CHARLES CORREA

by Fouad Khan

Introduction

Charles Correa, in full Charles Mark Correa

Born in Hyderabad, India in 1930.

Education

1946-1948 inter-science. St. Xavier's college, university of Bombay1949-1955 B.Arch; University of Michigan.1953-1955 M.Arch; Massachusetts institute of technology..

Professional Experience1955-1958 partner with G.M. BHUTA associates1958- to date in private practice.1964-1965 prepared master plan proposing twin city across the harbor from Bombay.1969-1971 invited by the govt. of Peru1971-1975 chief architect to CIDCO1975-1976 consultant to UN secretory-general for HABITAT1975-1983 Chairman Housing Urban Renewal & Ecology Board1985 chairman dharavavi planning commission

Born into a middle-class Catholic family in Bombay

Became fascinated with the principles of design as a child

At Michigan two professors who influenced him the most -

Walter Salders and Buckminister Fuller.

Kevin lynch , then in the process of developing his themes for

image of the city triggered Correa’s interest in urban issues

India of those days was a different place, it was a brand-new

country, there was so much hope; India stimulated me.

Architect, planner, activist and theoretician, an international

lecturer and traveler

Correa's work in India shows a careful development,

understanding and adaptation of Modernism to a non-western

culture. Correa's early works attempt to explore a local

vernacular within a modern environment. Correa's land-use

planning and community projects continually try to go beyond

typical solutions to third world problems.

India's first man of architecture has a very simple philosophy:

"Unless you believe in what you do, it becomes … boring,"

Diversity

In Bombay - Salvacao Church at Dadar ; Kanchanjunga Apartments

In Goa for the Cidade de Goa Hotel and the Kala Academy,

In Ahmedabad - Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya ; Ramkrishna House

Delhi - The LIC Centre; British Council Building

Kerala - Kovalam Beach Resort Hotel

Andamans - Bay Island Hotel in Port Blair

Architectural utility and grandeur spread over the subcontinent

Principles

Few cardinal principles in his vast body of work;

incrementality

pluralism

participation

income generation

equity

open-to-sky space

disaggregation.

Belapur housing being the one project where he has literally used these principals

Correa and CorbusierLike most architects of his generation he has been

influenced by Le Corbusier , but by his response to the

Mediterranean sun with his grand sculptural decisions

he believes that Corbusier’s influence in the colder

climates has not been beneficial because these heroic

gestures had to withdraw into defensible space, into

mechanically heated (and cooled) interiors of the

building.

On way back to Bombay in 1955 - saw the Jaoul House

(le Corbusier) in Paris under construction

‘I was absolutely knocked out . It was a whole new world

way beyond anything being taught in America at that

time .then I saw Chandigarh and his buildings in

Ahmedabad . They seemed the only way to build.”

Correa and Gandhi

Gandhi's goal for an independent India had been a village

model, non-industrial, its architecture simple and traditional

In these early works Correa demonstrates uncompromising

execution of an idea as a powerful statement of form

ACHEIVEMENTS

1961 Prize for low-income housing early 1972 Correa was awarded the PadmaShri by the President of India1980 Correa was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of

Michigan 1984 He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal

Institute of British Architects 1985 Prize for the Improvement in the Quality of Human

Settlements from the International Union of Architects. 1986 Chicago Architecture Award.1987 the Gold Medal of the Indian Institute of Architects 1990 the Gold Medal of the UIA (International Union of Architects) 1994 the Premium Imperial from Japan society of art.1999 Aga khan award for vidhan sabha, bhopal

Vidhan Sabha Bhopal Kanchanjunga Apartments Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Jeewan Bharti , Delhi Belapur housing

Case studies

MP VIDHAN SABHA‘Vidhan Bhavan is a public building which should say something very powerful about democracy, It is a building which has got to down with the idea of governing yourself. It has to express the

role it has to play and tell people that this is your city, this is your state and you must participate in it, It must not be low-key. It

should have a presence.’ Charles Correa

deep understanding of the Vedic principles

Won prestigious AGA KHAN award for this in 1999

The building is located in the centre of bhopal. Since the main access road is not axial , but swings towards the site in a rather casual manner , the plan of the building developed as a circle, so it could have an autonous unity and presence, regardless of the direction from which it is approached. References of this circular form are – parliament building in New Delhi, Buddhist stupa near Sanchi.

