Philip Jodidio
Foreword by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Architectural Practice in India
Winners 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize
Philip Jodidio
Foreword by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Architectural Practice in India
Winners 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize
Philip Jodidio
Foreword by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Architectural Practice in India
Winners 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize
Contents 7 Foreword Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara Grafton Architects
8 Introduction Philip Jodidio
Early Works 1992–1996 18 Path In Between 18 Family Center 19 Home with a Hundred Columns 19 Cubes and Curves
126 Net House 132 Marbled House 136 Fountainhead School 144 Pool 152 Powerhouse 156 Urban Stitch 162 Embers and Ash 168 Open and Shut Case 170 Log(ical)-eco Housing 176 Fissured Living
Works Across Two Decades
182 Stripped Mobius
22 The Last Abode
186 Plain Ties
30 First Blood
192 House In-situ
40 Prime Minister Fund Schools
196 Shifting Domains
48 Inside Out
200 Notion of Motion
54 Random Order
202 Open Door
58 House with the Warped Court
212 Man-made God
66 Frugal Health
218 Cut Fold Bend Play
72 Queen Marys School 76 Track Record 82 House With Balls 90 House with the Wall of Light 96 Set in Stone 102 The Urban Cast 106 Urban Healer 114 Between the Waters 120 Moving Landscapes
Upcoming Works 228
Forest Lodge
229
Multi-use Development
230 Sikh Heritage Center
Appendix 232 Project Credits 237 Matharoo Team 239 Index of Projects
Contents 7 Foreword Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara Grafton Architects
8 Introduction Philip Jodidio
Early Works 1992–1996 18 Path In Between 18 Family Center 19 Home with a Hundred Columns 19 Cubes and Curves
126 Net House 132 Marbled House 136 Fountainhead School 144 Pool 152 Powerhouse 156 Urban Stitch 162 Embers and Ash 168 Open and Shut Case 170 Log(ical)-eco Housing 176 Fissured Living
Works Across Two Decades
182 Stripped Mobius
22 The Last Abode
186 Plain Ties
30 First Blood
192 House In-situ
40 Prime Minister Fund Schools
196 Shifting Domains
48 Inside Out
200 Notion of Motion
54 Random Order
202 Open Door
58 House with the Warped Court
212 Man-made God
66 Frugal Health
218 Cut Fold Bend Play
72 Queen Marys School 76 Track Record 82 House With Balls 90 House with the Wall of Light 96 Set in Stone 102 The Urban Cast 106 Urban Healer 114 Between the Waters 120 Moving Landscapes
Upcoming Works 228
Forest Lodge
229
Multi-use Development
230 Sikh Heritage Center
Appendix 232 Project Credits 237 Matharoo Team 239 Index of Projects
Foreword One of the benefits of being on Architectural Competition Juries is
because architects are space-makers, whether at the scale of the
that it provides the privilege of seeing submissions from all around
city, of landscape, or in the smallest enclosure. We were interested
the world, discovering names of architects you did not know,
in submissions to the Biennale that would go beyond the visual,
finding projects that are inventive, creative, and beautiful.
emphasizing the role of architecture in the choreography of life. One such submission was from Matharoo Associates.
As a result of being on the Architectural Review Jury in 2009, we came across the architects Matharoo Associates for the first time.
Their work represented in the Biennale was a project which
One of the Emerging Awards Winners was the studio’s work for
concerned itself with the making of freespace within a tight urban
Curtain Door, located in Surat, India. This was a tall sinuous door,
plot, using economic means. The architects talked about liberating
made up of numerous timber pieces, transforming the familiar, a
structure from its load-bearing role, using it rather as a space-
tactile re-imagining of a threshold.
making element, forming a series of interlocking planes, bent and folded into each other. Their aim was to eliminate perceived
Over the years, we watched the work of this practice, enjoying
boundaries and allow small spaces to be perceived as being bigger
various aspects including crafted inventions embedded in and
than they actually are. The project was important because of its
transforming the work: dangling concrete spheres with counter-
focus on structure—one of the basic elements of architecture—
balanced shutters working on a system of wire pulleys, as part of
and also because it provided a sense of play and delight to what
the weekend house, which also contains tanks for breeding fish;
might otherwise be conceived as a mute and silent component.
moving marble walls, transforming the boundaries of a house, connecting and separating, orchestrating the changing aspects of
We see this quality in much of the work of Matharoo Associates,
contemporary communal and private lives.
seeming to be both serious and playful, such as the House With Balls or the Moving Landscapes house. They describe their aspiration
When we were the Curators of the 2018 Venice Architecture
for architecture and structure to be “liberated from this theoretical
Biennale, our manifesto was titled FREESPACE, where we set out
burden”. Their “Biennale” house has now been translated from idea
aspects of architecture that we wished to highlight and nourish. All
to reality, its folding concrete “ribbons” enclosing actual lives.
invited participants and every national pavilion was encouraged to bring to the Biennale their FREESPACE, so that we would reveal
We look forward to the monograph on the work of studio Matharoo,
the diversity, specificity, and continuity in architecture based
certain we will be encouraged and inspired by the work of such
on people, place, time, and history, sustaining the culture and
skilled colleagues.
relevance of architecture across the world. We emphasized space
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Opposite: The Biennale installation for FREESPACE translated from idea to reality in Cut Fold Bend Play (page 218).
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
7
Grafton Architects, Winners 2020 Pritzker Prize
Foreword One of the benefits of being on Architectural Competition Juries is
because architects are space-makers, whether at the scale of the
that it provides the privilege of seeing submissions from all around
city, of landscape, or in the smallest enclosure. We were interested
the world, discovering names of architects you did not know,
in submissions to the Biennale that would go beyond the visual,
finding projects that are inventive, creative, and beautiful.
emphasizing the role of architecture in the choreography of life. One such submission was from Matharoo Associates.
As a result of being on the Architectural Review Jury in 2009, we came across the architects Matharoo Associates for the first time.
Their work represented in the Biennale was a project which
One of the Emerging Awards Winners was the studio’s work for
concerned itself with the making of freespace within a tight urban
Curtain Door, located in Surat, India. This was a tall sinuous door,
plot, using economic means. The architects talked about liberating
made up of numerous timber pieces, transforming the familiar, a
structure from its load-bearing role, using it rather as a space-
tactile re-imagining of a threshold.
making element, forming a series of interlocking planes, bent and folded into each other. Their aim was to eliminate perceived
Over the years, we watched the work of this practice, enjoying
boundaries and allow small spaces to be perceived as being bigger
various aspects including crafted inventions embedded in and
than they actually are. The project was important because of its
transforming the work: dangling concrete spheres with counter-
focus on structure—one of the basic elements of architecture—
balanced shutters working on a system of wire pulleys, as part of
and also because it provided a sense of play and delight to what
the weekend house, which also contains tanks for breeding fish;
might otherwise be conceived as a mute and silent component.
moving marble walls, transforming the boundaries of a house, connecting and separating, orchestrating the changing aspects of
We see this quality in much of the work of Matharoo Associates,
contemporary communal and private lives.
seeming to be both serious and playful, such as the House With Balls or the Moving Landscapes house. They describe their aspiration
When we were the Curators of the 2018 Venice Architecture
for architecture and structure to be “liberated from this theoretical
Biennale, our manifesto was titled FREESPACE, where we set out
burden”. Their “Biennale” house has now been translated from idea
aspects of architecture that we wished to highlight and nourish. All
to reality, its folding concrete “ribbons” enclosing actual lives.
invited participants and every national pavilion was encouraged to bring to the Biennale their FREESPACE, so that we would reveal
We look forward to the monograph on the work of studio Matharoo,
the diversity, specificity, and continuity in architecture based
certain we will be encouraged and inspired by the work of such
on people, place, time, and history, sustaining the culture and
skilled colleagues.
relevance of architecture across the world. We emphasized space
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara
Opposite: The Biennale installation for FREESPACE translated from idea to reality in Cut Fold Bend Play (page 218).
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
7
Grafton Architects, Winners 2020 Pritzker Prize
With no background in Ahmedabad, the firm participated in and won a number of competitions in India, but for the most part, these projects did not advance. In the early years of the studio between 1991 and 1994, the first built work revolved around small houses in Ajmer.
Introduction
Between 1995 and 1998, Matharoo worked as an Associate on a caseby-case basis with the Ahmedabad firm Hasmukh C Patel Architects and Planners, gaining experience on large-scale industrial projects, and simultaneously working in his own two-person office. He won the competitions for his first large projects, the Ashwinikumar Crematorium (page 22) and Prathama Blood Centre (page 30), built
Breaking Down the Barriers
in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Although he has continued to build
Gurjit Matharoo was born in 1966 in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Originally
private houses, Gurjit Matharoo has also worked on large buildings
from Punjab, the Matharoo family relocated to Rajasthan at that time,
simultaneously, and spanned diverse scales of projects.
where his great grandfather worked for the British designing colonial buildings. The male family members of his father’s generation were
Raw Surfaces Washed with Light
more inclined toward engineering, but Matharoo decided to enroll in
Gurjit Matharoo and his team have been the winners of numerous
a five-year architecture program and received his diploma (equivalent
international awards, including several given by the Architectural
to a B.Arch.) in Architecture at the Center for Environmental Planning
Review (London)—for the Emerging Architecture Awards Cycle. The
and Technology (CEPT, Ahmedabad, 1989). When a Swiss friend drew
Ashwinikumar Crematorium, the first gas-fired facility in the country,
a sketch of Casa Kalman by Luigi Snozzi, Matharoo was so inspired
was the Editors Choice selected by Peter Davey in 2003 and Prathama
that he decided to work in his studio under one of the associates,
Blood Centre, the largest blood center in India, was the Recommended
Michele Arnaboldi (Locarno, 1989–90) in the Italian-speaking Ticino
Entry in 2005. In 2009, Curtain Door (page 90) was declared the Winner
region of Switzerland. Snozzi (b. 1932) is one of the best-known
of the Emerging Architecture Award and the following year House
and most influential figures in Swiss modern architecture. Shortly
With Balls (page 82) won the top prize in the AR 2010 House Awards.
thereafter, Matharoo worked with Giorgio Guscetti (Ambri, 1990–91)
Catherine Slessor, the Editor of the magazine commented, “The
on a competition entry for a TV tower in Berne, which took third
project exploits its economy and ease of construction, but Matharoo
place. From the jury description in French, Matharoo was able to
also clearly relishes concrete’s structural and expressive qualities. Here
recognize the word clarté. Matharoo’s diploma thesis, written the
the pours have a powerful artisanal quality that echoes the work of
previous year was incidentally titled “Clarity.” For his thesis, he studied
Corb and Kahn in the subcontinent, the universal material becoming
buildings such as Ando’s Chapel on Mount Rokko (Kobe, 1986),
intimate and particular, raw surfaces washed with light.”1 Matharoo’s
the Pompidou Centre by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers (Paris,
designs for ESIC Hospital (page 106) and Set in Stone (page 96) were
1977), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion (1929) and
both nominated for the Aga Khan Awards. Net House (page 126) was
Le Corbusier’s Millowners’ Association Building (Ahmedabad, 1954)
awarded the 2011 International Architecture Award, given by the
and Notre-Dame-du-Haut Ronchamp Chapel (1955).
Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. In 2011,
In 1991, Matharoo began teaching at his alma mater CEPT
the ETH in Zurich selected Matharoo as one of seven promising
and
established
his
own
firm
Matharoo
Associates
in
Ahmedabad, in a space overlooking the city’s Sabarmati river. The firm began functioning with two drawing boards in a 100-square-foot (9-square-meter) rented corner of an office, and eventually expanded to take up the entire space of 600 square feet Top: A 1904 pen and ink drawing of a door by Gurjit Matharoo’s great-grandfather, Thakur Singh Matharoo (an Arts graduate who worked for the British).
Bottom: The design for an art center, in pencil on parchment; a fifth-semester drawing (1985) by Gurjit Matharoo at the School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad.
(56 square meters). In 2011, A+U (Japan) covered it as one of fifty
architectural practices worldwide. In 2012, Matharoo was shortlisted for the BSI Swiss Architectural Awards and invited to present his work at the 2017 Bienal De Chile and twice consecutively at the Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Alejandro Aravena in 2016 and
Top: Ink on Tracing by Gurjit Matharoo; competition entry for a TV tower at Berne, Switzerland, which secured third place with Flli Guscetti Architects, Ambri, Switzerland, 1990.
Grafton Architects in 2018. Both curators went on to become winners of the 2016 and 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize(s), respectively.
selected architectural offices in the world. Subsequently, the studio moved to its own 7,910-square-foot (735-square-meter) building
Middle: Matharoo Associates’ first studio (1991–2015) overlooking the Sabarmati River; selected as
called the Pool (page 144). 1 https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/ar-house-2010-winner-house-with -balls-by-matharoo-associates/8603598.article, accessed June 29, 2019.
9
one of fifty architectural studios from around the world by A+U in 2011. Bottom: The winning entry for the Invited Competition (1991) by the Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, a university project that was shelved before construction.
With no background in Ahmedabad, the firm participated in and won a number of competitions in India, but for the most part, these projects did not advance. In the early years of the studio between 1991 and 1994, the first built work revolved around small houses in Ajmer.
Introduction
Between 1995 and 1998, Matharoo worked as an Associate on a caseby-case basis with the Ahmedabad firm Hasmukh C Patel Architects and Planners, gaining experience on large-scale industrial projects, and simultaneously working in his own two-person office. He won the competitions for his first large projects, the Ashwinikumar Crematorium (page 22) and Prathama Blood Centre (page 30), built
Breaking Down the Barriers
in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Although he has continued to build
Gurjit Matharoo was born in 1966 in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Originally
private houses, Gurjit Matharoo has also worked on large buildings
from Punjab, the Matharoo family relocated to Rajasthan at that time,
simultaneously, and spanned diverse scales of projects.
where his great grandfather worked for the British designing colonial buildings. The male family members of his father’s generation were
Raw Surfaces Washed with Light
more inclined toward engineering, but Matharoo decided to enroll in
Gurjit Matharoo and his team have been the winners of numerous
a five-year architecture program and received his diploma (equivalent
international awards, including several given by the Architectural
to a B.Arch.) in Architecture at the Center for Environmental Planning
Review (London)—for the Emerging Architecture Awards Cycle. The
and Technology (CEPT, Ahmedabad, 1989). When a Swiss friend drew
Ashwinikumar Crematorium, the first gas-fired facility in the country,
a sketch of Casa Kalman by Luigi Snozzi, Matharoo was so inspired
was the Editors Choice selected by Peter Davey in 2003 and Prathama
that he decided to work in his studio under one of the associates,
Blood Centre, the largest blood center in India, was the Recommended
Michele Arnaboldi (Locarno, 1989–90) in the Italian-speaking Ticino
Entry in 2005. In 2009, Curtain Door (page 90) was declared the Winner
region of Switzerland. Snozzi (b. 1932) is one of the best-known
of the Emerging Architecture Award and the following year House
and most influential figures in Swiss modern architecture. Shortly
With Balls (page 82) won the top prize in the AR 2010 House Awards.
thereafter, Matharoo worked with Giorgio Guscetti (Ambri, 1990–91)
Catherine Slessor, the Editor of the magazine commented, “The
on a competition entry for a TV tower in Berne, which took third
project exploits its economy and ease of construction, but Matharoo
place. From the jury description in French, Matharoo was able to
also clearly relishes concrete’s structural and expressive qualities. Here
recognize the word clarté. Matharoo’s diploma thesis, written the
the pours have a powerful artisanal quality that echoes the work of
previous year was incidentally titled “Clarity.” For his thesis, he studied
Corb and Kahn in the subcontinent, the universal material becoming
buildings such as Ando’s Chapel on Mount Rokko (Kobe, 1986),
intimate and particular, raw surfaces washed with light.”1 Matharoo’s
the Pompidou Centre by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers (Paris,
designs for ESIC Hospital (page 106) and Set in Stone (page 96) were
1977), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion (1929) and
both nominated for the Aga Khan Awards. Net House (page 126) was
Le Corbusier’s Millowners’ Association Building (Ahmedabad, 1954)
awarded the 2011 International Architecture Award, given by the
and Notre-Dame-du-Haut Ronchamp Chapel (1955).
Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. In 2011,
In 1991, Matharoo began teaching at his alma mater CEPT
the ETH in Zurich selected Matharoo as one of seven promising
and
established
his
own
firm
Matharoo
Associates
in
Ahmedabad, in a space overlooking the city’s Sabarmati river. The firm began functioning with two drawing boards in a 100-square-foot (9-square-meter) rented corner of an office, and eventually expanded to take up the entire space of 600 square feet Top: A 1904 pen and ink drawing of a door by Gurjit Matharoo’s great-grandfather, Thakur Singh Matharoo (an Arts graduate who worked for the British).
Bottom: The design for an art center, in pencil on parchment; a fifth-semester drawing (1985) by Gurjit Matharoo at the School of Architecture, CEPT, Ahmedabad.
(56 square meters). In 2011, A+U (Japan) covered it as one of fifty
architectural practices worldwide. In 2012, Matharoo was shortlisted for the BSI Swiss Architectural Awards and invited to present his work at the 2017 Bienal De Chile and twice consecutively at the Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Alejandro Aravena in 2016 and
Top: Ink on Tracing by Gurjit Matharoo; competition entry for a TV tower at Berne, Switzerland, which secured third place with Flli Guscetti Architects, Ambri, Switzerland, 1990.
Grafton Architects in 2018. Both curators went on to become winners of the 2016 and 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize(s), respectively.
selected architectural offices in the world. Subsequently, the studio moved to its own 7,910-square-foot (735-square-meter) building
Middle: Matharoo Associates’ first studio (1991–2015) overlooking the Sabarmati River; selected as
called the Pool (page 144). 1 https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/ar-house-2010-winner-house-with -balls-by-matharoo-associates/8603598.article, accessed June 29, 2019.
9
one of fifty architectural studios from around the world by A+U in 2011. Bottom: The winning entry for the Invited Competition (1991) by the Jain Vishwa Bharati Institute, a university project that was shelved before construction.
In the Footsteps of Le Corbusier and Doshi
Giuseppe Terragni (1904–1943) and Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978), and
makes them unnatural—disconnecting them from self as
Ahmedabad is the fifth most-populous city of India but more
among more recent figures Bernard Khoury and Ensamble Studio
well as surroundings.
important in this instance, it is known as an architectural capital. This is where Le Corbusier built Villa Sarabhai (1955) and Villa Shodhan (1956). The Swiss-French master worked in Ahmedabad after having been called in 1950 to complete the master planning and much of the governmental architecture of Chandigarh, today the capital of Punjab and Haryana. Frank Lloyd Wright created an unbuilt design for the administrative office for Calico Mills, and Buckminster Fullers Calico Dome was erected in Ahmedabad in 1962. Louis Kahn built the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) in the city, which he
(Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa) among his favorites.
3
Holy Cows and Succulent Thighs At a presentation in February 2012 for the NZIA Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, Matharoo laid out his themes related to the contemporary architecture of India under the typically humoristic
follow an austere approach where the only embellishment is light falling on materials we use in their natural form—much like carvings do to a temple. Continuing analogies that might be considered a shade too
what can be termed a certain modesty or calmness, in contrast to any
cosmetic if not sexual, Gurjit Matharoo refers to the popular use
agitated effort to be noticed.
of botulinum toxin to chide colleagues who privilege façades too
A. Succulent Thighs, Juicy Breasts, Great Legs
the influence of two major Indian modern architects has been felt.
Before it descends into something scandalous, we’re only
The first of these is Balkrishna Doshi (b. 1927), founder-director of CEPT, School of Architecture (1962–72), who became the first Indian winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2018. Charles Correa (1930– 2015), recipient of the Royal Gold Medal for architecture (1984) contemporary of Doshi and designer of the museum at Gandhi Ashram (1963) in Ahmedabad. Among other achievements, Doshi
typical character of our cities where spaces scream for
Buildings are literally only skin deep, and where curiosity
attention; one louder than the other.
and interest ends with the special “façade,” while the Our take: There are intangible factors in a building, and there
and form cocoons away from the hustle-bustle of the city.
are questions of whether you are psychologically comfortable
of Le Corbusier. As it happens, in 2014, Gurjit Matharoo was the
on contemporary architecture to his own work, pleading for the
third Indian architect to become an International Fellow of the
presence of wit and innovation in an environment that he judges
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) after Doshi and Correa.
devoid of substantive originality.
the death of Charles Correa. He wrote “I am saddened by the death of Charles Correa; so highly talented and a nice man as well. His example is a good one—for I have never subscribed to the idea that there is a ‘Utopian’ architecture and then a ‘normal’ architecture. I believe that the mainstream (philistine) world likes to use the idea
structural frames and the walls remain anonymous within.
consciously create spaces that are subdued in their context,
Matharoo also relates his humorous approach to commenting
architecture was highlighted by Sir Peter Cook on the occasion of
truth in contemporary architecture. D. Botoxed Set
and Correa are credited with giving an Indian spirit to the modernism
His connection to the earlier important figures of modern Indian
much, suggesting instead that there must be a deeper internal
talking about the sign board on a chicken shop. Now a
Our take: Instead of participating in this one-upmanship, we
and the 1998 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, was a long-time
or enjoy being in it. We try to create buildings with a high emotive content, that are meant to be discovered; unfolding around one’s body as one moves through them, revealing their secrets and meanings; over time and over spatial layers.
