RAJ REWAL 1934 - Present Indian Architect , Design Consultant , Urban Planner
Oct 24, 2014
RAJ REWAL 1934 - Present
Indian Architect , Design Consultant , Urban Planner
This page intentionally left blank Previous page, top: interior of the Rewal House
Middle: Shadow play in the interiors of the Parliament Library. Below: Parliament Library - Colored marble floor pattern in the form of a yantra, an ancient Indian graphic that aids
meditation.
His architecture
Raj Rewal is known, primarily, for his humanist approach to architecture. His
work is built keeping in mind the pluralist Indian society, responding to demands
of urbanisation, cultural tradition and gives utmost importance to the craft of
building. He expertly combines sophisticated technology with a deep rooted
sense of history and context – creating building that strike a chord within us.
Harmonic Combinations:
His architecture reflects two value systems, which to the layman, seem highly
opposed. He melds the traditional system of hot, dry India – one of pattern
and ornament – with the Western Modernist system of abstract expression, with
the least possible discord.
While he incorporates structural innovation in big buildings, he excels equally in
creating softly nurturing spaces for everyday living.
Influence on work:
Ar. Rewal‘s works has its own range and grammar. His work (by
his own admission) has been greatly influenced by
contemporaries, such as Le Corbusier, Achyut Kanvinde and
Balkrishna Doshi. But unlike these architects, he has built largely
in one place and climate - Delhi, and hot dry regions of North
India.
Influences of traditional housing patterns in Jaisalmer and
{{{{_{{{, which he has extensively studied and written about,
figure largely in his mass housing schemes.
Broken-up forms, open courtyards and sociable living/ working
environments are integral approaches of his design.
Timeline
1939 – 1951 : Childhood spent in Delhi and Simla
1951 – 1954 : Attended the Delhi School of
Architecture
LONDON
1955 – 1961 : Completed formal training at the
Brixton School of Building, London
Post schooling, he worked as assistant manager in
avant garde theatre production.
He, then, became an associate of the Royal
Institute of British Architect (RIBA) and went on to
work in Michel Ecochards‘ office in Paris.
NEW DELHI
1962 : Set up practice in New Delhi
1963 – 1972 : Taught at the Delhi School of
Architecture
Other Career Milestones …
1972 : Became curator of the exhibition
‗Traditional Architecture in India‘ for the ‗Festival
of India‘ in Paris.
1985 : Founded the Architecture Research Cell
Top: A view of the Rewal home
Architectural Ideology
According to Raj Rewal, infusing emotion in building can help solve the
problem of building in a pluralistic society, such as India‘s.
Rasa and Rationalism:
He propagates a theory of rasa as his building strategy, where he states
that functional design should be inspired with ‗a particular flavour‘ or
mood. Also, according to him,
“The distinction that fine art has no practical use, decorative art no
symbolic meaning and utilitarian object no pretensions to beauty has been
the root cause of much of the banal architecture of the last 50 years”
Inset: The
decorative scheme on the underside of the domes of the
Parliament Library. Ar. Rewal lays stress on artisan crafts which
contribute to beautiful design that is intrinsically ‗Indian‘. Right: The geometrically inspired
decorative scheme of the Ismaili Centre at Lisbon.
Characteristic elements 1. Cluster housing, 2.Response to visual imagery, 3. Interlocking courtyards,
4. Narrow streets, 5. Roof terraces, 6. Gateways, 7. Textures and Materials
Above: Interior of the Permanent Exhibit Complex, New Delhi
CLUSTER HOUSING
Ar. Rewal‘s mass housing systems are arrived
at by creating a catalogue of dwelling types
and combining them in different ways .
They are then interlocked by means of
overhanging balconies, roof terraces,
cantilevered rooms, open courtyards, etc.
creating subtle distinctions in house types.
VISUAL IMAGERY
Creation of geometric systems and
responses to visual imagery are apparent in
Raj Rewal‘s architectural works. He has been
greatly responsible for the revolution in
geometric design systems.
