Monday, May 25, 2009

Gautam Bhatia

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Gautam Bhatia
Personal information
Name Gautam Bhatia
Birth date 1952
Birth place
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Work
Significant buildings

Gautam Bhatia (b. 1952) is one of the most famous architect, architecture authors in India. He is known for telling architecture tales humorously. He has written Punjabi Baroque and Comic Century.

He graduated in Fine Arts and earned a Master's in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania [1]. Early in his career he worked with Laurie Baker. He is based in New Delhi. As a critic and satirist, he writes columns for Outlook magazine and Indian Express newspaper [2], and his colums have also appeared in New York Times
Contents

* 1 Works
* 2 Further reading
* 3 References
* 4 External links

[edit] Works

* Punjabi Baroque and Other Memories of Architecture, by Gautam Bhatia, Kundanika Kapadia. Penguin Books, 1994. ISBN 0140240756.
* Silent Spaces and Other Stories of Architecture. Penguin Books, 1994. ISBN 0140246096.
* Malaria dreams and other visions of architecture. Penguin Books, 1996. ISBN 014026213X
* Punchtantra: parables for the 21st century. Penguin Books, 1998. ISBN 0140271163.
* A Short History of Everything: A Novel. HarperCollins Publishers India, 1998. ISBN 817223340X.
* Laurie Baker, life, work, writings, Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO). Viking, 1991.
* Eternal Stone: Great Buildings of India, Penguin Books, 2000. ISBN 0140291598.
* A Moment in Architecture. Tulika Books, 2002.
* Chandigarh: The Making of an Indian City.
* Comic Century: An Unreliable History of the 20th Century, Penguin India, 2005. ISBN 014303140-6313. [3]
* Whitewash : Tabloid That Is About The India That Isn't. The Viveka Foundation. 2007. ISBN 8188251313. [4]

[edit] Further reading

* New (and Improved?) Delhi New York Times
* Architecture, Without Style Art India
* Designing in the slowdown Mint

[edit] References

1. ^ Gautam Bhatia
2. ^ Gautam Bhatia Columns Outlook
3. ^ Book Review Dawn, February 27, 2005.
4. ^ Literary Review:Critique of consumer culture The Hindu, Jun 03, 2007.

[edit] External links

* Gautam Bhatia columns at Indian Express.
* Gautam Bhatia columns at Outlook
* Gautam Bhatia columns at Mint

Delhi to be country’s first heritage city - The Hindu

Staff Reporter

ON THE HERITAGE ROUTE: With the proposed new heritage city status for Delhi, ancient monuments like Humayun’s Tomb here will acquire new pride of place on the Capital’s map.

NEW DELHI: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, better known as INTACH, will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Delhi Government on Thursday paving the way for Delhi’s emergence as the country’s first heritage city.

“Why should Delhi be modelled on Shanghai? It is a city that needs to be developed and presented as itself -- a heritage city,” said INTACH Delhi chapter convenor A. G. K. Menon on Wednesday, expressing optimism that the city would be able to enforce its status as a heritage city ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010.

“There are several advantages of being declared a heritage city. Tourism, business and economy will all see a boost if Delhi is promoted as a tourist destination. As of now the Capital is just a stopover for people who visit other tourist spots like Agra,” said Prof. Menon.

The MoU will pave the way for development of parks and heritage sites and ensure conservation of monuments not covered by the Archaeological Survey of India.

“According to our list, there are about 1,200 monuments in the city. However, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) are yet to recognise these as monuments,” Prof. Menon said.

The effort, he added, would be to bring the monuments closer to the Capital’s citizens, who in turn would help in their preservation.

To integrate heritage and urban design, INTACH has planned out a “heritage route” which will serve as a corridor for viewing of various monuments across the city. “To have this heritage route we do not require any additional money from the Delhi Government. Streetlights are already being worked on, development works like roads and signboards are being carried out, and our mandate will be to make design contributions and bring the monuments together. For instance, we will work on creating a heritage route from Red Fort to Humayun’s Tomb. There are several heritage sites along the route that people are not aware of. Later this route will be connected to Safdurjung Tomb and Qutub Minar,” Prof. Menon said.