It is said that India is a country of followers, and as long as one
The integration and optimization of structure and architecture are
is following the other, no questions are asked and everybody
seen in his works as well. In the five-story-high Rajasthan Hospital
is content. Perhaps the same holds true for its architecture—
(page 66), the walls and slab are just 6 inches (150 millimeters) thick.
unity handling architecture, interiors, product and structural design
leaving little scope for innovation or wit. Architecture that tries
This resulted in a reduction in building costs to a mere INR300 (US$4)
as a wholesome one.” Matharoo’s interest in designing automobiles
to question the norm faces acute resistance in our society.
per square foot, slashing what was considered a low cost in India in
as a hobby is another influence he traces to his father, who often
2005 by 50 percent. The use of integration permits the creation of a
dismantled his BSA Twin motorcycle and put it back together. From
minimal wall footprint, with an extra usable area of 8 to 10 percent
renowned motorcycle journalist Sir Alan Cathcart:
builders, so as to keep them out of the action and not show the
buildings are not sterile, but fun to be in. They add a degree
mainstream for what it often is—lacking in wit and invention. Charles
of playfulness in an otherwise monotonous environment.
when compared to a conventional framed structure with infill walls.
Matharoo identifies Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier as his
(page 102), this is the equivalent of an additional room. The architect’s
the architect decries superficial embellishment and forcefully
sources of inspiration. Of the latter, he says, “Architecture at our studio
father, Rajendra Singh Matharoo, who trained as a structural engineer,
argues for a more natural and reduced approach.
took voluntary retirement from being the Principal at Government
C. Sweet Boxes Often buildings are dressed in unnecessary ornamentation
reason and emotion. His forms are not only protected from, but come
that is not suited to our times. Covered by flashy coating
alive with the harsh tropical sun playing on them.” Matharoo also cites
2
Peter Cook, Domus India, vol. 4, issue 10 (September 2015).
3
Home Review India, vol. 15 (December 2016).
4
Ibid.
I N T RO D U C T I O N
“I compliment Mr. [Gurjit] Matharoo on his imaginative
In small homes, such as Inside Out (page 48) and The Urban Cast
Referring still to his ideas about the situation in India in particular,
and place—low cost, rough and labor-intensive, filled with both
Bottom: The Bestiale 2019—based on a 1979 Suzuki GSX 750, a custom-designed motorcycle by Gurjit Matharoo.
Evocative Space that you can Dwell In
Our take: To inject projects with a potent dose of wit, so
is a fallout of his principles, which I think are best suited to our culture
Top: Text source extracted for “Succulent Thighs, Juicy Breasts, Great Legs” presentation at the New Zealand Institute of Architects Conference, Auckland 2012.
B. Holy Cows
of the ‘Utopian’ to pigeon-hole the more creative architects as non-
Correa spanned all. So too does Gurjit Singh Matharoo, I think.”
doubt, reduce; when not in doubt, surely reduce”. We try to
title “Succulent Thighs and Other Stories”.4 His first theme underlines
worked on until his death in 1974. Ahmedabad is also a city where
2
Our take: We work with our internal philosophy of “when in
ideas. Though some appear to have been born more from a desire to be different than for practicality of purpose, examples like the Irarei (Integrated Ram Air, Radiator, Exhaust Induction) are a different matter. I believe this
Polytechnic College, Udaipur, and joined the firm at its inception. His
design needs to be taken further. It’s a pity Bimota aren’t in
wife, Komal Matharoo, also an architect joined him from 1996 to 2001,
business anymore, otherwise I’d suggest he contact them to
and again from 2013 onwards. Gurjit Matharoo explains, “My father’s
see if they’d like to put it into metal.” 5
contribution as a structural designer made our firm an integrated 5
11
Alan Cathcart in “Bricks and Motor,” Autocar India, 2001. Bimota, a motorcycle manufacturing company, was founded in 1973.
In the Footsteps of Le Corbusier and Doshi
Giuseppe Terragni (1904–1943) and Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978), and
makes them unnatural—disconnecting them from self as
Ahmedabad is the fifth most-populous city of India but more
among more recent figures Bernard Khoury and Ensamble Studio
well as surroundings.
important in this instance, it is known as an architectural capital. This is where Le Corbusier built Villa Sarabhai (1955) and Villa Shodhan (1956). The Swiss-French master worked in Ahmedabad after having been called in 1950 to complete the master planning and much of the governmental architecture of Chandigarh, today the capital of Punjab and Haryana. Frank Lloyd Wright created an unbuilt design for the administrative office for Calico Mills, and Buckminster Fullers Calico Dome was erected in Ahmedabad in 1962. Louis Kahn built the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) in the city, which he
(Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa) among his favorites.
3
Holy Cows and Succulent Thighs At a presentation in February 2012 for the NZIA Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, Matharoo laid out his themes related to the contemporary architecture of India under the typically humoristic
follow an austere approach where the only embellishment is light falling on materials we use in their natural form—much like carvings do to a temple. Continuing analogies that might be considered a shade too
what can be termed a certain modesty or calmness, in contrast to any
cosmetic if not sexual, Gurjit Matharoo refers to the popular use
agitated effort to be noticed.
of botulinum toxin to chide colleagues who privilege façades too
A. Succulent Thighs, Juicy Breasts, Great Legs
the influence of two major Indian modern architects has been felt.
Before it descends into something scandalous, we’re only
The first of these is Balkrishna Doshi (b. 1927), founder-director of CEPT, School of Architecture (1962–72), who became the first Indian winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2018. Charles Correa (1930– 2015), recipient of the Royal Gold Medal for architecture (1984) contemporary of Doshi and designer of the museum at Gandhi Ashram (1963) in Ahmedabad. Among other achievements, Doshi
typical character of our cities where spaces scream for
Buildings are literally only skin deep, and where curiosity
attention; one louder than the other.
and interest ends with the special “façade,” while the Our take: There are intangible factors in a building, and there
and form cocoons away from the hustle-bustle of the city.
are questions of whether you are psychologically comfortable
of Le Corbusier. As it happens, in 2014, Gurjit Matharoo was the
on contemporary architecture to his own work, pleading for the
third Indian architect to become an International Fellow of the
presence of wit and innovation in an environment that he judges
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) after Doshi and Correa.
devoid of substantive originality.
the death of Charles Correa. He wrote “I am saddened by the death of Charles Correa; so highly talented and a nice man as well. His example is a good one—for I have never subscribed to the idea that there is a ‘Utopian’ architecture and then a ‘normal’ architecture. I believe that the mainstream (philistine) world likes to use the idea
structural frames and the walls remain anonymous within.
consciously create spaces that are subdued in their context,
Matharoo also relates his humorous approach to commenting
architecture was highlighted by Sir Peter Cook on the occasion of
truth in contemporary architecture. D. Botoxed Set
and Correa are credited with giving an Indian spirit to the modernism
His connection to the earlier important figures of modern Indian
much, suggesting instead that there must be a deeper internal
talking about the sign board on a chicken shop. Now a
Our take: Instead of participating in this one-upmanship, we
and the 1998 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, was a long-time
or enjoy being in it. We try to create buildings with a high emotive content, that are meant to be discovered; unfolding around one’s body as one moves through them, revealing their secrets and meanings; over time and over spatial layers.
It is said that India is a country of followers, and as long as one
The integration and optimization of structure and architecture are
is following the other, no questions are asked and everybody
seen in his works as well. In the five-story-high Rajasthan Hospital
is content. Perhaps the same holds true for its architecture—
(page 66), the walls and slab are just 6 inches (150 millimeters) thick.
unity handling architecture, interiors, product and structural design
leaving little scope for innovation or wit. Architecture that tries
This resulted in a reduction in building costs to a mere INR300 (US$4)
as a wholesome one.” Matharoo’s interest in designing automobiles
to question the norm faces acute resistance in our society.
per square foot, slashing what was considered a low cost in India in
as a hobby is another influence he traces to his father, who often
2005 by 50 percent. The use of integration permits the creation of a
dismantled his BSA Twin motorcycle and put it back together. From
minimal wall footprint, with an extra usable area of 8 to 10 percent
renowned motorcycle journalist Sir Alan Cathcart:
builders, so as to keep them out of the action and not show the
buildings are not sterile, but fun to be in. They add a degree
mainstream for what it often is—lacking in wit and invention. Charles
of playfulness in an otherwise monotonous environment.
when compared to a conventional framed structure with infill walls.
Matharoo identifies Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier as his
(page 102), this is the equivalent of an additional room. The architect’s
the architect decries superficial embellishment and forcefully
sources of inspiration. Of the latter, he says, “Architecture at our studio
father, Rajendra Singh Matharoo, who trained as a structural engineer,
argues for a more natural and reduced approach.
took voluntary retirement from being the Principal at Government
C. Sweet Boxes Often buildings are dressed in unnecessary ornamentation
reason and emotion. His forms are not only protected from, but come
that is not suited to our times. Covered by flashy coating
alive with the harsh tropical sun playing on them.” Matharoo also cites
2
Peter Cook, Domus India, vol. 4, issue 10 (September 2015).
3
Home Review India, vol. 15 (December 2016).
4
Ibid.
I N T RO D U C T I O N
“I compliment Mr. [Gurjit] Matharoo on his imaginative
In small homes, such as Inside Out (page 48) and The Urban Cast
Referring still to his ideas about the situation in India in particular,
and place—low cost, rough and labor-intensive, filled with both
Bottom: The Bestiale 2019—based on a 1979 Suzuki GSX 750, a custom-designed motorcycle by Gurjit Matharoo.
Evocative Space that you can Dwell In
Our take: To inject projects with a potent dose of wit, so
is a fallout of his principles, which I think are best suited to our culture
Top: Text source extracted for “Succulent Thighs, Juicy Breasts, Great Legs” presentation at the New Zealand Institute of Architects Conference, Auckland 2012.
B. Holy Cows
of the ‘Utopian’ to pigeon-hole the more creative architects as non-
Correa spanned all. So too does Gurjit Singh Matharoo, I think.”
doubt, reduce; when not in doubt, surely reduce”. We try to
title “Succulent Thighs and Other Stories”.4 His first theme underlines
worked on until his death in 1974. Ahmedabad is also a city where
2
Our take: We work with our internal philosophy of “when in
ideas. Though some appear to have been born more from a desire to be different than for practicality of purpose, examples like the Irarei (Integrated Ram Air, Radiator, Exhaust Induction) are a different matter. I believe this
Polytechnic College, Udaipur, and joined the firm at its inception. His
design needs to be taken further. It’s a pity Bimota aren’t in
wife, Komal Matharoo, also an architect joined him from 1996 to 2001,
business anymore, otherwise I’d suggest he contact them to
and again from 2013 onwards. Gurjit Matharoo explains, “My father’s
see if they’d like to put it into metal.” 5
contribution as a structural designer made our firm an integrated 5
11
Alan Cathcart in “Bricks and Motor,” Autocar India, 2001. Bimota, a motorcycle manufacturing company, was founded in 1973.