Right: The Asian
games housing complex in New
Delhi Below: The
geometrical façade scheme
for the Ismaili Centre at Lisbon
Left: Asian Games housing scheme: Spaces for pedestrian and vehicular movement (indicated in grey)
“The interlocking courtyards at Fatehpur Sikri, Padmanabhapuram
and Khiva, with their varying scales to accommodate different
functions, embody principles of design which have important lessons
for contemporary public buildings, where people congregate.”
Above: Sketch of the Olympic Housing Complex IN France
Top: One of the courtyards in the Indian Parliament Library
COURTYARDS
Effects of lighting and cool breezes were
created in the Asian Games Village, through
central courtyards, a direct result of Ar.
Rewal‘s studies in Jaisalmer.
STREETS
In Ar. Rewal‘s mass housing schemes (eg: the
Asian Games Village and Sheikh Sarai Housing,
New Delhi), narrow, shaded streets link up a
variety of residential clusters. Thus the ‗cluster‘
is consciously broken up into small units that
incorporate pauses, rest stops and vistas.
ROOF TERRACES
These remain integral to his housing solutions.
The benefits of roof terraces include
•providing outdoor spaces on hot summer
nights
•Acting as an extension to upper level living
areas
•Absorbing heat during sunny winter days, to
keep nights warm.
Left: “Traditional housing in hot dry
climates is based on the roof terrace
as an essential feature of design.”
Inset: Shaded internal streets connecting various cluster courtyards.
“Each gateway is like the opening of a new chapter in a
book.”
Inset: Gateways formed by joining cantilevered rooms overhead
GATEWAYS
Ar. Rewal‘s gateways have been inspired from the gateways of
Jaisalmer which, over the ages, have denoted various housing
zones. They were traditionally built as sentinel posts and designed to
keep intruders out.
Ar. Rewal‘s gateways are formed by linking overhead functional
roof terraces or joining cantilevered rooms in adjoining apartments.
They serve to accommodate change while retaining continuity or
act as punctuation marks that open up a new series of spatial
experiences.
THE fabric OF DESIGN
Ar. Rewal‘s use of local and time-tested materials for hot dry
climates, such as ochre and rose sandstone, gain him points -
contributing immensely to the ‗Indian‘ness in his buildings. And
evoking the Mughal greats.
Above: Gateways in the Asian Games Village, denoting territory, are formed by linking functional overhead terraces. Left: Massing accentuated by deep shadows and contrast between grit finish walls and rubble masonry .
Indian Parliament Library Engineer’s India House
The Rewal Home Sheikh Sarai Housing
World Bank – Delhi Chapter Embassy Staff Housing
Permanent Exhibit Complex Ismaili Centre
National Institute of Immunology
Nehru Pavilion
rasa in design
This page intentionally left blank Previous page, top: Glass block in the Parliament library
Second: National Institute of Brain Research. Third: View of the Engineer‘s India House Below: Entry to the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon
Above: In the atrium, at the entrance to the library – natural light reduces the need for electrical lighting.
Right: Parliament Library - Interior
PARLIAMENT LIBRARY
In the words of Lord Stamfordham, private secretary to British King George V in the early 20th century,
New Delhi was designed to let Indians "see, for the first time, the power of Western science, art, and
civilization.“
TYPOLOGY : PUBLIC BUILDING
Ar. Rewal was asked to build the Indian Parliament Library, keeping in mind its colonial setting amongst
buildings designed to show the ‗power of Western civilisation‘. Accordingly, his design responds
thoughtfully - responding to its monumental context, while ingenious in originality. It displays high
technology with a regional expression. Ironically, though modern, and placed in Lutyens‘ Delhi, its
inspiration is pre -colonial.
INSPIRATION
•The mandala: The mandala has deep meaning and said to exist in temple architecture to achieve a
spiritual experience of one's connection to the cosmos. It thus serves the library‘s objective of quiet thought
and introspection.