INTACH is also forging agreements with other nations and cultural organisations, which in turn will help in exchange of ideas and expertise. INTACH Chairperson S. K. Misra will soon be travelling to Britain to sign an agreement with Prince Charles’ “The Prince’s Charities”.

“The agreement will pave the way for exchange of expertise and research and allow collaborations in conservation of heritage and monuments. We are also exploring how the corporate sector can be roped in to help in the conservation of heritage sites,” Mr. Misra added.

© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

Books by A.G.K. Menon

1. Historic Towns & Heritage Zones A.G.K. Menon & B.K. Thapar 1988

2. Cultural Identity & Urban Development A.G.K. Menon 1989

A. G. K. Menon | India

A. G. Krishna Menon is an architect, urban planner and conservation consultant who has been

practicing and teaching in Delhi since 1972. In 1990 he co-founded the TVB School of Habitat Studies and was its Director from 1994–2007, when it was inducted into the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, as the University School of Architecture and Planning. As a Conservation Consultant he has undertaken many pioneering urban conservation projects in India on behalf of The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), and authored several documents setting guidelines for conservation practice in India, including The Charter for the Conservation of Unprotected Architectural Heritage and Sites in India, 2004. While maintaining an active professional practice he remains a passionate interlocutor in mediating the development of Delhi as a Heritage City

Saturday, May 16, 2009

THE BURJ AL’ ARAB





Standing proud off the coast of Dubai,is one of the most incredible buildings of the planet.At 321mtrs,it soars higher than the Eiffel tower.It’s the tallest hotel on earth and the most luxurious.It’s name means the Arabian tower.We are talking about the BURJ AL’ ARAB,a structure designed to amaze.but creating this 21st century icon was an epic struggle that pushed everyone to the limit.
In November 1994,construction began on the world’s tallest and the most luxurious hotel.Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum is the visionary behind this amazing building.This was his idea to turn Dubai into a top holiday spot on the map,a playground for the rich.The sheikh needed a centrepiece with a unique 7 star reputation.
The sheikh chose a radically young team from Britain for this project lead by chief architect Tom Wright.The concept of this building had to be simple ,but yet it had to be iconic.The design which was a simple ‘ YACHT WITH IT’S SAIL BLOWING IN THE WIND’ had a strong connection with this small emirate which was a sea faring nation.An island was specifically built for the construction of this hotel and the foundation of this island was built on concrete hollow cubes which had to brave the extreme weather , the sea and the earthquakes ,as Dubai was prone to them.
The hotel has a restaurant (Al Montahaar),projecting from it and looks as if it’s suspended in the sky.It gives a whole new view for the visitors to look into the Arabian gulf and an unparalleled dining experience.This restaurant is 200 mts above the sea level and project 27mts on both sides from the central core of the building.The hotel has 202 palatial suites to boast about and the sheikh has equipped all the suites with the most modern gadgets any human can desire .It even has a helipad for the visitors to fly in directly to the hotel. It was even used by Roger federer and Andre Agassi as a tennis court,which was a public stunt for the opening of the hotel.
The interiors of this masterpiece was designed by the world class designer Khuan Chew.Vast fish tanks and aquariums welcome the guests as they walk-in.Fountains create aqua gymnastics in the lobby.The view up the atrium is a dazzling rainbow palette of vibrant colours.The ground floor restaurant has a 220 mtr tank which allows the guests to have an intimate experience with the most exotic fish in the world.
The doors to this luxurious hotel was opened on December 1999 and the sheikh had given the world a masterpiece and a gift to the new millennium.

SHOULD WE LIVE UPTO A BUILDING?

Living upto a building is totally an unjust decision made by any person because the character of that person can be lost in that process. He/she might be living for material causes and not to their ethics and moral values.The building ,the person raised might be worth millions but the building’s authenticity should not consume the heart and minds of the dwellers.

Living upto someone’s or own expectation is understandable, but living upto a building brings greed,selfishness etc.A person would be definitely excited about his first home,thinking twice before laying each brick.He’ll have his own dream house built from his hard earned money.This is the normal scenario and is appreciable.But living in that house should make him more practical and mature.He has to come back from his initial excited state and live for himself and his family.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Bauhaus

Villa Savoye
Fagus Factory
German pavilion

CROWN HALL, ILLINOIS  INSTITUTE

     The bauhaus occupies a place of its own in the history of 20th century culture,architecture and art.

