Anaesthetics of envelope - Seminar by Mographies

2 Anaesthetics of the Envelope Seminar held on November 8, 2006

Presented by:

Alisa Akbar Chitra Chandrashekhar Sarbani Choudhuri Sharbani Ghosh Nidhi Setya Chairperson:

Ar. Suneet Paul Managing Editor, Architecture + Design Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Narendra Dengle Architect Resource Persons:

Mr. Abhimanyu Dalal Architect and Urban Designer

Mr. Shubrojit Das Architect

Ms. Aparna Varadharajan Architect

Mr. Abhishek Das Gupta CEO Human Resource Accenture

Ar. Suneet Paul Managing Editor, Architecture + Design

Mr. Maheep Thapar Architect, Urban Planner

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

INTRODUCTION “The ultimate object of design is form.”1 When we see different forms in nature around us we miss the subtleties that create such an assortment. Forms in nature exist only because there is some binding force, that keeps forms integrated as one, in the absence of which it would only be a mere amorphous entity, devoid of any configuration or form.

The Envelope Is the envelope just an outer shell of the building, an elevation, a façade or does it stand for something more profound? What do we understand by the image of an envelope? The envelope is a person’s first encounter with a building.

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architecture. For the viewer, what he sees is what would create an image in his mind. It is true that every individual has his own perceptions; he reacts towards an envelope with respect to certain basic notions of visual compositions, such as • Proportion • Rhythm • Unity • Contrast • Scale.2 Philosophical Aspect: The philosophical aspect relates more to the emotions and reactions of the people towards the envelope. This can be guided by history, architectural theories, philosophies, visual perceptions of it, etc. Different people can have different philosophical responses towards the same envelope. It need not be a unified consensus. Just as various critics have their own judgment over any piece of art, so it is in the case of buildings and their envelopes. Craft: This refers to the craft and skill that goes into the construction of the envelope. True, a building is constructed by craftsmen or skilled workers but when there is an architect playing a role in the construction there a lot goes into the making of the envelope. The colours, the textures, the form, the materials, all get due attention in making the final creation a work of art or craft. And that is how it might be perceived on the basis of the craft that goes into its making.3

Fig. 2.1: Building Envelopes Source: Google Image Search

Historically, the envelope of a building registered cultural identifications through iconography, ornamentation, and technique of construction, whether seen in Classical, Baroque, Modern or post-Modern facades. Facades are also visual texts reflecting the intellectual thought and human spirit of a particular era. Prof. Narendra Dengle believes that the envelope is an agglomerate of three essential componentsVisual: The visual aspect of the envelope plays a major role in it being people’s or popular

Science and Technology: ‘World class’ in architecture, and building in practical terms, is a projection of manufacturing and service norms to a cultural practice. It could mean a greater precision of joints, low tolerance and finer finishes and therefore lower dependence on human skill, advanced mechanization and automation. This leads to lower dependence on labour and time consuming techniques. The designer is now a lot freer to mould his envelope the way he wants to with a wider scope of experimentation and new dimensions of construction technology.

ANAESTHETICS AND THE BUILDING ENVELOPE One understands that forms never exist in isolation. Christopher Alexander’s words, elicit an extremely important fact: “Every design problem begins with an effort to achieve fitness between two entities: the form in

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question and its context. The form is the solution to the problem; the context defines the problem.” 4 According to him the ‘real object under discussion’ is not the form instead it is the ‘ensemble’ of form and context that eventually matters. The criteria for evaluating fitness and rightness of form would be determined by the degree to which the form fits coherently in the ensemble. In our everyday lives we come across many such envelopes and make sure each one of them looks perfect as a whole , for example an ensemble of suit and tie, notes in a musical composition, crockery and cutlery in an arrangement on a dinner table, alignment of picture frames on a wall, etc.. In a design problem one desires to achieve a ‘friction-less coexistence’ of the envelope and context. The question that follows this theory is how does one figuratively judge a good fit and a misfit or mal-fit? The human cognition or perception of good and bad has been an eternal dilemma. We cognitively spot the anomalies and abnormalities faster than the appropriateness in an envelope. For instance if in a historical documentation of the 18th century lifestyle there appears a digital camera (a phenomenon referred to as ‘anachronism’) we would immediately spot the misfit. Misfits or incongruence in an envelope act as guidelines as to what is desired and what is not. They are more spontaneous, tangible and describable. This tells us that a good fit is the failure of all misfits. A good fit as defined by Christopher Alexander is: “the disjunction of all the possible misfits.” 5 ‘Anaesthetics’ originates from ‘anaesthesia’. Anaesthesia is the state of numbness. An anaesthetic is what induces anaesthesia. True, the term anaesthetic might seem a misfit in the architectural context. But here we are referring to the numbness that has crept into the minds of the architects and the public. So is there anaesthesia in the profession today? The answer is varied and so are the reactions to the statement. On the one hand, we see architects who have taken upon themselves the challenge of positioning their profession in the forefront in this era of globalization and new technologies. Whereas, on the other hand, a large part of the architectural community is busy copying and aping clichés of their more successful counterparts. The image of Gurgaon, an image of an upcoming city, is actually being reduced to a

