The ruins of Pragathi Maidan- Hall of Nations
Entry for Journalism Trophy at Annual NASA Convention 2018
The shadows fall on the rocks, the grass, the pavement, encasing them in triangles; dynamic in its nature, never committing to a single frame. As the winds whistle through these jaalis, onlookers take a pause from their mundane schedules and gaze in awe at this magnificent construction. A building born out of our culture, drawing roots from our ancestors, now brought down simply because it wasn’t ‘old enough’. The Hall of Nations at the Pragati Maidan, wiped away, taking with it all that it stood for.
Each day stands witness to a new building, sometimes one with a potential of becoming a heritage. But since it doesn’t fall in the ‘above 60’ category, it is demolished to give way for another project. Sounds familiar?
India, a country which stands out for its rich culture and heritage has a plethora of architectural marvels and has never ceased to inspire any architect. It is quite surprising to note that in spite of these marvels, India doesn’t have an architectural style of its own.
The dictionary defines Heritage as anything denoting or relating to things of special architectural, historical, or natural value that are preserved for the nation. Heritage is as defined by UNESCO is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present, and bestowed for the future generations.
Which brings us to the definition of Modern heritage;
The artifacts and tangible structures which has a strong hold in history, has its roots from the very essence of one’s rich culture and traditions and is equipped with all the facilities to match the lifestyle of the present at par with standards. They respect the past by understanding the core context and values, looking towards the future with the potential for expansion while serving the present its best. And hence Modern architecture in Indian context would be the newly emerged style in response to the growing needs of the society, self-sufficient and contextual in nature without mimicking the west standing out as an entity with its own identity.
Many countries do not realize the heritage that they lost in the long run for development projects. Once the truth hits them, they are once again in the run to recreate it with yet another project - The Global Village. A global village is an artificial entity which is based on reliable historical data and existing ruins wherein the destroyed tangible heritage is recreated and made open to the public thereby generating income while displaying one’s heritage. Why wait for all the heritage to be wiped out and create a scenario where there is a need for a global village?
Post-Independence our country was in the run to be at par or rather catch-up with the other countries in terms of development. Many valuable buildings were torn down to make up for the growing needs. The way our ancestors built them or chose materials depending on the climate and usage never struck then.
Modernity was often confused for high rise buildings. In the long run, all that remains are buildings that reflect the western world without the slightest hint of our rich culture or heritage.
Raj Rewal was one of the few architects who managed to bring modernity into our traditional architecture. His idea of being modern while continuing our traditions to be at par with the universal style gave birth to Modernism into the picture. Incorporating world class facilities into our basic module was all that was needed. Creating another New York City or Dubai was definitely not what was meant by “Modernity”.
Integrating our modernism with our age-old practices and ancient wisdom considering our heritage as a guideline is our key to development.
The idea of putting together a housing block to accommodate the Asian Games participants, and instilling the sense of community and neighbourhood at the same time is an easy feat. The internal blocks and narrow pathways following the voids and cube style win over the harsh climate with pedestrian courts and paths forming the spine of the layout. Incorporating jaalis or using red sandstone as one of the materials were thoughts born in our country .A sense of neighbourhood and collectiveness brought about even when individual entities form the residential space. Resembling a traditional village in Jaisalmer, it gives full justice to modernity keeping the facilities up to the mark and all the while minimalistic.
This is one example, we have many other which can one day truly define us and our style. But we are handicapped by the fact that only aesthetically valued building falling in the senior citizen category can make into the Heritage List. And sure enough, this 60-year barrier will prove fatal in the long run. Wine does get better with age but heritage doesn't fall into that category.
We have international iconic examples which clearly bashes out this outdated criterion. Let’s consider the youngest entries of all, The Sydney Opera House stands undisputedly one of the masterpieces narrating a tale of achievements in structural engineering.
Let’s rethink - age or iconic stature? What defines true heritage?
When it comes to conservation of heritage, the choice of site is imperative. One has to consider whether it is required to respect the spirit of time or the ethos of the place. Celebrated architects such as A P Kanvinde, Charles Correa, Fariburz Sahba not only envisioned but also created iconic built forms that are meant to stand the test of time. These modern marvels absorbed the tenets of Indian architecture and showcased it the rest of the world on a grand stage, all the while painting independent India an identity and image. It is because of this seamless integration of the Indian philosophies with the requirements of the modern world, that these buildings can weather the storm of time. The lovechild of architects and post-independent India is crying out for an audience larger than the one the world can provide at this juncture, and a chance to be able to perform for this future audience; all they need is time.
References:
A concise history of modern architecture in India by Lang Jon
Heritage Conservation and Communities By Gill Chitty
https://www.citylab.com/design/2017/04/new-delhis-modernist-icons-are-under-threat/522816/+
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site#Selection_criteria
http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/whats-age-got-to-do-with-it/article18346583.ece
https://www.archdaily.com/874154/the-demolition-of-delhis-hall-of-nations-reveals-indias-broken-attitude-to-architectural-heritage
Image courtesy: The Quint