        Founded by Walter Gropius and is developed in Germany in the 1920s and later in the U.S., in the 1930s.

       Bauhaus buildings are usually cubic, favor right angles, (although some feature rounded corners and balconies); they have smooth facades and an open floor plan.

       Bauhaus architects rejected "bourgeois" details such as cornices, eaves, and decorative details. They wanted to use principles of Classical architecture in their most pure form: without ornamentation of any kind. Bauhaus buildings have flat roofs, smooth facades, and cubic shapes. Colors are white, gray, beige, or black. Floor plans are open and furniture is functional.

       There are a number of characteristics to the Bauhaus/International Style of architecture:
1) It shuns ornamentation and favors functionality
2) Uses asymmetry and regularity versus symmetry
3) It grasps architecture in terms of space versus mass

       Bauhaus architecture, whose founding father was Walter Gropius, developed in Germany in the 1920s and later in the U.S., in the 1930s. The American form of this architectural style was dubbed the International Style after Gropius, Mies van der Rohe and other leaders of Bauhaus migrated to the U.S., with the Nazi’s growing influence. The Bauhaus school in Dessau was closed on April 11th, 1933, by the police, at the insistence of the National Socialist government.

       Purists assert that Bauhaus architecture can only refer to buildings in Germany and anything else should be termed International Style – while others use the terms interchangeably (as is the case in this issue of Gems in Israel). The term International Style was really adopted after the publication of a book that coincided with a 1932 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The book, by historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock and architect Philip Johnson, was called, The International Style.

  WALTER GROPIUS

       Gropius' career advanced in the post war period.In 1923, Gropius aided by Gareth Steele, designed his famous door handles, now considered an icon of 20th century design and often listed as one of the most influential designs to emerge from out of Bauhaus. He also designed large scale housing projects in Berlin, Karlsruhe and Dessau from 1926-32 that were major contributions to the New Objectivity movement, including a contribution to the Siemensstadt project in Berlin.

       MIES VAN DER ROHE

       Mies van der Rohe, like many of his post World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces. He strived towards an architecture with a minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. He sought a rational approach that would guide the creative process of architectural design, and is known for his use of the aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".

       The term formed for this function was used to describe the importance of the use of an itemover the aesthetic beauty.the use had to be the most important element,then the beauty of the object would  follow.

       These can be sited as the examples of this style:-

       Walter gropius

       Fagus factory (1911-1913)

       Alfeld-an-der-leine

       Bauhaus (1925-1926)

       Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe

       German pavilion (1929) Barcelona

       Seagram building (1954-1958)  New York

       Farnsworth House (1950) Illinois

Some  local  Bauhaus  Adaptations

Smaller Windows

       Glass was used sparingly and long, narrow, horizontal windows are visible on many of the Bauhaus buildings . On some buildings, you can also see long narrow balconies, which in many cases have now been enclosed. This was an adaptation of the long narrow windows.

       The horizontal ‘strip window’ was a signature characteristic of Le Corbusier. A number of local architects worked in Le Corbusier’s office in Paris and were greatly influenced by his style.

       Stilt Columns (Pilotis)

       Another element used by Le Corbusier was stilt-type columns (pilotis), which raised the buildings off street level thereby creating room for a green garden area while providing greater airflow.

       Flat Roofs

       Another of the local features of the Bauhaus buildings, are the flat roofs, as opposed to the typical shingled and slanted roofs, prevalent in the European buidlings. The roofs served all of a buidling’s residents.

 

       Perhaps no trend within Modern architecture so neatly captures the imagination as the almost mythic status of the Bauhaus. Emerging in Dessau, Germany, during the shocking aftermath of World War I, the famed institution was conceived as a reformation of applied arts education. The principle was simple: to reject the salon arts of the haute-bourgeoisie in favor of a craft tradition in order to erase the class distinctions between artist and craftsman. Yet this was not a rejection of the modernizing impulses of the rapidly industrializing, urbanizing German state (one that was facing an increasingly dire socio-economic predicament). Instead, as developed by Bauhaus director Walter Gropius, the applied arts were to be taught in a workshop-based design education, with a reconciliation of craft design and industrial production.

