Romi Khosla - Current Architecture in India
Romi Khosla - Current Architecture in India
Romi Khosla - Current Architecture in India
CURRENT ARCHITECTURE
IN INDIA
Romi Khosla gives a personal VIew on the state of architecture In India.
REGIONAL REPORT
two centres of architecture. However, the point to their work. This concept of an
'ismless' contemporary Indian architec- entry point I have unashamedly borrowed
ture seems so insignificant (such is the from a discourse that has been taking
power of media or such is the mediocrity place in the field of economics.!
of our work) that inevitably these archi- The entry point is, so to speak, the
tects stop over to see Lutyens' work, the primary truth of the architectural idea, the
Mogul monuments and, if time permits, primary determinant of direction or cause
the Casbah streets of Delhi and Agra. of the building's justification by the
When Robert Venturi and Denise Scott architect. This entry point, once
Brown came to Delhi, they spent a lot of expressed, inevitably shapes the dialogue
time looking at Lutyens' work (Charles and discourse about the building. In our
Correa had arranged for them to see the part of the world, more often than not,
Presidential Palaces and other colonial architects broadcast their entry points
buildings). When Richard Rogers was with the aid of images and statements.
here, he spent his time with the Mogul Despite what architects do about
monuments. With both Venturi and expressing their entry points publicly,
Rogers, the discussions one had with there is great validity in using the entll'
them were about the great historical point as an analytical tool. It is my
buildings of Delhi and new buildings and contention that the key to understanding
isms of Europe and America. There was contemporary architecture of the Indian
not the slightest curiosity about civilization lies in discovering the entry
contemporary buildings in India. These point of the architect. While looking at
were illuminating moments for me the work of a contemporary Indian
because they certainly began to place our architect, by listening to him talking or
own architectural scene in "a more realistic by reading about him, it becomes
context. It took me quite a while to sort abundantly clear that many architects
out the confusion. Certainly it was not at share the same entry point. One is looking
all clear whether the architects in India at a single entry point that reveals a shared
were just producing insignificant state of mind and not the architectural
buildings or whether our whole concept style. Indeed the style of the built form
of architecture is so different from the seems to be irrelevant because such a
Western one that there is no shared multiplicity of styles from someone like
ground. But one has to be careful. West Charles Correa would send any critic
beating is unfortunately a favourite trying to comprehend it on a wild goose
pastime on either side of the Suez Canal. chase. This supra entry point through
The results of the architectural which our architects are seeking recog-
competitions set in New Delhi and nition and realization is an overriding
Samarkand certainly confirmed the view need to invent authenticity. We don't seem
that architects situated in Europe and the to be interested in ?ursuing abstract ideas
United States dominated the list of prize or 'isms'. Our collective objective seems
winners. There was, I thought, reason to to be concerned with placing our work
reflect upon the widening communication in the stream of authentic buildings that
gap between architects of the first world make a historical presence. Now authentic
and India. A gap apparent in the is a troublesome word and perhaps a little
presentation of ideas, in the formulation over-used. It has been the subject of
of ideas and inevitably in the ensuing housing, music, art, the Islamic thinker
architectural performances. Mohammed Arkoun and lots more.
The clue, to my mind, lies in looking However, it is difficult to find a more
at two aspects of the architecture of this appropriate word to define what I have
region which seems initially to present a in mind. Authentic has a large number of
vast, confusing proliferation of styles, definitions, but I would like to suggest
scales and ideologies. The first aspect that only those that seem relevant to architec-
needs to be tackled is to search for a refer- ture. Thus 'entitled to acceptance' and 'of
ence pointer for the shared ideas of this unsuspected value' would probably be
multitude of forms. It is indeed possible closest to what I have in mind. The other
to identify shared ideas, as I shall illustrate definitions such as 'genuine' or 'authori-
later, and then to group together a variety tative' or 'trustworthy' would perhaps
of architectural concepts under a single dilute the particular usage here.