•The Adinatha temple (1439 AD) at Ranakpur: Adinatha is square in plan, with cardinal axes meeting at the
center, leaving open-to-sky courtyards in the leftover spaces. In addition to being an icon of Indian
architecture, the courtyard plans admit daylight and have social and climatic advantages.
The Guru and the King …
“In a library that needs neither defense nor ceremony, such forms (interior open air spaces) seem to
symbolize an introversion characteristic of the ancient Indian guru.”
To give the Library an identity of its own while respecting the Parliament building (beside which it is set),
Ar.Rewal says he drew on Indian history and likened the relationship between the buildings to the
relationship between guru and king. A guru acknowledges the power of the king — neither confronting nor
submitting — and retains the strength of his integrity as a sage.
Located on a 10-acre (4-hectare) site, the Library can accommodate three million volumes on its two
basement floors. It has hi-tech networks and facilities for microfilm, multimedia, and satellite links.
The full-height central core of the building, formed at the point of intersection of the two axes, houses the
reading room for Members of Parliament, the research and archival storage, a committee room, and a
banquet hall. Beyond this central core are the courtyards, and, further beyond, separate entrance lobbies
occur for MPs, scholars, and the public.
PLAN
•Area: approx. 55,000 square meters
Inspired by pre-colonial Indian architecture, the building
has been designed with a square base and symmetrical
composition.
Due to site conditions and trees, the Northwestern corner
of the plan remains incomplete. Otherwise, the plan with
its courtyards and axes, imitates its historic precedents.
The corners of the incomplete square and nodes formed
at the ends of axes specify function.
As is traditional, the axes and the sides of the square form
corridors and outline the courtyards. Each courtyard
symbolizes one aspect of the Indian constitution.
•One is an amphitheater, symbolizing freedom of
expression.
•Another courtyard has a pool of water symbolizing
equality.
•A tree forms the focal point of the third courtyard,
representing social justice.
Above: Courtyard serving as an amphitheatre Top: Glass block in the floor illuminates two
basements below.
The domes are perhaps the building's most significant
feature. A bonus from Ar. Rewal‘s experiments in earlier
buildings, several domes of different sizes and types
make up the roof.
THE MAIN DOME:
It spans 25 meters, and is made entirely of glass. In spite
of Delhi‘s soaring temperatures. Ar. Rewal insisted on
glass to let in light.
Thus, specially developed reflective glass efficiently
reduces glare and heat build-up, letting in magical views
of the blue sky, the sun minus its heat and glare, and the
seasonal monsoon clouds.
The dome is formed at the point of intersection between
the building‘s two major axes. The point of intersection
projects up in the dome in the form of two bands formed
by the structural frame for the glass panels. The
remainder of the dome consists of a lattice of structural
frames held together by a network of steel cables
converging at key tension nodes.
Other domes are of various sizes, constructed of
lightweight fibre cement, bright steel lattice, tensile
cables, structural glass and glass bricks.
They are built of thin fiber-reinforced concrete shells, sometimes with inset glass panels.
Other structural elements of the building are of
reinforced concrete. The slabs are coffered to support
long spans. The diaphragm walls and the foundation
slab of the underground structure resist inward and
upward pressure from the water table through anchors
into the surrounding soil and the rocky substrate.
Above: Main dome serving as an apical reminder that we are at the intersection between the two main axes. Below: Dome profile
Top: View of the Engineer‘s India House Left: Façade treatment on the building
Extreme Left: View
ENGINEER’S INDIA HOUSE TYPOLOGY : OFFICES, YEAR: 1983
Located in the Bhikaiji Cama area in New Delhi, the
objective was to create an air-conditioned office space with
the least possible outlay and, thus, minimum running
expenses. It also needed to incorporate administrative,
design and financial services, and public relations offices.
These purely functional spaces have been effectively housed
in a 14 storey building.
Characterised by geometric systems, the very form of the
building has been derived with the aim of saving energy.