 

DONE BY,

ALEENA MIRIAM CHERIAN &

B.VEDHAJANANI.

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Railway Station, Guindy

     Guindy  is one of the important neighbourhoods of Chennai. It is the entry point or the gateway to Chennai city from South Western suburbs of Chennai. Being such an important place the Guindy railway station dont have a proper vehicular entry and parking facilities for four wheelers. In case of emergency it is almost impossible for a fire engine to access the station during peak hours. Because the entry to the station is less than 3mts wide. 

Setbacks

     Setbacks are the minimum required open spaces between the plot boundary and the building proposed to be constructed in a plot. They are meant for providing light, ventilation and privacy not only to the development under consideration but also to the neighbouring buildings. In larger developments, they serve as circulation spaces around the buildings and facilitate parking of vehicles. In the case of high-rise buildings they are required not only for the movement of fire tenders around the building but also for preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings. Hence they are considered an important planning parameter. But there is a lack of this  important parameter in many Apartments in chennai.

     

LIVING UP TO THE BUILDING

This a crazy question that any one coould ask. An architect is not an architect if he does not look for the both, the aesthetics and the comfort of living in the building. Its like i will make a car which looks extremly good, but it wont function good, its only to show off. It will be suitable for persons who are rich. Same way, a good looking building may be suitable to show off so that a person going on the road may stare at the building comenting good about it. Only the person living in the building will know if he is living in a hell or in a heaven.
These mistakes are done by great architscts also. For example, if you look at VILLA SAVOY, the building on the whole looks good, but it has many functional defects. When the architect was questioned, he told, it was a piece of art, and he connot disturb it. Only the resident know how difficult it is to live there.
Similar thing happened with Le Corbusiers Pessac Housing. Later when the inhabitants altered the residence, he comented that "Life is right, Architect is wrong"
One thing we can conclude out of this is that the person viewing the building from outside may enjoy it, but the people living in the building may suffer.

HAGIA SOPHIA











Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 A.D. on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 50 foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years.
In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque.[1] The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features — such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey.
For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul), the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.
Although it is sometimes referred to as Santa Sophia, the Greek name in full is, Church of the Holy Wisdom of God. It was to this, the Holy Wisdom of God, that the Church was dedicated (Sophia being a Latin phonetic spelling of the Greek word Wisdom). So Santa Sophia should be understood as the title of the church, Holy Wisdom, rather than a reference to some Saint Sophia.

ART DECO
















v Art Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts and film. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, glamorous, functional, and modern.
v The movement was, in a sense, an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Art Nouveau, and Futurism. Its popularity peaked in Europe during the Roaring Twenties and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative.
v Art Deco experienced a decline in popularity during the late 30s and early 40s, and soon fell out of public favor. It experienced a resurgence with the popularization of graphic design in the 1980s. Art Deco had a profound influence on many later artistic movements, such as Memphis and Pop art.
v Surviving examples may still be seen in many different locations worldwide, in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Spain, Cuba, the Philippines, Romania, New Zealand and Brazil. Many classic examples still exist in the form of architecture in many major cities. The Chrysler building, designed by William Van Alen, is a classic example of this, as it is one of the most notable examples of Art Deco architecture today.
v Surviving examples may still be seen in many different locations worldwide, in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Spain, Cuba, the Philippines, Romania, New Zealand and Brazil. Many classic examples still exist in the form of architecture in many major cities. The Chrysler building, designed by William Van Alen, is a classic example of this, as it is one of the most notable examples of Art Deco architecture today.
v These were the buildings of the future: sleek, geometric, dramatic. With their cubic forms and zigzag designs, art deco buildings embraced the machine age. Yet many features of the style were drawn not from the Jetsons, but the Flintstones.
v During the roaring twenties and the early thirties, jazzy Art Deco architecture was the rage. Like any style, it evolved from many sources. The austere shapes of the Bauhaus School and streamlined styling of modern technology combined with patterns and icons taken from the Far East, ancient Greece and Rome, Africa, India, and Mayan and Aztec cultures. But most of all, Art Deco expressed excitement over a stunning archeological find in Egypt.


