression - the driving Democracy, Development and Economy - the
driving agendas agendas driving agendas

Obsessive and Grand Themes Royalist Themes Modernist Themes

Materials — Stone Materials - Stone and wood Materials — Brick, Concrete, Glass, Steel

Massive Dominating Structures Massive Dominating Structures Realistic Functional Structures

Palatial Architecture, Government Buildings Housing, Institutional Architecture and

Religious Architecture and Government Buildings
Memorials
INFLUENCES & EXPRESSION OF INDIAN ARCHITECTURE
EUROPEAN BAUHAUS INFLUENCE VIA
INFLUENCE U.S.
Le Corbusier (Swiss-French Walter Gropius (founder of Bauhaus,
Architect). Germany – fled to U.S.)

Nehru invites him to India — Achyut Kanvinde and Habib Rehman

associated with Chandigarh, worked under him in the U.S.
Ahmedabad, etc.

Achyut Kanvinde, Deolalikar

worked under him.

Cross fertilization of the American and

European modern movements expressed itself
in India

Exposed concrete came out of Textures, grit finishes came out of

working with Corbusier in working with Gropius as the
Chandigarh Bauhaus influence.
 ARCHITECTURAL
•
EXPRESSIONS
In 1947, there were three schools: at Baroda, Bombay and Delhi.

• Some of the architects came back to India after education and training in western countries like Charles Correa, B.V. Doshi, Raj
Rewal, Achyut Kanvinde which resulted in strong architectural character.

• Five distinct approaches of architectural expressions in India were identified during the Post-Independence period. They are as
follows : -

PLASTIC OR BRUTALISM –
GEOMETRIC NEW LANGUAGE BOLD & HARMONIZING
FORMS OF BRICK AND AGGRESSIVE WITH THE
REGIONALISM
EXPLOITING CONCRETE ARTICULATION MICRO
THE POTENTIAL OF STRUCTURAL ENVIRONMENT
OF CONCRETE ELEMENTS
1.Plastic or geometric forms exploiting the potential of concrete
- Plastic or geometric forms exploiting the potential of concrete used to express distinct and bold forms, volumes and shapes growing
out of functional needs.
Lotus temple
• Lotus temple, Delhi (1986) by Fariborz Sabha also exhibits the strong form exploited by exposed concrete.
• The basic idea of the design is that two fundamental elements - light and water.
• It is more of an Expressionist style with biomimicry architecture.

Composed of twenty seven free

standing leaves made of
concrete slabs.

A nine sided circular structure.

Capped with
dramatic glass and
steel skylights.

The temple is constructed primarily of concrete and clad in Grecian

marble.
2. New language of exposed brick and concrete
The Central Institute of Educational Technology
• The Central Institute of Educational Technology, New Delhi (1986) by Raj Rewal
• A fluctuating circulation interspersed with small balconies and occasional chhatris which modulate the light
and shade and the viewing platforms was exuberant using sandstone which was the cheapest building material
in this region
3. Brutalism
-Bold and aggressive articulation of structural elements.

THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE

ACADEMY
• The character of the building is based on creating a bold
and progressive image.
• A dynamic form which fulfils the diverse functions of
the academy was evolved.
• The Lower floors with large spans accommodate an
auditorium; intermediate floors with smaller spans and
roof terraces provide for guest rooms.
• The top most rooms jutting out contain seminar areas
and offices.
• An 'X' shaped structure of concrete shear walls
provides for an economic solution to the complex
problem of varying spans at different levels.
• The building is cladded with sandstone.
• The horizontal bands of the stone are bolted with
stainless steel to substructure of concrete which in turn
support the vertical stone panels.
4. Harmonizing with the micro environment
- Sensitive approach to harmonizing with the micro environment that is reminiscent of the best traditions of
F.L.Wright and Richard Neutra
The Suzlon One Earth Head quarters
• The Suzlon One Earth Head quarters, Pune (2009) by Christopher Benninger incorporates a traditional style but sensitive to climate.

Efficient Sunlight Screening

• Louvers are designed to provide efficient screening of sunlight
without hindering the view, thus reducing heat dissipation and aids
sufficient cooling.
Low Energy Materials
• More than 70% of the materials used in the interiors have a reduced
carbon footprint. They ensure higher recycled content; have lower
embodied energy and are rapidly renewable.

Rapidly Renewable Materials

• Bamboo flooring used at workstations ensure reduced consumption
of energy.
. ervious Paving
P
• Interlocking concrete paved blocks used on the road surface
enable water percolation and control storm water run-off, thereby
benefiting the water table levels.
Daylight Harvesting
• 90% of regularly occupied spaces have daylight exposure, thereby
saving on artificial lighting
5. REGIONALISM
-An amalgamation of modernism with traditional experience of town planning, neighborhood clustering, harmonize with nature,
climate control and using local materials.
-While some of the architecture reflected Regionalism which is an amalgamation of modernism with traditional styles, reflecting the
following characters.

Traditional
Regional Usage of
experience Using Vedic
for town Building local
principles
planning vocabulary materials

Responsive Shift to social Economical

to climate concerns – approach
clustering
Traditional experience for town
planning
- The Asiad Games Village, New Delhi
(1982) by Raj Rewal had broken up forms
with open courtyards which created a
sociable living or working environments.
- The urban fabric using the clustering of
forms had a central spine of narrow,
shaded pedestrian pathways for shade and
cross ventilation, bridges linking the units
with social space for interactions creating
a sense of belonging to the neighborhood
square
Low cost Housing
Belapur Housing, Navi Mumbai by Charles Correa used low cost schemes to
develop the project into an interesting design.
Regional building
vocabulary
Many building used the
sloping roof character as
prevalent in the
traditional architecture.
Climate responsive
The Parekh House, Ahmedabad by
Charles Correa responded to the hot
climatic conditions of Ahmedabad.
Using Vedic principles
The Vidhan Bhavan, Bhopal has a deep
understanding of the Vedic Principles
based on Vaastu Purusha Mandala, a
Hindu philosophy, based on
symmetrical axis and courtyards as
gardens. The hemispherical roof of the
lower house chamber had a mix of
various cultures including the Sanchi
Stupa.
Usage of local materials
Laurie Baker’s Indian Coffee House,
Trivandrum, Kerala used the local brick into
a strong innovative form of spiraled cylinder
with play of light. Laurie Baker’s residence
design was based on Gandhian principle,
quite simple and humble, low cost, using
locally available building material,
reinventing the vernacular techniques of
construction – Filler slab construction, rat
trap bond, traditional incorporation of
trellises, etc
 ADVENT OF MODERNISM IN INDIA
DEVELOPMENTS IN DESIGN
• Horizontal bands of large glass windows,
freestanding staircases and cantilevered porches
came into existence.

• Plinths became lower, living and dining rooms

were combined and, in houses bathrooms
became attached to bedrooms.

• Windows in many houses began to be recessed

and concrete fins began to appear on the facades.

• The massing became horizontal.

• Reinforced concrete became the material of the

modern era not only for houses but even more
for public.