broad idea. The second aspect relates to Conveniently, the word 'authentic' is a
the search process that it is necessary to word of shifting meanings and suits us
go through so that one can name the com- well as it covers within its ambit the
mon idea which is sometimes obscured. constantly shifting discourse on
Since our part of the world is still architecture. If I may be permitted to
emerging out of a traditional past and is secure this word for our purposes, I
in the process of being seduced by would like to narrow down its use further
modern benefits (be it democracy or by prefixing it with the word 'inventing'.
television), most contemporary architec- Thus the act of practising architecture in
tural acts tend to share one common entry India today is dominated by the desire to
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invent authenticity. This term does not the basis of his invention by expressing is the house of Planet, including the two
need an 'ism' but one could decorate it the authenticity in a separate statement imaginary ones: Ketu and Rahu" (A).
further and call it 'invented authenticism' . which is illustrated with diagrams . He "In this Jawahar Kala Kendra, each of the
This rather specific type of invention explains: nine square houses (mahals) : Mangal,
is carried out in a number of ways . The "The Jawahar Kala Kendra is based on Chandra , Budh, Ketu, Shani, Rahu, Guru,
brevity of this report does not permit me the Vastu-Purush mandalas of the Vedic Shukra and Surya has been named after a
to consider all the significant authentic Shastras, wherein Architecture was con- particular planet, and is designed to
inventions in the realm of contemporary ceived as a Model of the Cosmos. The express their special qualities. To achieve
architecture in India. Thus, instead of specific mandala invoked is the Navgraha, this the functional programme of the Kala
attempting a scan, I would like to refer which consists ofnine squares. Each square Kendra has been 'disaggregated' into nine
to two contemporary acts of architecture
in India and one in Nepal. The three acts
are: The Nehru Museum at Jaipur by A
Charles Correa 2 , the reconstruction of
the Mandappa at Kathmandu by Niels
Gutschow and Gotz Hagmuller3 and
three temples in Delhi by priests and
craftsmen. In all three acts, it is critical to
look at the entry point that has deter-
mined the configuration of the whole
ensemble. In all three cases, a most
significant attitude has been taken
towards 'modernism'. Belief in 'modern-
ism' has been suspended. It seems Ground plan of the Nat-Mandir in Konark Yantra or sacred diagram of the nine
suspended because, while at one level, all corresponding to the divisions of the sacred planets thus:
the technological benefits of modern Yantra . Square = Venus
science have been absorbed to construct Bow = Mercury
and service the building, at another level Snake = Ketu
its ideological and aesthetical considera- Triangle = Mars
tions have been shelved. In each of the Lotus = Sun (centre)
three acts, the entry point has been a claim Sword = Rahu
to take responsibility for carrying forward Crescent = Moon
the mandate of authenticity as part of the Circle = Jupiter
stream of the historical process that links Man = Saturn
the past to the future. In each case the
lIFSTYLES ANTIQUES (F IRS T FLOOA)
authenticity referred to has been invented.
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2. View into the surya kund (sun) the 3. View of the museum from the roof
central open courtyard of the museum. looking towards the entrance into Shukra
(Photo: Charles Correa.) theatre (Venus) symbolized by the star or
square. (Photo: Charles Correa.)
separate groupings, corresponding to the explanation written by Correa clearly in a major earthquake in 1934. The debris
mythic qualities represented by each point to the entry and also carefully was cleared away soon afterwards
planet as illustrated" (B) . distance this entry from any abstract without leaving much of a trace apart
It is, in my view, important to under- notions of the kind that Wiel Arets, a from a low platform. However, it existed
stand why the word authentic is being Dutchman, is exploring. Authenticity and in the public memory because it had
used and why earlier I had contended that abstraction seem to be on opposite sides. functioned as a meeting place for groups
'modernism' is being suspended in India. Once the doorway of authenticity is of people who came to meet the ministers
In passing contrast, and to underline the opened then invention is of course of the King.
emphasis on invented authenticity in say necessary because one is not living or Today the pavilion stands reconstructed
Correa's work, I would like to quote the working in the mythical past. The illus- from photographs taken in 1885 and 1905
entry point of a modern idea by Wiel trations from the museum building give and from the engravings and water-
Arets who is currently a unit master at the three-dimensional form to the diagram. colours made by travellers. The recons-
Architectural Association in London. I come now to the second architectural tructed pavilion is a copy based on
"Our design for the seaside resort of act which has taken place in Nepal and 'creative design' or invented authenticity.