BUILDINGS AND ARCHITECTS OF ART DECCO

v Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, New York City (Almirall, Githens & Keally, 1941)
v Buffalo Central Terminal, Buffalo, New York (Fellheimer & Wagner, 1929)
v Fisher Building, Detroit, Michigan (Albert Kahn, 1928)
v Paramount Theater (Puerto Rico), Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
v Telegraph Building, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
v Daily Express Building in Fleet Street, London
v New India Assurance Building, Mumbai, India
v Park Hotel, Shanghai, China (László Hudec, 1934)

Monday, May 4, 2009

FOLK STYLE OF TAMIL NADU














































BRUTALISM










neoclassicism

¨ Neoclassicism was a widespread and influential movement in painting andthe other visual arts .
¨ began in the 1760s, reached its height in the1780s and and lasted until the 1840s.
¨ Neoclassicism is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture.
¨ draw upon Western classical art and culture (usually that of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome).
¨ These movements were dominant during the mid 18th to the end of the 19th century. decorative and visual arts
¨ In the visual arts the European movement called "neoclassicism began after A.D. 1765,
¨ as a reaction against both the surviving Baroque and Rococo styles, and as a desire to return to the perceived "purity" of the arts of Rome.
¨ Contrasting with the Baroque and the Rococo, Neo-classical paintings are devoid of pastel colors and haziness; instead, they have sharp colors with Chiaroscuro.
¨ BUILDINGSFaçade of the Larger Marble Palace built by Luigi Vanvitelli's pupil Antonio Rinaldi.
The Academy, designed by Theophil Freiherr v on Hansen and completed in 1885, in Athens, Gre At the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, William Henry Playfair employs a Greek Doric octastyle portico.
ece Henry Fuseli, The artist moved to despair at the grandeur of antique fragments, 1778–79
¨ NEOCLASSICISM IN 21ST CENTURY
¨ In the United States public buildings continue to built in the neoclassical style as of at least 2006, with the completion of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
¨ In Britain a number of architects are active in the neoclassical style.
¨ Quinlan Terry's Maitland Robinson Library at Downing College and Robert Adam Architects' Sackler Library

live upto the house!!!why?

Its everyone’s dream to have a house of their own where they can live their life maximum.Its infact a only dream for which we all are working for.
Especially in our country we treat our houses like a sacred place and live there for several generations.
But due to the buying power and globalisation almost all have dreams to live in a mansion with all the luxuries.
But how long are we going to enjoy them?
The house has to have relation with the people living in it,has to create happiness and should tend to support the emotions of a person.
A house has to make everyday new and make us look fresh all days.
Its in designers hand to create a life in a building and make the client realise.
There is no point in giving a house which is higher than the people who is going to live.
It can be a great design or very unique to see but how well the building and the people respond is the most important factor while designing.
Many people think the unique looking house is cool and gain status amongst friends and the society.
It does create status but the question is, does it create positive vibration inside the house?????

living upto a house???

Is a house designed for people or people living up to the house?A house is a three dimentional object that depicts ones lifestyle and quality as a human. A human may have any kind of qualities in him/her but his/her style of the house clearly indicates who are they, what are they and what are they upto!! There is always a psychological relationship between the people and the house they living in. A house is the place where a person spend most of their times hence there is always a binding with the house.. In such case and mentalitiy as an architect we design a house suiting the person who is going to stay with his/her’s lifestyle taking in to considerations . Frank ghery architect designed a house for himself in an unusual syle than what he degins his other building.. though it was not appreciated by people the planning of the house was designed for his lifestyle as a house...In some cases a house also brings out rhe economical status in the society which mainly brought the difference in the living style of rich and poor in the society due to their lifestyle. A poor cannot live in a sophisticated house or a rich cannot live in a small box. With such a living conditions at present houses are designed for the people and for their comfort. If this fails to happen a house would also resemble like any public building... hence one should not live upto a house which doesn show any of your qualities and picuring a false image to the society!!! Any time anywhere in the world your home is a sweet home where one enters a comfort zone in the world.