Democratic Architecture Begins Where Diversity Unites

“Architecture Begins where diversity unites.”

India is a land of cultural diversity and architecture is nothing but a manifesto of culture, which is the root of our identity. India has been a magnetic flux for every other region from the world which influenced India and its architectural vocabulary as well and resulted into an intricate and densely interwoven fabric of different threads and styles.

Architecture is a seed that grows into a tree called ‘Nation’. This seed named ‘Architecture’ yields imageability to the tree called ‘Nation’. Shelter being one of the basic need of human, architecture is the sheer resultant of needs, fulfilling the aspirations of individuals at the same time. This appropriate balance between needs and aspirations brings vitality to the nation.

One of the very important aspects of the nation is interdependency, which ensures a thorough interaction of all the fields. No field, including architecture can sustain itself independently. Architecture is an art form that easily integrates itself into every other aspect of our lives. Hence, every action by an architect shows how architects and their creation helps develop a positive culture for the community. Buildings are not just inert objects. They are a datum for human contact, they frame people’s sense of belongingness to the place. Architecture lives and breaths with its users and vice versa, where being around architecture is where people live, think, dream and manifest. A triad that works hand-in-hand in making of nation and creating an identity.

A triad of Aspirations, Progress and Projection. The development of any nation or for that matter architecture, revolves around this triad only. This triad works like a clock, every hand as its role to play. Either of them stops, the clock stops functioning. To ensure the wholistic functioning of the nation in all aspects, this triad has to work efficiently. Aspirations being the second hand, Progress being the minute hand and Projection being the hour hand.

The journey from needs to aspirations had made us grow as a nation. Architecture plays a vital role to ensure a subtle balance between these needs and aspirations. Now, this dispute between needs and aspirations is a choice of very individual. Because, we live in the era where, even luxury is the need for some and shelter is the aspiration for other.

There is a very thin line between aspirations and illusions. Even though the architecture is the sheer resultant of needs, it has to take a step further to fulfil the aspirations of wide range of users as well. Because aspiration is the driving force of society. Unless we aspire, we will expire. Aspirations keep the bar of progress moving. Hence, aspirations is the essential key to progress.

Now, progress is the measuring bar in the phenomenon of nation-building and there has to be a growth in the graph of progress for building a nation. As, progress is the intermediate hand of the clock, It widely depends upon the minute hand to impact the hour hand. In architectural terms, progress directly corresponds to the term advancement. May it be in terms of construction techniques, materials, styles, innovations, etc. This brings new mechanisms into existence to provide an appropriate solution to any situation. For the progress of any nation, the society must take critical decisions which may prove to be fruitful or might end in vain. The term progress comes with the package of responsibilities and due to the interdependency of one field with another, it’s the responsibility of the society to ensure the progress of individual field but not on the cost of other. Same goes for the field of architecture as well. It’s our responsibility as architects to build a masterpiece but not on the cost of degrading nature, health, economy, etc. Progress is the most essential element for nation-building but in between lies the sensitivity of the architects to ensure that we don’t do blunders under the domain of architecture in name of progress.

Last but not the least is the hand of projection which is the most important of them all. It’s important to project the progress to others in order to make a mark and reach out society. Projection is to showcase. Progress will only get its value only if it reaches out to people. Hence, it is important to choose the right direction in name of progress to be projected. Because it will ultimately yield a world image as an individual or nation.

Architecture can be a transformative engine for change. Serving society and its people is serving the nation. Architecture is not only about physical development but it’s also about emotions. It’s about tangibles and intangibles. The development of any nation marks its graph under two domains, Architecture and Technology. Multiple identities together forms an image of the nation which is an intricate juxtaposition of different cultural practices together. It results into different types of built form which are static entities but are the evidence of the physical infrastructural development of the country.

Architecture as a fraternity is the most important domain for nation-building and its progress. Because architecture is a social domain. Whatever the architects do, directly contribute to society. Hence, it is important to note that we make a positive contribution. In architecture fraternity, there has been a culture of criticism which is purely based on opinion. The majority of architectural masterpieces have gone through critics to prove its worth. If at all it is for nation-building, an architect has to be selfless in understanding what is right to be done for the nation and its people rather than filling his own pocket. Because progress for one may not be progress from other’s perspective. One has to vigilantly decide between real progress and pseudo progress. An architect has got a number of roles to be played. Such as, Architect as reality builder, Preservationist, Environmentalist, Regulator, Integrator, etc. For the overall development of a nation under the domain of architecture, it is important to ensure that any of these doesn’t degrade others in any terms.

Because architecture deals with the society which is a very fragile aspect that impacts mankind. Nation-building can involve the use of propaganda or major infrastructure development to foster social harmony and economic growth or vice versa. One of the most important aspect for any nation is its economy. Hence, it is very essential for architects and government to be sensible enough to pump tonnes of economy on any architectural project which is not only on cost of not serving humanity but also is only under the name of pseudo progress. For this, the nation has to stop practicing ‘Gun for hire Architecture’.

Hence, it is important to look into such projects, e.g. ‘The Central Vista’ and also other such projects for an economy worth 20,000 crore, where the government doesn’t even seek consultation from the formal regulatory bodies like IIA and COA. It can be used to really serve the nation and its people, or to give employment to poors, or to build housing for such needy people, or other architectural interventions as well. There are other such examples to be looked into, like ‘The Hall of Nations’ at Pragati Maidan which was a revolutionary moment in Indian architectural history where the world concept of ‘Space Structure’ was executed practically on ground by Ar. Raj Rewal.

Also, architects like Charles Correa and Laurie Baker brought their climate-responsive practices into existence in India which doesn’t has any influence from other countries and was best suited. These examples are a mark of real progress for nation not practicing ‘Gun for hire Architecture’.

It is the responsibility of architects to take architecture as a profession in a proper direction to serve mankind at the very first place.

Since history, architecture has been used as a medium to showcase power. But in a democratic nation, one has to be very sensitive, for such projects to be brought to the ground. Such projects are important from the perspective of a political system to showcase its power and to make it an identity of the nation but the point to make is, such projects should not be prioritized on the cost of primary responsibilities of the nation.

Hence, these conflicts between current scenarios and ideal scenario is to be cured in order to upraise the architecture fraternity for a good cause. Because what is done would be projected and it would yield a corresponding identity to the nation.

For nation-building, the very first motive of all the fields including architecture should be the welfare of the society and its people and the nation has to practice ‘Democratic Architecture’ which connects from its roots. Architectural practice should always be context responsive and sensitive. It should carry forward the values to create pride and symbolism. Architecture is a mode of manifesting people’s dreams into reality. As, Le Corbusier are once said,

“What makes our dreams so daring, is that they can be realized.”