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

collage of copied and pasted malls, most of which look the same because of the repetition of materials and styles, thereby inflicting ‘anaesthesia’ in the minds of the architect, the client and the consumer/viewer. Modern architects have intentionally ignored the importance of the fact that the present and the future are rooted in the past. Throughout history traditions have been modified to fit new situations while retaining much of their original social purpose.6 The question has only been how easily the new situation could be accommodated by the traditional framework. The most controversial aspect of modern architecture was, and remains, is its rejection of tradition. Modernism stresses the freedom of expression, experimentation, radicalism, and primitivism and disregards conventional expectations7. Some architects have attempted to create through their architecture sensitivity towards a cultural reading of the place and a regional reaction to site-specific conditions, avoiding the modernists’ errors of ‘Internationalism’ with its agenda for a total eradication of all limits. Thus the architecture of the global era is acknowledging the cultural boundaries of its locale and actively integrating its readings both rationally and responsibly. In contemporary society, we come across this continuing fascination of the designer and the people with the ‘image’. It is the image or the looks that matter now. That explains why even architects are sometimes unable to match the images of famous building facades with their plans. Even the mind of the designer is engrossed in the image. It has become the most important criteria of design scoring over the integral principals of creating spaces and spatial experiences. Response to site, response to people, response to context and response with aesthetic sensitivity are supposed to be the fundamental instincts of the designers that contribute to a good design. But the profession has consciously constructed each factor as a specialization. There is a distinct need to move away from these ‘superspecializations’ and get back to first principles by addressing how basic assumptions can transform design into a sensitive and sensible act while being a creative exercise. There are various guiding principles for design. The intent of the architect can be driven by the client, his own perceptions, the market, popular demand, the media or purely the program. With changing times the parameters which shape and guide the altering envelope have also changed. Some of the

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

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and

secondary function – architecture as symbolic object.10

Some others, as architect and urban designer Abhimanyu Dalal points out, have altered and evolved into new ones.8 A disturbing trend along with these changes is that success of a project has been redefined and people have come to expect less sensitivity from the architectural profession. Whether or not there is a general feeling of anaesthesia or lack of response in the architect, when it comes to sensitivity towards the envelope, it has become necessary to find out what the right approach for a practicing architect should be. Understanding the anaesthetics of the envelope calls for identifying the different intents behind the creation of an envelope, since it showcases the collective aspirations of the society and the individual. The exterior envelope becomes an allencompassing objective of building with distinctive identities. Then how is it that a single envelope conveys a cornucopia of images to a number of people? Is it possible to categorize aesthetic parameters for the same? Armed with these questions we embarked on a journey to explore the contemporary envelopes to find answers to the underlying issues governing the perception of architecture and its image by the architects, the users and the passers by. This language can perhaps be better understood, by categorizing it under various parameters. What is important is to formulate parameters which help us understand the envelope the best.

For instance, one of the best-known contemporary icons, The Beau Bourg Centre/the Pompidou building, by Renzo Piano, 1995, was responsible for turning the modernistic interest in functionality into the de-materialized aspects of urban fetishism. It was an ironic take on modern technology. Considerable controversy arose over the assertive industrial style of this building, whose bold ‘exo-skeletal’ envelope contrasts violently with surrounding houses in the heart of an old section of Paris near the Hotel de Ville. Thus, the Pompidou also announced a new era for the dogmatic myth of self-empowerment by means of self-learning (autodidacticism) and mass jouissance.11

traditional parameters programme are intact.

functionality

CATEGORIES – OBSERVATIONS AND CRITIQUES Art in Architecture: All architects have their own personal language through which they communicate with building tectonics. Here the architect is not governed by any given dictates. He has the freedom to formulate his own theories, take his own inspirations and innovate. The architecture of the envelope in this regard usually has a sensationalizing effect rather than anaesthesia. It can be an admiration or lauding or it can be a strong disdain and criticism. But rarely is it a lukewarm or no response.9 Architecture does function as a form of mass communication. Architecture, albeit being functional, acts as a painting in three- dimensions; it evokes in the onlooker diverse reactions and emotions. According to Neil Leach, Umberto Eco, a versatile thinker, distinguishes between the primary function- architecture as functional object- and the

Fig. 2.2: Pompidou building Source: http://www. Centre Pompidou Paris by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.htm/ on 27.08.06

Enhancing the sense of connection between inside and outside were the famous escalators that crawl through transparent tubes on the building’s facade, alongside an intriguing colour-coded tangle of

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service ducts and pipes. These architectural concepts of transparency and reinvented public spaces visibly embodied the Pompidou's aspirations to create a new type of relationship with its audience.