Although Matharoo makes clear his fascination with the closely
The unexpected approach and innovative work of Gurjit Matharoo
design process with local sensibilities.” Another recurring aspect
connected mechanics of vehicles, in an interview with the Japanese
is perhaps best explained in his own words. He is lucid about his
in his work is the use of materials in their natural form, be it
magazine Global Architecture, he stated, “I think the spaces that
own place in the world of Indian architecture, and clear in his
concrete, steel, brick, or stone. These materials age well, are low
you make in architecture have no parallel. The creation of evocative
reasoning. When asked why surprises and mechanisms figure
maintenance, and come alive in the tropical sun. “I do not know if
space that you can dwell in is the ultimate joy of architecture. This
prominently in his work, he states that the idea of surprise has
this can be called a style,” says Matharoo, “but, looking back, I find
is missing in automobiles.”
been in his work since the beginning. He refers to the crypt of Le
that these different elements combine in a way that has produced
Corbusier’s Convent of La Tourette (Eveux, France, 1961) or the
a great diversity of designs.”
6
Fissures and Shells The work of Gurjit Matharoo often takes on fundamental issues of
being spaces that are mysterious, and which draw people toward
contemporary architecture, dealing along the way with the powerful
them.” It is this quality that we seek in our buildings—they must
changes that have occurred in Indian society since the heyday
elevate you emotionally and also intellectually; they must create
of Doshi and Correa. The house he calls Fissured Living (page
delight. This is what I would call the prime purpose of architecture,”
176), for example, proposes a solution for the rising dissolution of
he says. He feels on the other hand that mechanisms are added
multi-generational families that now tend to live more and more
to his buildings for reasons of functionality, for example, walls
apart because of the increased accessibility of individual houses.
that open out and claim margins add another room to a house.
This 14,000-square-foot (1,300-square-meter) residence provides
Opening and closing walls are used as a climate device as movable
private areas for the families of two brothers and their parents,
brise-soliel, to modulate privacy, or for security in other projects. A
calling on “the essence of the vernacular settlement” in India, and
mundane element like a door that pivots in an unexpected way
uses local stone in a composition “reminiscent of ancient ruins
is functional art—an embodiment of a mathematical equation or
with its blocks shifted over time.” Despite these references to
a mental construct that actually moves. Playing on words as he
Indian architecture, the will of the architect (and of course the
often does, Matharoo says, “We sometimes interpret our ‘building
client) is to suggest a modern way for families to remain together
that moves’ as a ‘building that moves you,’ making it one of the
without jettisoning the older generation as is the case in so many
important tools in the creation of delight.”
Western countries.
Top: Mathematical derivation and intricate detailing of hardware is done in-house at the Matharoo studio.
Bottom: Unbuilt project for the Ordos 100 Museum of Houses, where Matharoo Associates was the only Indian architect to be handpicked by architects Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with artist Ai Weiwei.
steps of Adalberto Libera’s Casa Malaparte (Capri, Italy, 1937) as
work does not always appear to have a recognizable “style.” There
question—that of “shedding all baggage, leaving the city behind”
is clearly an effort to avoid thinking about trends and to focus
to be at one with the sea. Calling on the evanescent imagery of
instead on each particular case and how it differs from any other.
marooned ships, aquatic animals, and old forts, Matharoo uses a
The context and peculiarities in the brief are exaggerated and
long curving wall in basalt to represent a threshold between one
become the starting points. The architect has the consistent idea
world and another, where views of the sea are omnipresent. The
of connecting to nature—the nature that is outside, but also our
idea of “blurring the lines between illusion and reality” is also very
own nature—that which is within us. In this relation, according to
present in the Moving Landscapes house (page 120). Calling on his
Matharoo, the building is a kind of catalyst that is not consumed by
fascination for mechanical or moving features, here the architect
the reaction it engenders.
walls of local stone, whose imposing blocks pivot “at the touch of a button” to “reveal a transparent, cocooned interior.” In a similar case, the CREDAI Corporate Headquarters (page 202) took into account the need for exhibition space and banquets that are often required by the developer group. The building literally opens out to the public, with its manually operated three-story-high walls moving away to connect the inside to the road during events.
6
was chosen by Herzog & de Meuron for the Ordos 100 project in Inner Mongolia. At the presentation, the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei commented that his design was very sensitive to Chinese culture, and later wrote of the relevance of Matharoo within the Indian context: “While the works resonate with the scale and material qualities of early Modernism, they retain a distinctly Indian flavor in their rudimentary palette of materials … With scale, texture, and basic materials, he stamps his character onto the buildings and instils an aroma of India into the design. He is able to direct social needs with his powerful forms.”7 Gurjit Matharoo was born in Rajasthan, which is about 350 miles (565 kilometers) from Punjab, where his family came from. He set up his practice in Ahmedabad, which is another 300 miles (480 kilometers) away, after training in Bhutan and Switzerland. His projects have a wide geographic spread within India.” So, if you
The approach of Gurjit Matharoo implies almost directly that his
Between the Waters (page 114) addresses another modern
created an “impregnable shell” with 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-high)
Although the great majority of Gurjit Matharoo’s work is in India, he
ask me where I am from,” he says, “I would have to say that I cannot pinpoint one place, so I would assume that our work method is applicable almost anywhere.” Although recognition for Indian architects seems to have come very slowly, Gurjit Matharoo does not believe that there is conscious bias against India, but rather that the architecture media were not focused on this part of the world until recently. He points out that other very good architects have practiced in India. Achyut Kanvinde (1916–2002) and Anant Raje (1929–2009) are significant figures who may not be as well-known as they
In India, Matharoo seeks to produce architecture locally in a
deserve. When Le Corbusier came to India, he saw a building
labor-intensive way. Other countries would clearly require a
by Kanvinde and commented “Modernism is already here.”
different approach. He states, “We attempt a balance of industrial
Global architecture events and the internet have of course played
and handcrafted manual construction, and varying proportions
a big role in putting countries such as India on a more level
between the two could work in any environment. In other words,
playing field.
the design process and meticulous detailing remain the same. It is the context, resources, and problems to tackle that render the
7 10 x 10_3, Phaidon, London, 2009.
Yoshio Futagawa (ed.), GA Houses 109: Project 2009.
I N T RO D U C T I O N
13
Although Matharoo makes clear his fascination with the closely
The unexpected approach and innovative work of Gurjit Matharoo
design process with local sensibilities.” Another recurring aspect
connected mechanics of vehicles, in an interview with the Japanese
is perhaps best explained in his own words. He is lucid about his
in his work is the use of materials in their natural form, be it
magazine Global Architecture, he stated, “I think the spaces that
own place in the world of Indian architecture, and clear in his
concrete, steel, brick, or stone. These materials age well, are low
you make in architecture have no parallel. The creation of evocative
reasoning. When asked why surprises and mechanisms figure
maintenance, and come alive in the tropical sun. “I do not know if
space that you can dwell in is the ultimate joy of architecture. This
prominently in his work, he states that the idea of surprise has
this can be called a style,” says Matharoo, “but, looking back, I find
is missing in automobiles.”
been in his work since the beginning. He refers to the crypt of Le
that these different elements combine in a way that has produced
Corbusier’s Convent of La Tourette (Eveux, France, 1961) or the
a great diversity of designs.”
6
Fissures and Shells The work of Gurjit Matharoo often takes on fundamental issues of
being spaces that are mysterious, and which draw people toward
contemporary architecture, dealing along the way with the powerful
them.” It is this quality that we seek in our buildings—they must
changes that have occurred in Indian society since the heyday
elevate you emotionally and also intellectually; they must create
of Doshi and Correa. The house he calls Fissured Living (page
delight. This is what I would call the prime purpose of architecture,”
176), for example, proposes a solution for the rising dissolution of
he says. He feels on the other hand that mechanisms are added
multi-generational families that now tend to live more and more
to his buildings for reasons of functionality, for example, walls
apart because of the increased accessibility of individual houses.
that open out and claim margins add another room to a house.
This 14,000-square-foot (1,300-square-meter) residence provides
Opening and closing walls are used as a climate device as movable
private areas for the families of two brothers and their parents,
brise-soliel, to modulate privacy, or for security in other projects. A
calling on “the essence of the vernacular settlement” in India, and
mundane element like a door that pivots in an unexpected way
uses local stone in a composition “reminiscent of ancient ruins
is functional art—an embodiment of a mathematical equation or
with its blocks shifted over time.” Despite these references to
a mental construct that actually moves. Playing on words as he
Indian architecture, the will of the architect (and of course the
often does, Matharoo says, “We sometimes interpret our ‘building
client) is to suggest a modern way for families to remain together
that moves’ as a ‘building that moves you,’ making it one of the
without jettisoning the older generation as is the case in so many
important tools in the creation of delight.”
Western countries.
Top: Mathematical derivation and intricate detailing of hardware is done in-house at the Matharoo studio.
Bottom: Unbuilt project for the Ordos 100 Museum of Houses, where Matharoo Associates was the only Indian architect to be handpicked by architects Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with artist Ai Weiwei.
steps of Adalberto Libera’s Casa Malaparte (Capri, Italy, 1937) as
work does not always appear to have a recognizable “style.” There
question—that of “shedding all baggage, leaving the city behind”
is clearly an effort to avoid thinking about trends and to focus
to be at one with the sea. Calling on the evanescent imagery of
instead on each particular case and how it differs from any other.
marooned ships, aquatic animals, and old forts, Matharoo uses a
The context and peculiarities in the brief are exaggerated and
long curving wall in basalt to represent a threshold between one
become the starting points. The architect has the consistent idea
world and another, where views of the sea are omnipresent. The
of connecting to nature—the nature that is outside, but also our
idea of “blurring the lines between illusion and reality” is also very
own nature—that which is within us. In this relation, according to
present in the Moving Landscapes house (page 120). Calling on his
Matharoo, the building is a kind of catalyst that is not consumed by
fascination for mechanical or moving features, here the architect
the reaction it engenders.
walls of local stone, whose imposing blocks pivot “at the touch of a button” to “reveal a transparent, cocooned interior.” In a similar case, the CREDAI Corporate Headquarters (page 202) took into account the need for exhibition space and banquets that are often required by the developer group. The building literally opens out to the public, with its manually operated three-story-high walls moving away to connect the inside to the road during events.
