Architects from India: Design Innovators

Architects from India

Indian architects have changed the face of the nation since the time of independence. As people moved to metropolises for work and the country progressed in various spheres, there was a need for new apartment complexes, stadiums, educational institutions, commercial complexes, and much more.

The best architects of the time were employed by private firms and government officials to come up with innovative, cost-effective, and stunning architectural designs. Today, these structures stand as a testament to their abilities and foresight.

Important Architects in India

Brinda Somaya

She is an inspiring architect who has done a wide range of projects. These include institution campuses, an 18th-century cathedral restoration, and getting back together a village that was torn down by an earthquake. Her aim is not just to be the finest architect but also a world-class conservationist. In 2014, she became a member of the National Advisory Board of the NCSHS, or National Centre for the Safety of Heritage Structures.

She started her own company called Somaya and Kalappa Consultants (SNK) in 1978. She is also a founder and trustee of the HECAR Foundation, which is dedicated to conservation, architecture, heritage, restoration, and educating people about best practices in building construction and conservation. Over the years, she has won numerous awards, and her book Brinda Somaya: Works and Continuities is a must-read for every aspiring architect. Out of the many, her two most notable architectural works are the Birla Institute of Science and Technology in Pilani and the rehabilitated Bhandii Village in Bhuj.

Sanjay Puri

He began his own firm, Sanjay Puri Architects, in 1992, and today it is running successfully, bagging some of the country’s most prestigious projects. His projects cover sectors like education, hospitality, retail, commercial, educational, and entertainment. Each of his projects is different, and he has not repeated any of them. His ideology is to design spaces that are evolving, with each space being perceived in a new way, and it is followed by his firm in each of their projects, which has resulted in them creating stunning architectural structures like none other.

Now it is currently managing more than a hundred projects, not just in India but also abroad in countries such as Spain, the UAE, Montenegro, and also Mauritius. He believes in creating spaces that are functional and sustainable. His company has so far won 134 international awards.

Two of Sanjay Puri’s important architectural works are the Rajasthan School in Rajasthan and the Prestige University in Indore.

1. V. Doshi

He began his career in Europe working with Le Corbruiser in the city of Paris on many projects between 1951 and 1954, through which he gained immense experience. His design studio was established in 1955 and is called Vaastu Shilpa. The inspiration for his work is drawn from Indian monuments and also from projects done by American and European architects.

Through his architectural designs, he aims to give the people and the country architecture that is pristine, high quality, and original. In 2007, he won the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, and in 2018, he received the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. In 2020, he was given the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture by the U.K. government.

Two of BV Doshi’s important architectural works are the housing for the Life Insurance Corporation of India in Ahmedabad and the Aranya low-cost housing in Indore.

Zaha Hadid

She is an architect who was born in Baghdad and rose to promise not just because she was good at traditional architectural design but because she went beyond her comfort zone to create her own individual design. Her unique architectural style has been categorised as neo-futurism, and she described it as one that did not follow any particular school.

She is described as an inventive architect, one who was able to bring out architectural drawing with sweeping fluid forms with multiple perspective pints. In 2010 and 2011, she won the Stirling Prize, which is the U.K.’s most prestigious award for architecture.

Two remarkable architectural works by Zaha Hadid are Galxy Soho and the Evelyn Grace Academy.

Charles Correa

His designs catered to the needs of the working class living in cities, and he placed emphasis on using traditional methods of construction and local materials. He is very creative in his designs, but they are not based on the use of steel and glass but on very local styles. He also brought into the living space the use of terraces and outdoor areas, which are no longer considered important.

His impressive architectural works were shown off at the exhibition held by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2013, where you could see how he influenced modern Indian architecture today. He has won many awards, out of which the most important are the Royal Gold Medal award won in 1984 and the Aga Khan award in architecture that he won in 1998.

The two fascinating architectural works of Charles Correa are Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya at Sabarmati Ashram and Cidade de Goa Resort.

Bijoy Jain

He spent a lot of time abroad between Los Angeles and London studying architecture and then came to India to initiate his own firm called Studio Mumbai in 2005. The key feature of his architecture is that the design process must be hands-on, based on local craft, and constantly evolving. He also brings out the idea of his architectural designs aiming to fuse air, light, and water into human breath.

There is a lot of creativity, innovation, and invention in his architectural designs. In 2009, he won the Aga Khan Award for architecture, and in 2012, he was given the Swiss Architecture Award. He is also a visiting professor at Yale University.

The two fascinating architectural works of Bijoy Jain are Copper House II and the Ahemedabad residence.

Raj Rewal

He began his career in Paris in the office of Michael Ecochard and started his own firm after he came back to New Delhi in 1962. The idea behind his designs is to bring together a careful mix of Indian architectural style with modern design elements. There is a lot of emphasis on sustainability, which has made his firm quite prestigious. He places emphasis on the humanization of architectural design rather than just going for modern urban styles.

In Delhi, for a period of five years, from 1963 to 1972, he taught in the School of Planning and Architecture. He also opened another office in Tehran in 1974, and in 1986, at the Traditional Architecture in India exhibition, he was the curator.

The two fascinating architectural works of Raj Rewal are the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi and the Parliament Library in New Delhi.

Conclusion

Indian architects have done more than just create impressive structures across the country; they are bringing out the importance of using eco-friendly materials, bringing in traditional design elements into various spaces, and also fusing traditional styles with modern styles to improve a building’s aesthetics. their challenges  The future lies in the use of innovative designs, quality but affordable materials, and eco-friendly elements, as this will pave the way for sustainability in the future.