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

spaces of different architectural character unified only by the generous roof and the plaza it covers.

Today the building is often reductively viewed as an early example of ‘hi-tech’ design, and as one of the great utopian structures of the 20th century. Ar. Shubrajit Das points out that, The Pompidou Centre initially was criticized because it broke all norms of modernism and playfully used a lot of colours that marked the beginning of postModernism. However, now that these appearances are no longer shocking, attention has focused upon how they are done. It is said to portray the true essence of Paris much more than even Louvre and the rest. A period of controversy was followed by a period of keen public interest. However, now, the regular block shape of the overall building has started to come across as a little dull to the general public. As far as sensitivity is concerned, the Centre De Pompidou broke the mould with its ‘inside out’ construction. Escalators provided dynamism to the main west facade. Half of the plot was given over to a rectilinear square which also added to the dynamism of the envelope. The building has its services and structure on the exterior to allow for larger exhibition spaces. Thus form resulted in functionality. The rising escalators along the exterior have some of the best views in Paris. The envelope here consists of ducts and pipes. The spirit of transparency is palpable. A spirit of innovation is marked in this building. Other buildings have tried to imitate the same theory of transparency and colours. However the numbness showed is evident in their failure of metamorphosing the form (the services in the exterior and colours into utilitarian treatment of space. The colour coding of the different ducts in The Pompidou Centre is relevant because it makes them easily identifiable. Lucerne Concert Hall, by Jean Nouvel, the second study, occupies a large and magnificent central site, facing a lake. From the lake the building envelope is dominant but graceful, its horizontal profile and gently-sloped roof lying low beneath the mountain backdrop. From within the building, the lake provides stunning views from the balcony - framed by the dramatic overhanging roof - and through the irregular windows of the main facade. The building comprises three different

Fig. 2.3: Lucerne Hall Source: http://www.Jean Nouvel - Concert Hall Danish Broadcasting Corporation arcspace_com.htm

The monolithic copper roof is punctured in places, especially above the art museum. From the tiered foyers, the curvaceous envelope of the Concert Hall is reminiscent of both a boat and a musical instrument. Nouvel inverts that initial reading by lining its interiors with thin balconies or gangways, the liner's viewing decks rediscovered inside the hall. The Concert Hall is raised ten meters above street level, with the upper foyer under its ‘belly’, giving the impression of a big wooden sculpture. Nouvel pursues what he calls a ‘critical architecture’ that deflects the hegemonic, panoptic gaze and radically destabilizes space. By playing with the conventions of sightlines and visibility, these subversive structures attempt to erase themselves from the legibility and surveillance of dominant cultural forces. 12 Jean Nouvel is recognized for the clarity and elegance that characterizes his work. Nouvel has created a stylistic language separate from that of modernism and post-modernism, and architectural envelopes that go beyond cultural constraints. Jean Nouvel's own character is stamped all over the building: providing an ‘aesthetic shock’ to the viewer. Canopy is a reinterpretation of the classic portico as both urban symbol and public meeting place. It creates a new type of urban space Europaplatz – “a parvis shaded and protected from rain and snow, but open to panoramic views and accessible at all times.”13 Sensitivity shown without the horizontal and vertical transparency gained by layering and juxtaposing extensive planes of glass, Nouvel's architecture could not possibly be so changeable, so

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

memorable and so inviting to passers-by. The building facade constantly changes depending on the lighting conditions and the time of day; both revealing and concealing the interior. This renders an entirely new dimension to the envelope which keeps altering. Great importance is given to harmonizing a building envelope with its site and surroundings. Another theme unifying all of his projects is the beautiful interplay of transparency, opacity, shadow, and light instability within a given urban system. People’s Architecture is most often undertaken by mason communities, contractors, potter-carpenter teams and so forth or even by trained architects with limited awareness and stifled vision. Gautam Bhatia refers to a style called ‘Punjabi Baroque’ that is ostentatious and profusely decorated with motifs and features resembling the Baroque style. This category would cover those buildings that have become examples of mass acceptance and therefore their elements and style being copied repeatedly to create effects similar to the original one. Unfortunately, the original essence is usually lost in the process. This category also includes buildings that pompously show off an over-done façade just because the client insisted on one because he wanted to show off his prosperity. Such architecture is based just on the demands of the client. Based on his background, the client may want his building to have certain elements that he has seen and liked elsewhere.

