Is there an architectural style that you can identify as “contemporary
Indian”? Jagan Shah, architect and historian, feels there is and picks
on 20 mid-career architects — he calls them the “new moderns” — for an
exposition of the “contemporary Indian” (Contemporary Indian
Architecture, Roli).
So what is the “contemporary Indian”? No, it’s not an architectural
style that merely tacks on “Indian” motifs or symbols to the structure,
or mimics vernacular architecture. No, in a globalised world, an
architect can’t simply get by on national identity.
What ties together the architects Shah picks on are “multidisciplinary
insights” and a widening of respective agendas to include concerns about
climate, ecology and gender. It is through the description of structures
by them that he comes to a definition of the “contemporary Indian”.
Shah refers to two other vital issues which have had an impact on
“creative” expression — the diminishing role of the state in
commissioning public buildings, and the fact that with globalisation,
architects are concentrating on delivery schedules, quality, detailing,
engineering and programming skill.
Here’s a look at some of the architects whose works he holds up
cont'd....
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