Design is based on four cores, containing lifts, staircases and
services. They are designed to cut down harsh glare from the
south west. The four cores act as major structural elements
and, along with four central shear walls, support an average
office floor of 54m x 24.6m.
This placement leaves a large hall in the middle for flexible
office planning. The stepped floors between cores and
extended floors to the east and west create a zone of
surface under shade, thereby reducing temperatures.
Thus, the structural cores, along with stepped floors act as a
large sun breaker.
THE REWAL HOUSE TYPOLOGY: RESIDENCE, YEAR: 1975
Two independent houses, one for the architect
and his family, the other for his parents, were
designed to be interrelated while providing
the required privacy.
Separate entrances and front lawns are
provided across an extremely narrow frontage
of 5m.
MATERIALS:
Use of materials has been limited to exposed
brick, painted white internally. Ceilings and
cantilevered stairs are of exposed concrete,
textured by wooden formwork during
construction.
Top: Living Spaces on multi-levels Below: Living space at higher level – cantilevered exposed concrete steps Extreme right: Double-height living space and entry
SHEIKH SARAI HOUSING, NEW DELHI TYPOLOGY: MASS HOUSING SCHEME, YEAR: 1982
It was planned as a low-rise, high density
housing scheme for the Delhi
Development Authority.
It has clearly demarcated areas for
pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Keeping in mind the viability of
interaction in these spaces, he has
provided interlinked squares of varying
scales for community activities.
All unites have been provided with
courtyards or roof top terraces, where
possible. These subtle variations in a
basic housing unit, help create shaded
streets, courtyards and split level
platforms.
Above: Housing units in the Sheikh Sarai housing scheme Below: Demarcated areas for vehicular and pedestrian traffic (indicated in grey) Far right: Layout view of the entire housing complex
WORLD BANK, NEW DELHI OFFICE TYPOLOGY: OFFICES, YEAR: 1994
Ar. Rewal attempted to harmonize the new structure to its
surroundings and exploit its sensitive location for a modern
functional office.
The design is based on a central courtyard (seen right,
below)that allows natural light and ventilation to all rooms.
All office rooms, including workstations, either have exterior
views or look into the courtyard.
The design of the World Bank Office echoes the Lodhi
buildings of yore, where the building‘s classic symmetry
envelopes a sunken garden. It thus provides carefully
diffused light with maximum ventilation.
The scale of the court creates a zone of building under
shade , thereby reducing air conditioning loads. It acts as
an open area with a controlled microclimate, with
potential for interaction. It also functions as an open spill-
out for the lobby and exhibition spaces, and is frequently
utilised as a multipurpose arena.
Left: View of the roof terrace
Right, top: Balconies
wrapping the workspaces; Not the vertical lines
in façade treatment
Right, below: Interior
multifunctional courtyard
THE ISMAILI CENTRE, LISBON TYPOLOGY: PUBLIC BUILDING (MULTIPURPOSE)
The building was designed in cooperation
with the Portuguese architect Frederico
Valsassina. Located in a site of 18,000 sq.
meters and occupying an area of 5500 sq.
meters (the remaining occupied by green
spaces), the complex is composed of three
areas: institutional, community and
religious.
It assimilates architectural styles from
Lisbon's Mosterio dos Jeronimos, the
Fatehpur Sikri and the Alhambra.
It contains two jamat khanas, a community
hall, an amphitheatre, a National Council
chamber, and a Char Bagh – a direct
influence of ancient Persian gardens.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF IMMUNOLOGY TYPOLOGY: HOUSING COMPLEX
Ar. Rewal‘s National Institute of Immunology
Housing Complex comprises an institute
block, senior staff housing, junior staff
housing, lower staff housing, a lecture hall
complex, and an animal housing facility.
“The design solution for the Institute
reflects the potential for developing
apartments, that can be linked to form
clusters.”
Design essentially consist of individual
buildings/clusters arranged around
courtyards as discrete units that can be
interrelated. Clusters at the Institute are
linked together by pathways across
enclosures with constantly shifting axes
offering changing views into the distance.
