MODERNISM IN INDIA

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
SEMESTER 6

LECTURE 15
•British raj
•Architectural development

•The period of settlement

•The period of ascendancy
•The period of transition
•The modern movement
 THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT
•Period 1640-1840, time to settle into the country by means of force
•Necessity of well protected military stations
•First they construct the forts and for years their original settlements
were enclosed within fortified walls.
•Fort ST. GEORGE AT MADRAS. 1750
•When British further penetrated into the land, they established
several military stations which are now not fortified.
•CONTONMENTS, efficient military towns, markets, houses,
churches, hospital, and services. Grid iron pattern of streets.
•The biggest of the cantonments was at Secunderabad.
 THE PERIOD OF ASCENDANCY
•Was an extension of the British school of architecture.
•Since this period coincided with the industrial preeminence of the
British in the world, the architecture they produced in India was the
mirror image of their achievements at home.
•CHRIST CHURCH, SHIMLA 1844 built in gothic style of

1840-1900
architecture.
•Rising tower, emphasis on verticality, with reverent work and
craftsmanship.
 THE PERIOD OF ASCENDANCY
•THE VICTORIA TERMINUS, Bombay. 1877
•Designed by F.W. STEVENS.
•Italian gothic structure with domes, pinnacles, tall
stained glass windows, carvings, tendrils express

1840-1900
stateliness of imperialism.
 THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION
•Conscious efforts were made by British architects to take into
account the Indian conditions while building.
•They were attempting to send signals through the medium of
architecture that, despite being a imperial people, they were the part
of Indian scene.
•Conscious efforts to express such a synthesis resulted in hybrid

1900-1925
styles of architecture.
•Capitol complex new Delhi, designed by Edwin lutyens and Harbert
baker is example of a revived imperial architecture breathing an air of
Indian ness.
•In their Endeavour to make architecture more rational and
appropriate to its locale, the British architects had to compromise
with elements from Buddhist, Hindu, and mughal building
vocabularies.
 THE MODERN MOVEMENT
•During the period , the truth dawned on British architects that if
their works in india were to pulsate and vibrate with life, these
must mirror the culture and the living styles of the indians.
•British architecture in india was now compatible with the habits,

1925-1947
ways of life, culture and the life-giving spirit of the natives.
•ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH 1928, ST. THOMAS CHURCH 1929
AND ST. STEPHEN’S COLLEGE DELHI 1938, besides the
lesser-known low-to middle-income housing in new Delhi are
some of the illustrations of the living styles of Indians rolled into
architectural materials.
•This form of architecture evolved from modern concepts and
ideas and could well be called the harbinger of modern
architecture in india.
 THE MODERN MOVEMENT
ST. MARTIN’S
CHURCH
Designed by Arthur
Shoosmith.
•Fortress like building,

1925-1947
exposed brickwork

ST. STEPHEN’S
CHURCH
Designed by walter
george.
Arcaded walkways and
courtyards
Unvarnished surface with
red brick and grey stone.
 THE MODERN MOVEMENT
These buildings with simple geometric forms and
smooth, finely- finished surfaces free from overmuch and
redundant garnishings, not only responded well to the
local climate and the existing technology but also
provided and admirable precendent for the advent of

1925-1947
modern indian architecture.
•Immediately after the attainment of independence from the British there a

ARCHITECTURE AFTER
scenario in a field of architecture. The horizons of architecture for the new
nation were as yet hazy and the subject was hotly debated in order to arrive
at some clarity of the goals to be pursued.

INDEPENDENCE
•The top officers of the newly formed Indian administrative setup wanted to
play a safe game and, thus, were not keen to deviate from the lines already
established by the British predecessors.
•Others mainly young intellectuals, architects and critics, were opposed to
this traditional approach and passionately pursued modernism in order to
achieve a sense of universality.
•The early post independence period thus mark the beginning of two styles
of architecture - broadly speaking the revivalist and international.
•The former was an extension of the late indo - European style and, like its
prototype, laid emphasis on form and external expression.
•The international style ,was the outcome of the rational approach to
design, unhampered by historical and cultural restraints. It had a
distinct expression with free facades, long horizontal glazed windows
and contemporary sun shading devices.
 REVIVALIST CATEGORY
•ASHOKA HOTEL
•SUPREME COURT
•VIGYAN BHAWAN
 ASHOKA HOTEL
1955-56
A PRODUCT OF INDIAN TRADITIONAL
DESIGN
 REVIVALIST STYLE
Designed by architects of the central
public works department. It is a
continuation of the architecture of the
capitol complex of new Delhi.