6
was chosen by Herzog & de Meuron for the Ordos 100 project in Inner Mongolia. At the presentation, the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei commented that his design was very sensitive to Chinese culture, and later wrote of the relevance of Matharoo within the Indian context: “While the works resonate with the scale and material qualities of early Modernism, they retain a distinctly Indian flavor in their rudimentary palette of materials … With scale, texture, and basic materials, he stamps his character onto the buildings and instils an aroma of India into the design. He is able to direct social needs with his powerful forms.”7 Gurjit Matharoo was born in Rajasthan, which is about 350 miles (565 kilometers) from Punjab, where his family came from. He set up his practice in Ahmedabad, which is another 300 miles (480 kilometers) away, after training in Bhutan and Switzerland. His projects have a wide geographic spread within India.” So, if you
The approach of Gurjit Matharoo implies almost directly that his
Between the Waters (page 114) addresses another modern
created an “impregnable shell” with 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-high)
Although the great majority of Gurjit Matharoo’s work is in India, he
ask me where I am from,” he says, “I would have to say that I cannot pinpoint one place, so I would assume that our work method is applicable almost anywhere.” Although recognition for Indian architects seems to have come very slowly, Gurjit Matharoo does not believe that there is conscious bias against India, but rather that the architecture media were not focused on this part of the world until recently. He points out that other very good architects have practiced in India. Achyut Kanvinde (1916–2002) and Anant Raje (1929–2009) are significant figures who may not be as well-known as they
In India, Matharoo seeks to produce architecture locally in a
deserve. When Le Corbusier came to India, he saw a building
labor-intensive way. Other countries would clearly require a
by Kanvinde and commented “Modernism is already here.”
different approach. He states, “We attempt a balance of industrial
Global architecture events and the internet have of course played
and handcrafted manual construction, and varying proportions
a big role in putting countries such as India on a more level
between the two could work in any environment. In other words,
playing field.
the design process and meticulous detailing remain the same. It is the context, resources, and problems to tackle that render the
7 10 x 10_3, Phaidon, London, 2009.
Yoshio Futagawa (ed.), GA Houses 109: Project 2009.
I N T RO D U C T I O N
13
Concrete Jungles and Turquoise Buildings
The process of Gurjit Matharoo also involves the names given to
the cartel.” Matharoo nonetheless has worked both on a larger scale
In reference to the work of the environmentalist Steward Brand,
buildings. They tend to represent a core idea while also having a
and on smaller private houses. As he says, the impact of architecture
literal meaning. For example, the Net House is covered entirely in
is not directly related to size and building type. “For us,” he says, “the
mosquito net as a direct reaction to the brief, but the dictionary
stronger the challenges of the economy, climate, and society, the
meaning of net is “clear of all else, subject to no further deductions,”
stronger are the reactions to them. Hence, bolder the designs.”8
Gurjit Matharoo has written and spoken frequently about what he calls “turquoise” architecture as opposed to green design. In reality, he has some objections to generally accepted views about green architecture. Invited to present a paper called “Of Guzzlers, Polysters
which may best describe the house. House With Balls gets its name not just from the custom-made concrete spheres used as
A Free Spirit
counterweights that inform the appearance, but also refers to a
Matharoo touches lightly on one of the reasons for which his work is
as bad in ecological terms as they appear be. Concrete and steel
simple brief and frugality taken to its extreme.
important in the context of contemporary architecture. As information
are stronger and with their lesser quantum used, he concludes,
“I was born Sikh Punjabi,” explains Gurjit Matharoo, “a 500-year-
consume less energy than other materials. They are more durable
old warrior clan that represents less than 2 percent of the Indian
and occupy less dead footprint area than other building materials.
population. ‘Warriors’ and ‘few’ is a lethal combination and maybe
Clearly, building materials that may be considered “green” in
that is why we have a view of life that is more jovial and light-
other countries do not necessarily make sense in India—where
hearted than many other religions. Most of the songs that you hear
cost is also an extremely important criterion. Matharoo says, “Just
in Bollywood are actually Sikh Punjabi songs, and in India a joke
following the past is not the way forward, we need to look in a
becomes funnier just by using Sikh characters!”
and Concrete Jungles” at the New York Material Formations Conference in 2010, he argued that some building materials are not
critical way at the green phenomena and see what is best for us.
about all parts of the world becomes more readily available, it becomes more obvious that a country like India faces many of the same challenges as other areas, which are somewhat rapidly called the developing world. While the Western media, including broad swathes of the internet, continues to focus on a limited number of countries, including the United States, Western Europe, and Japan, significant figures have emerged from other regions. The Pritzker Prize has acknowledged this obvious fact with some recent awards,
The architect’s spontaneous reference to his religion might indicate
including those given to Wang Shu (2012), Alejandro Aravena (2016)
that this is another significant element in his creativity. He comments,
and of course the Indian Balkrishna Doshi (2018), but there is still
“India is a traditional society where each state is like a different
much to be done to underline the presence and inventiveness of
country. Outside of my state, I am usually not the natural choice.
architects from other parts of the world, including Africa. Matharoo
At the beginning we got our projects through competitions. Today,
underlines a form of bias that he does not call out as such when he
clients come to us mainly because they have seen our work. In the
says that standards for the future of architecture like conventional
final analysis though, I feel we have been fortunate to have clients
green ratings may not be all that well suited to countries such as
from all sections of Indian society and been able to deliver buildings
his own. Even in this, Matharoo is a proponent of free thinking,
that are truly secular in character.” Aside from his Sikh origins,
of openness, and inventiveness, which actually knows far fewer
Matharoo clearly feels that inventive and interesting contemporary
boundaries than almost any accepted norm. In his mind and his
architecture is more the exception than the rule in India, even more
buildings, solid stone walls miraculously fold and open to bring
so than in other countries. He states that it is much more frequent for
nature into a house. Focusing on projects that help large numbers
architecture to follow established trends—what he jokingly calls “Holy
The creative process of Matharoo starts with charcoal or
of people, he has designed a blood center and blood-donation vans
Cows.” The moment architects try to break away from these norms,
pen sketches where instinct plays the lead. Architects in the
in a country that has had a psychological reticence to give blood.
even if it makes perfect sense, it is not easily accepted. Matharoo
studio are also urged to come up with overnight reactions to
Intent on meeting the needs of his clients he has privileged context
also finds that the present political situation of his country is not most
each site and brief. “It is important for me,” says Matharoo, “to
and individual requirements as opposed to any more-staid concept
favorable. “There is a certain manner in which intellectuals are now
foster a collaborative culture, while being involved personally
of style. In this he is like other architects currently practicing all over
treated,” he states. “They have less value in society than they may
through all stages of the rigorous development process.
the world, but few can lay claim like he can to an acceptance of
have had otherwise. The overall atmosphere results in people not
Architects seem to have taken it upon themselves to solve all
humor and openness to such a high degree. He does not pretend to
wishing to step outside of their conditioned responses. You clearly
the problems of the world. I tell my students to leave that job
have founded a school or started a movement, and yet, in his words
need to have an open mind to accept new ideas. The economy
to Superman and James Bond—just focus on making buildings
and in his work inspiration can be found that can serve elsewhere in
is not doing as well as it was—there is more unemployment, and
enjoyable. Like in sports, you are first taught to hit hard, and
India and far beyond.
building activity is the last of peoples’ indulgences. Public works are
precision comes in only later. We believe in madness. Mad ideas
given on the basis of the architect’s financial turnover and ‘works of
pursued with conviction result in buildings that are vibrant and
similar nature and size’ executed within the last few years, making it
non-serious.”
a Catch 22 situation and impossible for fresh architects to break into
We want to question everything. A building may not “look” green, but it might turn out to actually be more sustainable.” Similarly, the rating system for green architecture is not entirely applicable to India. It does not, feels Matharoo, take sufficiently into account the efforts made in passive energy savings. Explaining this concept even more clearly at the Bienal Panamericana de Arquitectura de Quito (BAQ) 2012 titled Back to Basics, Gurjit Matharoo wrote, “Sustainably is taking green and adding a little blue for open mindedness, so environmentalism goes hand in hand with science—a turquoise approach to architecture. We hope that with this, a new Indian Architecture will emerge, as aping the West or the past is not a solution.”
Philip Jodidio Lausanne, 2019
8
I N T RO D U C T I O N
Top: The OVAL Retail Outlet, Mangalore 2005, won through a competition. Matharoo Associates designed and built a working prototype using stainless steel and PTFE fabric in a record fifty-two days.
The quotes in this section of text are from a conversation with the author, July 3, 2019.
15
Bottom: A note on Matharoo Associates by Balkrishna Doshi, 2018 recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Concrete Jungles and Turquoise Buildings
The process of Gurjit Matharoo also involves the names given to
the cartel.” Matharoo nonetheless has worked both on a larger scale
In reference to the work of the environmentalist Steward Brand,
buildings. They tend to represent a core idea while also having a
and on smaller private houses. As he says, the impact of architecture
literal meaning. For example, the Net House is covered entirely in
is not directly related to size and building type. “For us,” he says, “the
mosquito net as a direct reaction to the brief, but the dictionary
stronger the challenges of the economy, climate, and society, the
meaning of net is “clear of all else, subject to no further deductions,”
stronger are the reactions to them. Hence, bolder the designs.”8
Gurjit Matharoo has written and spoken frequently about what he calls “turquoise” architecture as opposed to green design. In reality, he has some objections to generally accepted views about green architecture. Invited to present a paper called “Of Guzzlers, Polysters
which may best describe the house. House With Balls gets its name not just from the custom-made concrete spheres used as
A Free Spirit
counterweights that inform the appearance, but also refers to a
Matharoo touches lightly on one of the reasons for which his work is
as bad in ecological terms as they appear be. Concrete and steel
simple brief and frugality taken to its extreme.
important in the context of contemporary architecture. As information
are stronger and with their lesser quantum used, he concludes,
“I was born Sikh Punjabi,” explains Gurjit Matharoo, “a 500-year-
consume less energy than other materials. They are more durable
old warrior clan that represents less than 2 percent of the Indian
and occupy less dead footprint area than other building materials.
population. ‘Warriors’ and ‘few’ is a lethal combination and maybe
Clearly, building materials that may be considered “green” in
that is why we have a view of life that is more jovial and light-
other countries do not necessarily make sense in India—where
hearted than many other religions. Most of the songs that you hear
cost is also an extremely important criterion. Matharoo says, “Just
in Bollywood are actually Sikh Punjabi songs, and in India a joke
following the past is not the way forward, we need to look in a
becomes funnier just by using Sikh characters!”
and Concrete Jungles” at the New York Material Formations Conference in 2010, he argued that some building materials are not
critical way at the green phenomena and see what is best for us.
