Charles correa

PRESENTED BY:-MANISH AGARWAL

CHARLES CORREA

Education

1946-1948 Inter-science. St. Xavier's college, university of Bombay

1949-1953 B.Arch., University of Michigan.

1953-1955 M.Arch., Massachusetts institute of technology.

Professional Experience1955-1958 Partner with G.M. BHUTA associates

1964-1965 Prepared master plan proposing twin city across

the harbor from Bombay.

1971-1975 Chief architect to CIDCO

1975-1976 Consultant to UN secretory-general for HABITAT

1975-1983 Chairman Housing Urban Renewal & Ecology Board

1985 Chairman Dharavavi planning commission

Born on 1 September 1930 into a middle-class Catholic family in

 Secunderabad.

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.’

AWARDS

1961 Prize for low-income housing 1972 PadmaShri by the President of India 1980 Awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Michigan 1984 Gold Medal- 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 Gold Medal- Indian Institute of Architects 1990 Gold Medal (International Union of Architects) 1994 The Premium Imperial from Japan society of art. 1999 Aga khan award for vidhan sabha, bhopal

Diversity

In Bombay - Salvacao Church at

Dadar ; Kanchenjunga Apartments

In Goa for Kala Academy

In Ahmedabad - Gandhi Smarak

Sangrahalaya ; Ramkrishna House

Delhi - The LIC Centre; British

Council Building

Kerala - Kovalam Beach Resort Hotel

Andaman - Bay Island Hotel in Port

Blair

His Architectural utility and

grandeur was spread over the

subcontinent

Principles

Few cardinal principles in his vast body of work-

Incrementality

Identity

Pluralism

Income generation

Equity

Open-to-sky space

Disaggregation.

Belapur housing being the one project where he has literally

used these principals

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,"

Correa and Corbusier

Like 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. He said:

‘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.

‘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

MP VIDHAN SABHA

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 is 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 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 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

While moving along verandah and overlooking courtyards and gardens – as in traditional architecture of India.

The whole building presents as extremely pleasing vision of powerful curves and straight vertical and horizontal lines.

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

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 WestTower’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

KOVALAM BEACH RESORT, KERELA

Accommodates 300 guests, Center for massages and yoga, Water sport etc.

The master plan does not concentrate all the facilities in one area, but generate a large number of potential growth points, thus allowing a more flexible response to future demands .

The Guest rooms come in 3 configurations-:

1.On the edge of the beach hidden under the palm trees . They are suites for longer stay with cooking facilities etc.2. Overlooking the beach there are 100 guests rooms. Here the facilities are such that every room gets its own private sundeck..3.Between these two are private detach housing units .Construction is in traditional vernacular of Kerala- Plaster walls with red tiled roofs

Other pavilion consists of little Bamboo chhatries with coir matins on the floor and local Kerala handicrafts.

Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya

Gandhi Smarak SangrahalayaMaterial used:

Tiled roofBrick wallStone floorWooden floorLight and ventilation by operable wooden louvers

These 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

Correa is always receptive to feedback but he has never compromised or changed his designs he really believes in.

"I listen very carefully. But I would rather lose the client than make changes I don't believe in"

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)

Units are Malleable so that they can be colonized by occupants,

and modified to their social/cultural/religious needs (Identity)

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

The houses are structurally simple , can be built and altered by local mistries

Small shared courtyard 8mx8m around which seven houses are grouped.

The sites themselves vary in size only marginally (from 45 to 70 sq m)

THANK YOU …