Though the basic unit is somewhat rigid, the
individual units are distinct through varying
requirements of apartment size, and differing
assemblage of rooms.
Though unique, the buildings are unified
externally by façade treatment with
sandstone grit, parapet piercing, proportion
of doors, deep set windows and stone
flanking walls for the courtyard.
Above: Front elevation Below: The housing complex
EMBASSY STAFF HOUSING TYPOLOGY: MASS HOUSING, YEAR: 1994
It was constructed to provide housing for the service
personnel of the French Embassy.
Arranged in clusters of eight, the buildings had load
bearing walls supported on concrete slabs and detailed in
timber.
The two storey units were arranged around a square, with
a circular pathway accessing all units. Framed gateways
with pedestrian passages connecting the street to
individual garages clearly demarcate the central
enclosure. The narrow streets running throughout the
housing complex, both shaded and active, interconnect
the different open spaces.
Each two storey unit contains five residences, three on the
lower and two on the upper floor. Each dwelling unit has a
private enclosed garden and an outdoor living room at
the rear, reflecting the traditional British ‗terrace‘.
Anticlockwise, from right: •Units grouped around a central open space •Entry to the Upper floor units •Ground floor plan
PERMANENT EXHIBIT COMPLEX, NEW DELHI TYPOLOGY: PUBLIC STRUCTURE
The structure consisted of two halls, currently
known as the Hall of Nations and the Hall of
Industries.
The two buildings were linked at mezzanine levels
by a series of circulation ramps which , in turn,
enclosed an outdoor exhibition area. Sanitary
services were then housed under the ramps.
The Hall of Industries consisted of four space
frame structures, with a total span of 144 feet. The
Hall of Nations, however, consisted of a single
space frame spanning a total of 256 feet.
The external structure consisted of a sequence of
solids and voids , which act as a jali to filter in
natural sunlight, while minimizing glare.
Clockwise, from top: •Concrete Façade, close up •Exterior detail in the Hall of Nations: Solids and voids thermally protect interiors •Interior of the Hall of Nations
CIDCO HOUSING, BOMBAY TYPOLOGY: MASS HOUSING, YEAR: 1993
―The challenge of mass housing can be
approached as one long story or as a
series of interconnected episodes.‖
The scheme faces the challenge of providing low cost
housing for about 1000 units in Bombay. Envisaged as an
answer to the rampant burgeoning of slums in the area,
the design opts for a different kind of settlement pattern.
Rather than creating parallel monolithic blocks ‗of grim
dimension‘, the design is fragmented into smaller clusters
enclosing a variety of spaces (a Rewal characteristic).
These are cohesively arranged on the sloping side of a
hillock and strung together with pedestrian pathways.
Clockwise, from top: •The form of the tenement block enhances the courtyard and roof terraces, creating community spaces. •Interconnected spaces and entries to upper floors •Use of jali and red sandstone is a characteristic feature in Rewal‘s design.
Can architectural forms reawaken a sense of community?
Raj Rewal, on his housing solutions:
“The prototype is regard as the cluster system, and not the project itself. We incorporated more than
16 types of individual flats and house designs within the scheme, but the system we designed to create
public space, semi-public space and private space – important features in our climate and in our
culture – is what is prototypical. These different spaces correspond to different relationships among people.
One category of acquaintance is greeted on the street, but not taken into the privacy of the home. Another
category belongs to the mohalla, and with them, one has a closer relationship. Each category of relationship has its
corresponding category of social space. Whenever one designs mass housing one has to have some sort of
prototype like this in mind .Otherwise, one will again end up with the block and slab invented by the West and repeated
throughout the world, or terrace housing.”
Raj Rewal, on the colour in his housing schemes: (In the Asian Games Village), “we used a finish of stone pebbles or grit which is permanent. We
used monochromes of yellow, brown, orange and natural stone of the buildings themselves to avoid all-gray housing – one of the terrors I have seen elsewhere. Warm colours give variety, that was the
main thing. The colours will never change.”