Architect Lalita Tharani & Architect Mujib Ahmed: Collaborative Architecture

There is no straight forward and definitive answer to this complex question on whether Indian architecture today is in a transformative phase. Architecture derived in the sub-continent as a response to the climate, social and economic realities, regional contexts that shaped the vernacular and was enriched by our rich traditional crafts – The Original Source, which we try to rehash now as kitsch, and call it ‘New Indian Architecture’! We squandered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stamp our mark on the global architectural landscape with the design of the new parliament precinct. Not surprisingly, owing to its lackadaisical architectural innovation, the project is the least discussed capital complex designed globally, in recent history.

This project had the potential to position Indian Architecture’s newer discourse on context, culture, materiality, design innovation etc. – all the salient points you have enlisted to be a transformative project like what Chandigarh did for Indian architecture, post-Independence. But the new Parliament precinct invested little for these profound investigations and investments in good design.

We doubt any stylistic rendition would be the right answer for the challenges, we as a country face now, which is only going to worsen as this Rural vs Urban population flip happens by 2050, where India’s 70% population will be urban. We need an architecture which is more than skin deep, but at the same time does not alienate the end-user.

Technology can propel architecture to a new trajectory, but not necessarily result in better architecture. Technology helps us to build taller, faster, more efficiently. But these alone are not the recipe for a good architecture, as we all know it.

It is an established fact and call of the hour to have a deep commitment and acute awareness towards the need for building sustainably. At the studio, we practice this ‘our way’ not the IGBC way. Build Better, Build to Last… have a super long Design Life Cycle, even the most ‘Ungreen’ project will turn green if you invest in a longer design lifecycle, which is very difficult to achieve.

Are Indian architects getting more visibility outside the subcontinent? Definitely yes! Are the works they produce creating new benchmarks for global architectural direction and Indian Architecture in particular? It is a mixed bag, to say the least.

We are not saying that all is bleak… independent young studios are trying to break the barrier, and are finding some success in that frontier, and making their presence felt on the global architecture scene.