Modern Architecture of South Asia: History, Theory & Critique

Seminar Masterstudiengänge 1. FS 2 SWS | 3 ECTS

Lehrender: Pappal Suneja

Architecture, being a diverse discipline, alters in its vocabulary and design sense with changes in the geographical conditions. This course shall explore the origin of Architectural modernism in South Asia and its unique outlook comprehending an indigenous approach. It will cover the diversity of South Asia in terms of soil conditions, food, culture, language and infrastructural evolution, etc.

The architectural legacy of post-independent India (and other countries of South Asia, after disintegration) is unique and it shall be interesting to investigate its contribution to the western narrative of modernism. This attempt may help to understand a rather balanced view of what architectural modernism is! The seminar will focus upon the aspect of modernization in postcolonial contexts, the history of architecture in South Asia - art, design, politics, and modernisms beyond the west. In addition, the Indian magazine Design (1957-1988) shall be a case study of the critical architectural discourse converging mass media with ‘experts’ and ‘non-experts’ that contributed to independent India’s development.

The course aims to draw the attention of participants to the endangered nature of the architectural modernist examples in South Asia. The works of the first generation of post-independent Indian architects like Charles Correa, B.V Doshi, A.P Kanvinde, Raj Rewal, and C. P Kukreja may help contextualize Modern architectural historiography. With this, we will explore the Semantic field of ‘Architectural Production’ and modernism beyond Europe.

 

 

Organisatorisches

Beginn:  12. April 2022
Zeit:      dienstags, 15:15 - 16:45 Uhr
Ort:       HG, R. 002