Plain cubical mass and a conspicuous

entrance under a green marble
buddhist arch, symbolizing an indian
identity, also falls in the post
independence revivalist category.
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
OBEROI HOTEL
ATIRA BUILDING
CHANDIGARH
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
OBEROI HOTEL
Designed by Durga Bajpai and Pillo
Mody in 1951-1958
Well integrated services and the structure
of precast concrete beams, slabs, louvers,
and balcony railings are some of the
illustrations of international style.
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
•Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru patronized the creation of
Chandigarh, although it was ultimately designed by foreign
architects. Swiss born French architect Le Corbusier was
invited to design the new city. He had not only been a leader of
the European modern movement since 1920’s but also one of the
creators of the international style, although his later buildings were
characterized by bold sculptural forms in exposed reinforced
concrete.
•Other modern architects like PIERRE JEANNERET,
MAXWELL FRY,AND JANE DREW contributed to the work in
Chandigarh.
•Chandigarh had set the pace for the emergence of modern
architecture and provided a wide spectrum of topics for planners,
architects, engineers and administrators to think, discuss, criticize
and to appreciate.
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
Le Corbusier was also invited to design Sanskar Kendra, the
headquarters of the millowners association, and some private
residences at Ahmadabad.
It afforded him another opportunity to extend his influence to a city
which also became the site of the Indian institute of management,
the campus of which was designed by the American architect
Louis Kahn in 1962. Kahn used brick extensively and helped in
promoting this material to en exalted status in the vocabulary of
modern architecture in India.
Le Corbusier and Kahn were sometimes controversial, their work
embodied a vocabulary of powerful architecture images that seemed
in many ways timeless and universal. Their use of materials,
moreover, gave their work a certain suitability to India. In a land
where building maintenance was often lacking, and where surfaces
were subject to strong weathering, brick, and concrete seemed
feasible alternatives to the smooth plastered surfaces of the
international style.
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
Le Corbusier’s greatest immediate impact was to settle the debate
between the revivalists and the fledging modernists. Almost all
the members of the first generation of architects after
independence were greatly influenced by his unique experiment
and they based their design philosophy in Chandigarh.
In a few buildings elsewhere, the inspiration was rather specific
as J.K.CHOWDHARY’S INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS NEW DELHI 1961-84, SHIVNATH
PRASAD’S AKBAR HOTEL NEW DELHI 1965-69, AND
RAJINDER KUMAR’S INTER STATE BUS TERMINAL
DELHI 1969-71. These building echo the monumental scale and
sculptural abstractions of Corbusier’s monuments.
 INTERNATIONAL STYLE
A stage however came by the mid sixties when a few
Indian architects began to examine their work and
evaluate its relevance to our indigenous requirements.
•This led to a search for design solutions that were
more relevant to our local needs and lifestyles.
•Rejection of old vocabulary of international style.
•Outward to inward approach changes to inward to
outward.
•Due to Universal material like concrete, glass, steel
more individualization and regionalism is achieved.
•This led to emergence of a new style of architecture
termed INTERNATIONALISM.
 OUTSIDE INFLUENCES
LE COURBUSIER
LOUIS I KAHN
 LE COURBUSIER
The concept of the city is based on four major functions: living,
working, care of the body and spirit and circulation
 CHANDIGARH
Le Corbusier devoted great attention to the
placement of the various buildings and other
elements to avoid a static balance of rigid
geometry but at the same time preserve the
alignment along a crossed axis and give the
whole a subtle visual cohesion.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE MILL OWNERS
ASSOCIATION
AHMEDABAD 1954-56
 PUNJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH
Designed by PIERRE JEANNERET AND BP MATHUR.

1955-65
PUNJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH
1955-65
 CULTURAL CENTRE, CHANDIGARH
•Designed by Le Corbusier in 1964-86
DESIGNED BY LOUIS I KAHN

IIM AHMEDABAD
1962-74
 IIM AHMEDABAD
1962-74
The library, the most prominent
building in the campus, is
approached by a broad flight of
steps rising from the parking
court.
IIM AHMEDABAD
1962-74
 IIM AHMEDABAD
1962-74
SMALL
CLUSTERS
PROVIDE A FEEL
OF HOMELINESS

PREVALENCE OF GEOMETRIC FORMS

 INDIAN MODERNISTS
S N PRASAD
B V DOSHI
INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGY
1957-62
INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGY
1957-62
GSFC TOWNSHIP VADODRA
 GSFC TOWNSHIP VADODRA
Narrow pedestrian walkways give the complex something
Of the atmosphere of an old, traditional pol (urban district)
High walls built from local brick Provide shade and privacy
SRIRAM CENTRE NEW DELHI
1966-69
Designed by Shivnath Prasad
 SRIRAM CENTRE NEW DELHI
1966-69
Corbusier
reflection is seen
in the structure
ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING,
HMT LIMITED, HYDERABAD
DESIGNED BY CHANDAVERKAR
AND THACKER
ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING,
HMT LIMITED, HYDERABAD
Magnificence

overhangs
hangs by
 Designed by UTTAM C JAIN IN 1968-79

JODHPUR UNIVERSITY
EXTENSION,JODHPUR
INTERSTING LECTURE THEATRE AS EDUCATIONAL
COMPONENTS
 JODHPUR UNIVERSITY
EXTENSION,JODHPUR
UTILISATION OF
LOCAL STONE:
STEPPED
SECTIONS AND
SMALL MODULES