about all parts of the world becomes more readily available, it becomes more obvious that a country like India faces many of the same challenges as other areas, which are somewhat rapidly called the developing world. While the Western media, including broad swathes of the internet, continues to focus on a limited number of countries, including the United States, Western Europe, and Japan, significant figures have emerged from other regions. The Pritzker Prize has acknowledged this obvious fact with some recent awards,
The architect’s spontaneous reference to his religion might indicate
including those given to Wang Shu (2012), Alejandro Aravena (2016)
that this is another significant element in his creativity. He comments,
and of course the Indian Balkrishna Doshi (2018), but there is still
“India is a traditional society where each state is like a different
much to be done to underline the presence and inventiveness of
country. Outside of my state, I am usually not the natural choice.
architects from other parts of the world, including Africa. Matharoo
At the beginning we got our projects through competitions. Today,
underlines a form of bias that he does not call out as such when he
clients come to us mainly because they have seen our work. In the
says that standards for the future of architecture like conventional
final analysis though, I feel we have been fortunate to have clients
green ratings may not be all that well suited to countries such as
from all sections of Indian society and been able to deliver buildings
his own. Even in this, Matharoo is a proponent of free thinking,
that are truly secular in character.” Aside from his Sikh origins,
of openness, and inventiveness, which actually knows far fewer
Matharoo clearly feels that inventive and interesting contemporary
boundaries than almost any accepted norm. In his mind and his
architecture is more the exception than the rule in India, even more
buildings, solid stone walls miraculously fold and open to bring
so than in other countries. He states that it is much more frequent for
nature into a house. Focusing on projects that help large numbers
architecture to follow established trends—what he jokingly calls “Holy
The creative process of Matharoo starts with charcoal or
of people, he has designed a blood center and blood-donation vans
Cows.” The moment architects try to break away from these norms,
pen sketches where instinct plays the lead. Architects in the
in a country that has had a psychological reticence to give blood.
even if it makes perfect sense, it is not easily accepted. Matharoo
studio are also urged to come up with overnight reactions to
Intent on meeting the needs of his clients he has privileged context
also finds that the present political situation of his country is not most
each site and brief. “It is important for me,” says Matharoo, “to
and individual requirements as opposed to any more-staid concept
favorable. “There is a certain manner in which intellectuals are now
foster a collaborative culture, while being involved personally
of style. In this he is like other architects currently practicing all over
treated,” he states. “They have less value in society than they may
through all stages of the rigorous development process.
the world, but few can lay claim like he can to an acceptance of
have had otherwise. The overall atmosphere results in people not
Architects seem to have taken it upon themselves to solve all
humor and openness to such a high degree. He does not pretend to
wishing to step outside of their conditioned responses. You clearly
the problems of the world. I tell my students to leave that job
have founded a school or started a movement, and yet, in his words
need to have an open mind to accept new ideas. The economy
to Superman and James Bond—just focus on making buildings
and in his work inspiration can be found that can serve elsewhere in
is not doing as well as it was—there is more unemployment, and
enjoyable. Like in sports, you are first taught to hit hard, and
India and far beyond.
building activity is the last of peoples’ indulgences. Public works are
precision comes in only later. We believe in madness. Mad ideas
given on the basis of the architect’s financial turnover and ‘works of
pursued with conviction result in buildings that are vibrant and
similar nature and size’ executed within the last few years, making it
non-serious.”
a Catch 22 situation and impossible for fresh architects to break into
We want to question everything. A building may not “look” green, but it might turn out to actually be more sustainable.” Similarly, the rating system for green architecture is not entirely applicable to India. It does not, feels Matharoo, take sufficiently into account the efforts made in passive energy savings. Explaining this concept even more clearly at the Bienal Panamericana de Arquitectura de Quito (BAQ) 2012 titled Back to Basics, Gurjit Matharoo wrote, “Sustainably is taking green and adding a little blue for open mindedness, so environmentalism goes hand in hand with science—a turquoise approach to architecture. We hope that with this, a new Indian Architecture will emerge, as aping the West or the past is not a solution.”
Philip Jodidio Lausanne, 2019
8
I N T RO D U C T I O N
Top: The OVAL Retail Outlet, Mangalore 2005, won through a competition. Matharoo Associates designed and built a working prototype using stainless steel and PTFE fabric in a record fifty-two days.
The quotes in this section of text are from a conversation with the author, July 3, 2019.
15
Bottom: A note on Matharoo Associates by Balkrishna Doshi, 2018 recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
EARLY WORKS 1992–1996 The influences of Gurjit Matharoo’s early works can be seen across much of his practice. Many common themes began to develop in the residential works, especially. The center of the home is regarded as a deep, embryonic space that emerges to become connected more directly to nature outside. The home is more often crystallized as a single-bay construction with one side always open to the exterior environment. Tangible forms bring to the fore restrained lines, planes, solids, or a play of free curves set against strict geometry. Shade from the harsh sun is a feature, with devices implemented to combat heat while bringing the light indoors. Water features as an integral element of the design.
Sketch of an (unbuilt) office for a chartered accountant, Jaipur
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
17
EARLY WORKS 1992–1996 The influences of Gurjit Matharoo’s early works can be seen across much of his practice. Many common themes began to develop in the residential works, especially. The center of the home is regarded as a deep, embryonic space that emerges to become connected more directly to nature outside. The home is more often crystallized as a single-bay construction with one side always open to the exterior environment. Tangible forms bring to the fore restrained lines, planes, solids, or a play of free curves set against strict geometry. Shade from the harsh sun is a feature, with devices implemented to combat heat while bringing the light indoors. Water features as an integral element of the design.
Sketch of an (unbuilt) office for a chartered accountant, Jaipur
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
17
Top: Path In Between. Unlike the front garden norm, the site for this house in Anand is divided longitudinally with all spaces opening directly into landscape along the length of the site. By placing service blocks in an asymmetrical manner on the other side of these primary areas, a meandering path is created in between with changing vistas and surprises.
Bottom: Family Center. This house in Ajmer was an exercise in creating compact volumes by locking them into each other, with a number of interconnected levels within. Niches, depressions, alcoves, and plinths are utilized to break masses down to a low humane scale.
E A R LY WO R KS 1992–1996
Top: Home with a Hundred Columns. The brief for this house in Ajmer called for a traditional patriarchal lifestyle and age-old haveli (townhouse or mansion) typology, replete with ornate Indian sensibility. The design replaces the intricately latticed stonework of the past with economically produced high-finish precast concrete, while respecting the values attached to family organization and ornament.
Bottom: Cubes and Curves. To combat the intense heat over 113°F (45°C) in the desert city of Jodhpur, the home uses brick and stone-composite walls. While blending into the predominant city context, they are better insulated than traditional stone walls. A swimming pool protrudes as a canopy over masonry walls below, and provides solace—physically as well psychologically.
19
Top: Path In Between. Unlike the front garden norm, the site for this house in Anand is divided longitudinally with all spaces opening directly into landscape along the length of the site. By placing service blocks in an asymmetrical manner on the other side of these primary areas, a meandering path is created in between with changing vistas and surprises.
Bottom: Family Center. This house in Ajmer was an exercise in creating compact volumes by locking them into each other, with a number of interconnected levels within. Niches, depressions, alcoves, and plinths are utilized to break masses down to a low humane scale.
E A R LY WO R KS 1992–1996
Top: Home with a Hundred Columns. The brief for this house in Ajmer called for a traditional patriarchal lifestyle and age-old haveli (townhouse or mansion) typology, replete with ornate Indian sensibility. The design replaces the intricately latticed stonework of the past with economically produced high-finish precast concrete, while respecting the values attached to family organization and ornament.
Bottom: Cubes and Curves. To combat the intense heat over 113°F (45°C) in the desert city of Jodhpur, the home uses brick and stone-composite walls. While blending into the predominant city context, they are better insulated than traditional stone walls. A swimming pool protrudes as a canopy over masonry walls below, and provides solace—physically as well psychologically.
19
Works Across Two Decades Early large-scale projects were commissioned on winning competitions, though there were some, such as the University of Jain Studies in the Thar Desert, a Riverside Resort in Vapi, and the office of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in Gandhinagar, which remained unbuilt. Competitions helped in the formation of strong and clear architectural responses that have become hallmarks of the practice over the years. There is a fundamental integration of architecture with structure, interior and landscape across a range of projects—from small to complex Indian joint-family homes to the staple of economically driven schools, hospitals, and offices. With size not a restriction in design, several handcrafted and locally fabricated elements, such as doors, stairs, and furniture frequently occur in Matharoo Associates’ designs, complementing the acute functionality and multiplicity of the spaces.
Sketch of an (unbuilt) multi-specialty hospital, Surat
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
21
Works Across Two Decades Early large-scale projects were commissioned on winning competitions, though there were some, such as the University of Jain Studies in the Thar Desert, a Riverside Resort in Vapi, and the office of the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board in Gandhinagar, which remained unbuilt. Competitions helped in the formation of strong and clear architectural responses that have become hallmarks of the practice over the years. There is a fundamental integration of architecture with structure, interior and landscape across a range of projects—from small to complex Indian joint-family homes to the staple of economically driven schools, hospitals, and offices. With size not a restriction in design, several handcrafted and locally fabricated elements, such as doors, stairs, and furniture frequently occur in Matharoo Associates’ designs, complementing the acute functionality and multiplicity of the spaces.
Sketch of an (unbuilt) multi-specialty hospital, Surat
ST R I P P E D MO B I U S
21
P R AT H A M A B LO O D C E N T R E , A H M E D A B A D, G U J A R AT
â–
2001
First Blood Budget Efficiency: Extreme Low Cost The project for this center is a result of an invited architectural
visually conscious of all the activities being carried out behind a glass
competition in 1998. The promoters, Advanced Transfusion
wall, showcasing the complete process including the labs, a blast
Medical Research Foundation, a not for profit charitable trust,
freezer and conference room. A support block of services, feeds the
envisioned a place that would revolutionize blood collection and
process with its requisite demands. The building stands, displaying its
blood component distribution by making it voluntary. Prathama,
intrinsic nature within, as an object rooted in nature.
in Ahmedabad, was to be the country’s first such center that
The project has specifically dealt with restrictions of space
provided blood without replacement and envisaged as a
and economy. The costs were kept extremely low by custom-
pioneering endeavor, the building had to be a new type. The
designing and locally fabricating all modular furniture, including
challenge was to make a service-intensive medical entity into a
steel workstations, pressed-metal storage volumes, double-glazed
playful, intuitive receptacle, removing the repulsion associated with
partitions, windows, doors and even door handles. The architect’s
medical facilities and transforming it into an inviting public domain.
scope of work also included certain product design items such
Located on a derelict plot donated by the Ahmedabad Municipal
as the auditorium seating and fully automated donor chairs, hot-
Corporation, the site offered no specific context to begin with.