The new Vidhan Sabha houses the many diverse functions crucial to a functioning democracy . The plan is a pattern of gardens within gardens, divided into 9 squares . The five central ones are halls and courtyards , while the 4 corner positions are occupied by specialized functions. The Vidhan Sabha , the Vidhan Parishad, central library, and combined hall.It also contains a host of other facilities : offices, cabinet rooms, cafeterias, common rooms for security staff etc..According to the requirements there are 3 main entrances- for public, VP’s, MLA’s . These 3 main streams separated from each other experience the complex internal space of the building while moving along verandah and overlooking courtyards and gardens – as in traditional architecture of India.

The whole buildig presents as extremely pleasing vision of powerful curves and sraight vertical and horizontal lines. Whereas the building could have fallen into the trap of being merely monumental, its pristinely simple lines raise it to an altogether different plane. This is the genius of Charles Correa

Correa has used open to sky courtyards and a labyrinthine pattern of pathways to organise the complex requirements of adminstrative and legislative functions.

The whole composition is enclosed by a wall that defines its exterior form like a circular inner city- a model of the city of Baghdad. This approach has generated an interesting roofs cape and skylines, too often missing in contemporary architecture, the use of gateways and domes and a tower to develop the imagery of this landmark complex is very much in the tradition of the harmonic order found in the traditional architecture of islam

KANCHENJUNGA APARTMENTS

The building had to be oriented east – west to capture prevailing sea breeze and views to the city.

But also the orientation for hot sun and heavy rains

Solution in old bungalows – wrapping a protective layer of verandahs around the main living areas

Kanchanjunga an attempt to apply these principles to a high-rise building This building has 32 different apartments with 4 types of flats varying from 3 to 6

bedrooms.

Interlocking of these variations expressed externally by shear end walls that hold up the cantilevers

Minimalist surfaces cut away to open up double-height terrace gardens at the corners

Complex spatial organization of living spaces

Superficially, this 28-story tower, with its

concrete construction and large areas of

white panels, bears a strong resemblance

to modern apartment buildings in the West

Tower’s proportion 1:4

(21 sqm and 84 m high)

Garden terraces actually a modern

interpretation of a feature of the traditional

Indian bungalow: the verandah

Each apartment provided with a deep, two-

story-high garden terrace that is oriented away

from the sun so as to afford protection from

the elements

Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya

Material used:Tiled roofBrick wallStone floorWooden floorLight and ventilation by operable wooden louversThese elements combine to form a pattern of tiled roofs which are grouped in casual meandering pattern, creating a pathway along which the visitors progresses towards the centrality of the water court

Philosophy:Successfully shows the life of Gandhiji Minimalist architectureMaterial honestyContemporary architectureGlow of spaces

Water court at centerWater court at center

Gandhi ashramGandhi ashram

JEEWAN BHARTI , DELHIThis office complex of LIC is situated on the outer road of Connaught circle and acts as a pivot between the colonnades of CP and new generation of high rise towers that now surround it . Thus the building is both a proscenium and a backdrop: a 12 storey stage set whose faceted glass surface reflects the buildings and trees around CP.Two lower levels of the complex consists of shopping decks and restaurants while upper level are offices located in two separate wings . A pergola connects the two buildings .A city proposal for an elevated pedestrian walkways if constructed will pass through the two blocks , allowing pedestrians to traverse the building as the great darwaza ie gateway defined by a portico form.

BELAPUR HOUSING

Project demonstrates how high density housing (500 people per hectare)

can be achieved in a low-rise typology, while including open to sky spaces

and services, like schools, that the community requires

Overriding principle - to give each unit its own site to allow for expansion

(Incrementality)

Consequently, families do not share walls with their neighbors , allowing

each to expand his own house (Participation)

Houses constructed simply and can be built by traditional masons and

craftsmen - generating employment for local workers (Income generation)

several plans exist that cover the social spectrum, from squatters to upper

income families (Pluralism)

Yet, the footprint of each plan varies little in size (from 45 sqm to 70 sqm),

maintaining equity (fairness) in the community

Scheme caters wide range from the lowest budgets of Rs 20000Middle income groups Rs 30000-50000Upper income Rs 180000Though ratio of costs is 1:5 the variation of plot is much smaller , from 45 to 75 square metres. Seven units are grouped of 8x8 meters3 cluster combine to form a larger module of 21 houses surrounding space of 12x12 metres3 such modules interlock to define the next scale of community space approximately 20x20 metresThe houses are structurally simple , can be built and altered by local mistries

THE END