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In spite of the fact that India has experienced unprecedented growth in recent times [primarily due to liberalization], we somehow still cling to our socialist ideals. I disagree with the notion that most of the growth has happened due to people wanting to ‘uplift’ India and as any economist worth his salt would agree that most progress has been made by people seeking to better their lives. This objective was aided by breaking down of shackles that had previously impeded their ‘pursuit of happiness’.
Rarely does anyone start off by seeking to achieve a grandiose dream of uplifting a nation and succeed. Nehru tried it and so did his immediate successors but couldn’t achieve half the success and optimism that India currently experiences. Others have written extensively regarding the causes of this misconception and subsequent failure but I’ll point out to one such thought/attempt that exemplifies the remnants of that era.
A leading Indian design magazine, Indian Architect & Builder recently announced a competition to create nothing less than an ‘architectural and engineering symbol for contemporary India.’ [via Arzan] This magazine is one of the few reputed ones in the design community in India and once I (rather my team) had the honor of being featured in their student design section so I found the concept of such a competition by IA&B quite surprising. The grandiose aims of the competition state:
…this is the ideal time to capture the momentum that defines the India of today. It is with that objective that we invite the architects and engineers of India to partake of their responsibility in moulding a vision that is consistent for India now and in the future. It is the intent of ‘NOTIONS OF A NATION’, a progressive design competition, to give contemporary India its due architectural and engineering ‘Symbol’—an embodiment that acknowledges, recognises and celebrates its very spirit. As a design competition dedicated to the nation, it hopes to create an imprint that would grow to be the ‘Symbol’ for India’s presence and inspire people to establish its mark on the world.
Cliches and alliterations like ‘Notions of a Nation’ notwithstanding, the competition lays down nothing but ambiguous and self-aggrandizing goals that have no functional value. Nowhere does it state what purpose such a symbol would serve apart from proclaiming that we can build the world’s largest white elephant. Examples such as Taj Mahal and Gateway of India that are provided weren’t built by democratic societies but in fact were manifestations of big-sized egos of monarchs who thought no better than to utilize the monies for utilitarian purposes. Of course, we are proud of our monuments and in between letting them fall in disrepair and scrawling names of objects of our affection in ugly chalk, we love visiting them in hordes and providing gainful employment to guides who provide more entertainment than information. Also, our tourism calendars would look so bare too without them.
Of course, symbolism matters in a society which at times must be reminded of our mistakes so we can go ahead and ignore them thus repeating them. The war memorials are one such example. But can a war memorial ever stand to represent the ‘billion ambitions of its people’? I hope not. So we are back to the IA&B’s question of creating a ’symbol’ to depict the ‘hope that will reflect the tremendous onus that our nation endows us with’. For the love of God, I cannot begin to imagine what physical structure built with no purpose in mind can achieve that? Should we built a grand suspension bridge that leads to nowhere? Or better still build a skyscraper that shows its finger to the world? Has anyone in IA&B ever stopped to ask why would anyone do so?
Every grand structure built in recent times has had a strong utilitarian purpose and justification that led to its realization. The symbolism followed later. Be it the Sydney Opera House (and its Harbor Bridge) or Chicago’s Sears Tower. No one sets out to build something fancy in the hope of creating a nation’s symbol unless of course, a nation decides to gift another nation with a lady holding a torch. But we know it comes with strings attached. At the slightest disagreement, the offended country will rename its fries.
To rub salt in our wounds, IA&B graciously offers its commitment to “the winning entry will be realised and installed at a site, which is befitting of a ‘Symbol’ of this stature.” Oh! thanks mister, I wondered if my ‘glorious symbol’ would have any takers at all but ‘a site’?? Sorry, IA&B, it sounds like a design project that professors in any architecture college would hand out to cheery naive freshers. India’s architecture is better served by functional architecture that arises from functional buildings with no grand ambitions of ‘uplifting India’ but rather simply serving their needs. If by any chance, it turns out to be a grand structure embodying India’s stature, good for them.
Technorati Tags: India, architecture, symbolism, Indian Architect & Builder, media, competition
by Patrix | on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 7:16 pm | 
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