30
and cold-water dispensers, the compact cold-room blood stacking
The exterior skin of the 53-foot-high (16-meter-high) and 5-inch-thin
and identification system, moving ladders for cleaning glass, and
(125-millimeter-thin) concrete walls disintegrates into sub-spaces as
even specially designed blood-donation vans. Large fixed furniture
soon as visitors enter into a four-story void. From here, they become
like conference, reception, and pantry tables are all cast in-situ
31
P R AT H A M A B LO O D C E N T R E , A H M E D A B A D, G U J A R AT
â–
2001
First Blood Budget Efficiency: Extreme Low Cost The project for this center is a result of an invited architectural
visually conscious of all the activities being carried out behind a glass
competition in 1998. The promoters, Advanced Transfusion
wall, showcasing the complete process including the labs, a blast
Medical Research Foundation, a not for profit charitable trust,
freezer and conference room. A support block of services, feeds the
envisioned a place that would revolutionize blood collection and
process with its requisite demands. The building stands, displaying its
blood component distribution by making it voluntary. Prathama,
intrinsic nature within, as an object rooted in nature.
in Ahmedabad, was to be the country’s first such center that
The project has specifically dealt with restrictions of space
provided blood without replacement and envisaged as a
and economy. The costs were kept extremely low by custom-
pioneering endeavor, the building had to be a new type. The
designing and locally fabricating all modular furniture, including
challenge was to make a service-intensive medical entity into a
steel workstations, pressed-metal storage volumes, double-glazed
playful, intuitive receptacle, removing the repulsion associated with
partitions, windows, doors and even door handles. The architect’s
medical facilities and transforming it into an inviting public domain.
scope of work also included certain product design items such
Located on a derelict plot donated by the Ahmedabad Municipal
as the auditorium seating and fully automated donor chairs, hot-
Corporation, the site offered no specific context to begin with.
30
and cold-water dispensers, the compact cold-room blood stacking
The exterior skin of the 53-foot-high (16-meter-high) and 5-inch-thin
and identification system, moving ladders for cleaning glass, and
(125-millimeter-thin) concrete walls disintegrates into sub-spaces as
even specially designed blood-donation vans. Large fixed furniture
soon as visitors enter into a four-story void. From here, they become
like conference, reception, and pantry tables are all cast in-situ
31
concrete, as are the 16.5-foot-long (5-meter-long) entrance gates. The staircases are an assembly of precast concrete units. The false ceiling and acoustic paneling in the auditorium is in lightweight concrete mixed with insulating vermiculite. All the wooden planks used for formwork were salvaged and later used for the auditorium staging. Rainwater is collected and directed into percolation tanks and the water body is a selfsustained ecosystem with koi fish and water lilies. The project was completed in 12 months and was built at a cost of under US$100 per square meter including all services and fitouts, for a total of 22,930 square feet (2,130 square meters) on the 16,145-square-foot (1,500-square-meter) site.
Previous page: The building is a sculptural monolith that employs curiosity to invite the viewer. Left: The curved walls are inherently structural and just 5 inches (125 millimeters) thin, making them stable yet elastic. There was zero damage to the building during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in 2001, even while most buildings in the city suffered extensively.
F I R ST B LO O D
33
concrete, as are the 16.5-foot-long (5-meter-long) entrance gates. The staircases are an assembly of precast concrete units. The false ceiling and acoustic paneling in the auditorium is in lightweight concrete mixed with insulating vermiculite. All the wooden planks used for formwork were salvaged and later used for the auditorium staging. Rainwater is collected and directed into percolation tanks and the water body is a selfsustained ecosystem with koi fish and water lilies. The project was completed in 12 months and was built at a cost of under US$100 per square meter including all services and fitouts, for a total of 22,930 square feet (2,130 square meters) on the 16,145-square-foot (1,500-square-meter) site.
Previous page: The building is a sculptural monolith that employs curiosity to invite the viewer. Left: The curved walls are inherently structural and just 5 inches (125 millimeters) thin, making them stable yet elastic. There was zero damage to the building during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in 2001, even while most buildings in the city suffered extensively.
F I R ST B LO O D
33
01 2
Opposite top: To help remove stigma associated with blood, laboratories and other medical functions sealed within a glass box are showcased to the public in the atrium. A subtle difference in flooring defines the working domain. Opposite bottom left and right: The precast staircase has a structural column cast within its ring, while its detached railing is cantilevered from the enclosing wall.
CONFERENCE & RES
THIRD-FLOOR PLAN
01 2
5
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
GROUND
01 2 0
F I R ST B LO O D
35
5m
01 2
Opposite top: To help remove stigma associated with blood, laboratories and other medical functions sealed within a glass box are showcased to the public in the atrium. A subtle difference in flooring defines the working domain. Opposite bottom left and right: The precast staircase has a structural column cast within its ring, while its detached railing is cantilevered from the enclosing wall.
CONFERENCE & RES
THIRD-FLOOR PLAN
01 2
5
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
GROUND
01 2 0
F I R ST B LO O D
35
5m
Opposite top: The hang-out balcony. All hardware, railings, partitions and storage facilities are custom designed and fabricated locally. Opposite bottom: Though a provision for air-conditioning was kept, the unit was never installed as the atrium remains naturally cool. The space of the grill (above the seating) is used to display artwork by school children who frequent the center. Left: Unlike the norm, blood movement is shifted to the basement, freeing up the ground floor for people—making this medical facility more of a public institution.
F I R ST B LO O D
37
Opposite top: The hang-out balcony. All hardware, railings, partitions and storage facilities are custom designed and fabricated locally. Opposite bottom: Though a provision for air-conditioning was kept, the unit was never installed as the atrium remains naturally cool. The space of the grill (above the seating) is used to display artwork by school children who frequent the center. Left: Unlike the norm, blood movement is shifted to the basement, freeing up the ground floor for people—making this medical facility more of a public institution.
F I R ST B LO O D
37
Right: Low windows cut off surrounding buildings and donor chairs float over a lily pond with koi fish—a symbol of longevity. Bottom: The lily pond is a self-sustained ecosytem. Opposite top: The blood collection vans have been named Cattiva, inspired by the Italian term for a lady who lures her prey to irresistibly concede. Opposite bottom: All equipment and chairs in the vans are custom designed.
Cattiva Range of Mobile Blood-Donation Vans Seen as a logical extension to India’s most modern and largest blood-research center, the Prathama Blood Centre’s range of mobile blood-donation vans was conceived as an effort to reach out to people. The brief was simple: the van should have all the required equipment and space, and be realized on a shoestring budget. Its presence in public spaces should be enough to bring healthy donors to it voluntarily. After designing automobiles and regularly making detailed carved wooden models of motorcycles and cars, the firm finally had the opportunity to realize their desire to build automobiles. The van has four automated donor chairs, a medical examination cubicle, pantry, chemical toilet, refreshment area and lounge, and
With a capacity of 100 donations a day, it is envisaged that the
is built on a conventional bus chassis. The cooling systems are
fleet of Cattiva vans, connected to blood banks throughout the
expressed as large gaping air scoops in an otherwise streamlined
country, will continue to bring about a silent revolution—that it
feline body of aluminum glued to a galvanized iron tubular lattice.
will be considered fashionable to donate blood as opposed to the
Since the vehicle was custom-made, the body panels are designed
stigma attached to it.
to avoid laborious beating of sheets yet maintaining curved profiles in the overall form.
F I R ST B LO O D
39
Right: Low windows cut off surrounding buildings and donor chairs float over a lily pond with koi fish—a symbol of longevity. Bottom: The lily pond is a self-sustained ecosytem. Opposite top: The blood collection vans have been named Cattiva, inspired by the Italian term for a lady who lures her prey to irresistibly concede. Opposite bottom: All equipment and chairs in the vans are custom designed.
Cattiva Range of Mobile Blood-Donation Vans Seen as a logical extension to India’s most modern and largest blood-research center, the Prathama Blood Centre’s range of mobile blood-donation vans was conceived as an effort to reach out to people. The brief was simple: the van should have all the required equipment and space, and be realized on a shoestring budget. Its presence in public spaces should be enough to bring healthy donors to it voluntarily. After designing automobiles and regularly making detailed carved wooden models of motorcycles and cars, the firm finally had the opportunity to realize their desire to build automobiles. The van has four automated donor chairs, a medical examination cubicle, pantry, chemical toilet, refreshment area and lounge, and
With a capacity of 100 donations a day, it is envisaged that the
is built on a conventional bus chassis. The cooling systems are
fleet of Cattiva vans, connected to blood banks throughout the
expressed as large gaping air scoops in an otherwise streamlined
country, will continue to bring about a silent revolution—that it
feline body of aluminum glued to a galvanized iron tubular lattice.
will be considered fashionable to donate blood as opposed to the
Since the vehicle was custom-made, the body panels are designed
stigma attached to it.
to avoid laborious beating of sheets yet maintaining curved profiles in the overall form.
F I R ST B LO O D
39
J O I N T- F A M I LY R E S I D E N C E , A H M E D A B A D, G U J A R AT
■
2010
Moving Landscapes The design concept of this project is closely aligned with the
for any beams and columns, making for clean interior volumes.
intricate patterns and effects found in a stone called Bidasar Forest,
This pavilion is organized around the margins of the site in three
which the architect compares to an “arid landscape fossilized
wings. The flanks house private suites, while the central block
within itself.” Its polished surfaces set against the vegetation
includes all the living areas. Voids at the corners contain the
of the Ahmedabad region, made for a perfect setting, blurring
staircases and are protected by tall circular walls to form sheltered
the lines between reality and illusion. Situated on the outskirts of
open spaces. The composition defines a large multifamily
Ahmedabad, the house, with a total floor area of 20,450 square feet
courtyard at the center of the site.
(1,900 square meters), was built for one of the city’s most successful
The second enclosure is a layer of massive 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-
real estate developers and his wife, their two sons’ families, and
high), 9-foot-wide (2.7-meter-wide) Bidasar stone walls along the
guests. The client shares the grounds with his two brothers’ houses
entire perimeter—an impregnable shell. Akin to the hard exterior of
and their joint families on a large 5-acre (2-hectare) plot.
amethyst cracking open to reveal its crystalline heart, at the push
The plan of the house is articulated as a linear pavilion,
of a button the imposingly heavy stone walls become an array of
ensuring that every space in the house is lined with glass on
panels spinning gently or sliding away to reveal a transparent and
facing sides—the first enclosure. The rest of the structure is in
cocooned interior.
8-inch (200-millimeter) concrete walls, eliminating the need
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
121
J O I N T- F A M I LY R E S I D E N C E , A H M E D A B A D, G U J A R AT
■
2010
Moving Landscapes The design concept of this project is closely aligned with the
for any beams and columns, making for clean interior volumes.
intricate patterns and effects found in a stone called Bidasar Forest,
This pavilion is organized around the margins of the site in three
which the architect compares to an “arid landscape fossilized
wings. The flanks house private suites, while the central block
within itself.” Its polished surfaces set against the vegetation
includes all the living areas. Voids at the corners contain the
of the Ahmedabad region, made for a perfect setting, blurring
staircases and are protected by tall circular walls to form sheltered
the lines between reality and illusion. Situated on the outskirts of
open spaces. The composition defines a large multifamily
Ahmedabad, the house, with a total floor area of 20,450 square feet
courtyard at the center of the site.