Domburg is characterized at a theoretical contrasts with the Museum because it is The whole pavilion is supported on a steel
level by the interaction of four ideas: the concerned with historic restoration or frame structure that has been made earth-
grid, the social condenser, translucence, reconstruction. However it shares the quake proof using advanced technology.
disorder. It begins with the assumption same entry point because the pavilion The upper floor is supported by steel
that any application of mathematics to the stands as a work of invented authenticity trusses that are clearly visible once one
way we view the world brings with it the created by the direction of Niels steps inside. I quote from the architect's
challenge of the grid .. . is the point at Gutschow and Gotz Hagmuller on notes: "Lacking information on the original
which spirit and matter are joined Durbaar Square in Bhaktapur between building techniques and structure, though
together in a state of harmony ... ".4 1988 and 1990. This eight-cornered aware of their failure in the earthquake of
The mandala diagrams and the plan of pavilion which is seen in the picture is 1934, we decided in favour of an alter-
the museum that are related in the entirely new. Its prototype was destroyed native but earthquake-resistant solution.
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7. View of Mata Temple under 8. View of Shri Katyani Pushpa Temple 9. Temple Mandapa (hall) near the Shri
construction. Friends Colony, Delhi. complex under construction at Chattarpur, Katyani Pushpa Temple complex at
(Photo: Romi Khosla .) outside Delhi. (Photo: Romi Khosla.) Chattarpur, outside Delhi.
suspended 'modernism', used its techno- with and invention has taken the upper therefore safer to emulate our historic
logy, rejected its ideology and manipu- hand in creating contemporary spaces buildings and carry on building with
lated its aesthetics to recall historical within. The materials of construction are, stone as Lutyens did and as the Moguls
precedence. of course, cement and concrete. The did before him and as the temple builders
The third architectural act that I would designs have evolved out of a discussion did before them and as the Buddhist did
like to consider here is one that most between priests, craftsmen and structural before them. We seem to have been
developing countries have become engineers, all of whom have banded inventing authenticity for 2,000 years!
familiar with during the last decade - the together to invent a new authenticity and
building of places of worship . The three to suspend modernism. Notes
temples illustrated here are symbolic of It seems to me that, if one is to make 1. Amariglio, Jack et ai, 'A Critical Overview',
Social Scientist, pp 212-13.
the enormous resources that the develop- any sense out of the proliferation of 2. Jawahar Kala Kendra,Jaipur, notes circulated
ing world seems to be expending on building styles that are emerging out of by Charles Correa in 1991.
places of worship - an activity which India today, then one must link age-old 3. 'The Reconstruction of the eight concerned
also represents the suspension of construction techniques with the end pavilions (Cyasilin Mandap) on Durbaar Square
in Bhaktapur Nepal', 1988-1990. Papers prepared
modernism. The architectural form of results. Inventing authenticity is not too
by Gutschow and Hagmuller for a seminar
these buildings evokes prototypes with- painful a choice when buildings are still 'Palaces in Asia' My, 1991.
out any attempt at copying any particular being made by hand. Late-modern 4. AA Files, No . 21, spring 1991, p 25.
style. They evoke authenticity with the buildings are not too successful in India
ROMI KHOSLA TRAINED IN LONDON AND
objective of drawing worshippers. The because the joints can't be zipped HAS AN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE IN
historical forms are easily played around together. The technology is missing. It is NEW DELHI. [MJ