(1,900 square meters), was built for one of the city’s most successful
The second enclosure is a layer of massive 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-
real estate developers and his wife, their two sons’ families, and
high), 9-foot-wide (2.7-meter-wide) Bidasar stone walls along the
guests. The client shares the grounds with his two brothers’ houses
entire perimeter—an impregnable shell. Akin to the hard exterior of
and their joint families on a large 5-acre (2-hectare) plot.
amethyst cracking open to reveal its crystalline heart, at the push
The plan of the house is articulated as a linear pavilion,
of a button the imposingly heavy stone walls become an array of
ensuring that every space in the house is lined with glass on
panels spinning gently or sliding away to reveal a transparent and
facing sides—the first enclosure. The rest of the structure is in
cocooned interior.
8-inch (200-millimeter) concrete walls, eliminating the need
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
121
Previous page: The envelope of stone can be modulated individually from both levels within, as an adjustable brise-soleil. Right: Set against the vertical landscape in the entrance passage, pivoting stones seem to float over water.
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
123
Previous page: The envelope of stone can be modulated individually from both levels within, as an adjustable brise-soleil. Right: Set against the vertical landscape in the entrance passage, pivoting stones seem to float over water.
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
123
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
Above: The fossilized plant pattern on the stones resonates with the dry arid landscape of the context. Opposite top: Positioned between air-conditioned rooms and the stone exterior, circulation areas reduce the volume for mechanical cooling, while forming an insulating heat buffer.
Opposite bottom: A continuous slit brings in light even when the stone layer is shut. With the structure hidden within, the thick slabs seem to rest on the moving stones.
This layer of stone helps to create a buffer between the inside and the outside, protecting the inner shell of concrete and glass from intense sunlight and 113°F (45°C) heat, thereby reducing heat gain. Moreover, this space also works as verandas, an entrance vestibule, and corridors, eliminating the need for air-conditioning in a large part of the habitable space. It is savings from the reduced air conditioning that were channeled into custom-designed motorized pivots and large-scale sliding systems. Architecturally and structurally, this layer is kept completely detached from the inside blocks, and supported on structures hidden within the moving systems, allowing thick concrete slabs to seemingly float on moving stones. In motion, these walls intermingle with the glass inside and the wild landscape outside—the third enclosure. The house merges into an illusion of landscape constantly moving, reflecting on the nature both within and outside of us.
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
125
0
10 m
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
Above: The fossilized plant pattern on the stones resonates with the dry arid landscape of the context. Opposite top: Positioned between air-conditioned rooms and the stone exterior, circulation areas reduce the volume for mechanical cooling, while forming an insulating heat buffer.
Opposite bottom: A continuous slit brings in light even when the stone layer is shut. With the structure hidden within, the thick slabs seem to rest on the moving stones.
This layer of stone helps to create a buffer between the inside and the outside, protecting the inner shell of concrete and glass from intense sunlight and 113°F (45°C) heat, thereby reducing heat gain. Moreover, this space also works as verandas, an entrance vestibule, and corridors, eliminating the need for air-conditioning in a large part of the habitable space. It is savings from the reduced air conditioning that were channeled into custom-designed motorized pivots and large-scale sliding systems. Architecturally and structurally, this layer is kept completely detached from the inside blocks, and supported on structures hidden within the moving systems, allowing thick concrete slabs to seemingly float on moving stones. In motion, these walls intermingle with the glass inside and the wild landscape outside—the third enclosure. The house merges into an illusion of landscape constantly moving, reflecting on the nature both within and outside of us.
MOV I N G L A N DSC A P ES
125
0
10 m
S I N G L E - F A M I LY D W E L L I N G , C H E N N A I , TA M I L N A D U
■
2018
Cut Fold Bend Play
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
The house for a migrant businessman, his wife and three daughters
Taking advantage of the development authorities’ bylaw that
is located in the dense urban fabric of Chennai, a metropolis in
allows wall-to-wall construction, the house extends to the edges
southern India. The tight and narrow site of 41 x 102 feet (12.5 x
of the site on three sides to maximize usable floor area and
31 meters) is only open on one corner that connects it to the cul de
utilizes the otherwise residual margin space. A concrete plane
sac. Being bound by houses on three sides, and a high apartment
envelopes the periphery to form a monolithic shell that shields its
complex on its longer side, left little scope for light and ventilation
contents from the world outside. It is only upon entering that the
and deprived it of much of its privacy.
plane unfolds to reveal its hollowed center.
Adding to the challenges of the surroundings are the strict limits
Borrowing from the idea of the traditional Indian courtyard, large
imposed by Vaastu that had to be incorporated into the design.
voids are carved out from within, bringing in ample light, air, and
These set principles of traditional Indian building design are
greenery. The largest of these courts is positioned at the heart of the
derived from myths and defy the logic of rational, contextual
house and seamlessly extends indoors at ground level—an open
space planning. It assigns fixed locations to the cardinal points for
flexible floor plate of the home’s living areas. It both segregates and
various spaces and elements, including the entrance, bedrooms
connects the formal living areas from the private ones that flank it,
and kitchen, down to the direction of a person sleeping and of
to form the hub of family life, where activities can converge. Smaller
water closets.
courts are placed along both axes of this central court, visually
219
S I N G L E - F A M I LY D W E L L I N G , C H E N N A I , TA M I L N A D U
■
2018
Cut Fold Bend Play
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
The house for a migrant businessman, his wife and three daughters
Taking advantage of the development authorities’ bylaw that
is located in the dense urban fabric of Chennai, a metropolis in
allows wall-to-wall construction, the house extends to the edges
southern India. The tight and narrow site of 41 x 102 feet (12.5 x
of the site on three sides to maximize usable floor area and
31 meters) is only open on one corner that connects it to the cul de
utilizes the otherwise residual margin space. A concrete plane
sac. Being bound by houses on three sides, and a high apartment
envelopes the periphery to form a monolithic shell that shields its
complex on its longer side, left little scope for light and ventilation
contents from the world outside. It is only upon entering that the
and deprived it of much of its privacy.
plane unfolds to reveal its hollowed center.
Adding to the challenges of the surroundings are the strict limits
Borrowing from the idea of the traditional Indian courtyard, large
imposed by Vaastu that had to be incorporated into the design.
voids are carved out from within, bringing in ample light, air, and
These set principles of traditional Indian building design are
greenery. The largest of these courts is positioned at the heart of the
derived from myths and defy the logic of rational, contextual
house and seamlessly extends indoors at ground level—an open
space planning. It assigns fixed locations to the cardinal points for
flexible floor plate of the home’s living areas. It both segregates and
various spaces and elements, including the entrance, bedrooms
connects the formal living areas from the private ones that flank it,
and kitchen, down to the direction of a person sleeping and of
to form the hub of family life, where activities can converge. Smaller
water closets.
courts are placed along both axes of this central court, visually
219
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
5
01 2 Previous page: All enclosing 8-inch-thick (200-millimeterthick) surfaces, including the floor plate, are articulated such that they cut, fold, and bend into each other. An outdoor table in the courtyard is also built into this play.
connecting the entire length and width of the site. Private areas are
Above: Shielded from the adjoining fifteen-story apartment, a tree-lined arrival passage marks the entrance. The only connection with the road is a corner with a custom-designed and motorized, curved sliding gate.
than their basic structural function. With the ground floor almost
Opposite top: Positioned between the formal and family living areas, an 8-inch-thick (200-millimeter-thick) Burmese teak door and a folded 3.5-inch (85-millimeter) stair enclose the vestibule.
lifted to the upper levels of the house and open further into smaller secondary courtyards and through carefully positioned windows into margins of the neighboring context. The staircase, walls, and slabs are viewed in a capacity other completely free of columns, the structure is mostly suspended
CROSS SE
from above and is treated as a continuous concrete plane in three dimensions that encloses and connects the house in a seamless
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
FIRST-FLOOR PLAN
continuum of space. The planes cut, bend, and fold to create a
5m
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
01 2
perceptible notion of movement within the house—a composition of a seemingly light structure, held in delicate, precarious balance, and play.
NORTH WEST ELEVATION
SECTION
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
0
221
5
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
5
01 2 Previous page: All enclosing 8-inch-thick (200-millimeterthick) surfaces, including the floor plate, are articulated such that they cut, fold, and bend into each other. An outdoor table in the courtyard is also built into this play.
connecting the entire length and width of the site. Private areas are
Above: Shielded from the adjoining fifteen-story apartment, a tree-lined arrival passage marks the entrance. The only connection with the road is a corner with a custom-designed and motorized, curved sliding gate.
than their basic structural function. With the ground floor almost
Opposite top: Positioned between the formal and family living areas, an 8-inch-thick (200-millimeter-thick) Burmese teak door and a folded 3.5-inch (85-millimeter) stair enclose the vestibule.
lifted to the upper levels of the house and open further into smaller secondary courtyards and through carefully positioned windows into margins of the neighboring context. The staircase, walls, and slabs are viewed in a capacity other completely free of columns, the structure is mostly suspended
CROSS SE
from above and is treated as a continuous concrete plane in three dimensions that encloses and connects the house in a seamless
GROUND-FLOOR PLAN
FIRST-FLOOR PLAN
continuum of space. The planes cut, bend, and fold to create a
5m
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
01 2
perceptible notion of movement within the house—a composition of a seemingly light structure, held in delicate, precarious balance, and play.
NORTH WEST ELEVATION
SECTION
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
0
221
5
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
223
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
223
Previous pages: The living and dining spaces flow into the internal courtyard, making the landscape a seamless part of the interior. Left: Space is rendered warm and tender by sunlight penetrating through various skylights. Opposite top: The formal living is set against the rear party wall, and opens into the courtyard on the opposite side. Opposite bottom left: All doors and storage are consolidated and concealed behind 20-inch-wide (500-millimeter-wide) full-height Burmese teak–paneled surfaces.
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
225
Previous pages: The living and dining spaces flow into the internal courtyard, making the landscape a seamless part of the interior. Left: Space is rendered warm and tender by sunlight penetrating through various skylights. Opposite top: The formal living is set against the rear party wall, and opens into the courtyard on the opposite side. Opposite bottom left: All doors and storage are consolidated and concealed behind 20-inch-wide (500-millimeter-wide) full-height Burmese teak–paneled surfaces.
C U T FO L D B E N D P L AY
225
The essence of Gurjit’s personality is to cross boundaries His haunting is to break conventions which touch the heart Concrete is not functionally defined. Gurjit delimits confinement. — Balkrishna Doshi Winner 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize
$55.00 [USA] £45.00 [GB]