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The copy-and-paste era of today, is something looked upon with perhaps even greater disdain than ‘aluco-bond’ buildings. This is because here, various architectural styles are blindly lifted and pasted onto one envelope. Gautam Bhatia colourfully calls it the ‘Punjabi Baroque’ culture of today. It consists of mostly Roman columns and Greek pediments on a modern façade with Classical arched windows. A ghastly image for many, in the intellectual community and yet the most popular one in the city. Why is it so? One may wonder. Quite simply, it gives the common man an aura of grandeur. It is no concern if the Roman columns are replicated in concrete as long as they make the window on the third floor resembles that of the White House. Need Based: The main intent that drives this design is purely the programme which takes precedence over the image and aesthetics. Unlike art buildings, dry logic follows here. The envelope is simplistic and utilitarian. Hospitals, educational campuses, housing, airports, stadia, etc., come under this category. BOT Turow Power Plant Co. is located in Kotlina Zytawska, in the south-west of Poland, and built by the Nysa Luzycka in Bogatynia commune. The architect has made an attempt to create interest in the envelope by colouring the different planes and thereby providing a positive image. The colours used on the envelope draw attention to it.

Fig. 2.5: BOT Turow Power Plant Co. Source: www.energy.rochester.ed/turow5.jpg

Fig. 2.4: Residence in New Friends Colony Source: Authors

The power plant also known as the Colourful Power Plant is located in South Africa, Soweto. Here the architect has used the massive tank as a canvas for paintings, breaking the monotony of the usual massive structures.

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Anaesthetics of the Envelope

Fig. 2.6: Colourful Power Plant, South Africa Source: www.skobba.com/storage/images/

Ecological and Sustainable: This category not only includes vernacular architecture but also those that intend to fulfil the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. An ecologically designed envelope not only responds to the context amicably it also resolves economic problems involved in the design process. Most often the materials used or the manner of execution employs local material and human resources, economizing on the travel and costs. The issue of sustainability is an important category as it is of prime concern today. A number of architects consider it their main design criterion and the resulting envelope has a very image of its own. In responding to a local site, Renzo Piano proposes a contrasting solution in a project completed in New Caledonia. Nestled in a pine grove occupying the Tina Peninsula at the outskirts of the capitol city of NoumĂŠa, Renzo Piano's Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre provides for a new direction to explore traditional cultures within contemporary societies. This project is a transformation of the vernacular architecture of the traditional Kanak structures into an innovative building reflecting the aspirations of the Melanesian People seeking to maintain their cultural identity yet marking their tradition within the world's contemporary societies. Renzo Piano acknowledges that: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was not feasible to offer a standard product of Western architecture, with a layer of camouflage over the top: It would have looked like an armoured car covered with palm fronds.â&#x20AC;?14

Fig. 2.7: Tjibaou Cultural Center Source: www.architektur.tudarmstadt.de/upload/powerh

The building rises from within the site's thick vegetation and among the conical cases built by the natives. Two levels of intervention are apparent, formal and technological. The formal aspects of the design involve a highly integrated composition with the landscape through a series of clusters or villages and open courtyards, articulating an indirect entrance as the Kanak path into the building, and abstracting the silhouettes of the traditional conical cases as the new forms mediate between the natural and manmade environments. Technological interventions involve changing the building material from hatch to laminated iroko15, devising a double-skin system to accommodate shading and thermal venting, and integrating computerized louvers to maximize natural cooling. The ten transformed cases are situated to capture the wind to allow its double shell to react to the region's light breezes as well as its strong winds. These are highly crafted elements fabricated in France and assembled on site.

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As the Cultural Director of the Centre noted: “When people arrive here, they understand that the building is unique in both form and sense. They know that it is modern, yet they feel it is deeply rooted in our history.”16

point of departure for a new architecture representative of its era. The technological advances and cultural articulations of the two projects sharing the same programmatic functions of a cultural centre hold similar positions.

Given the building's proximity to the traditional cases, abstracting forms allows for the development of an architecture which remains true to its source of origin. Piano's solution takes materials, form and a cultural mode of inhabiting a place to a new level of articulation without jeopardizing the sense of belonging. Architecture has always approached innovation with a view towards tradition while adapting to new materials and techniques of production.

Saleable/Market Oriented: Of all the categories mentioned it is this category that brandishes a greater multitude of styles ranging from pastiche to sustainable to neo-eclectic and even the Electronic Baroque. Commercial buildings are primarily dictated by market forces along with the whims and the fancies of their patrons. The only motive in this case is making loud advertisements and captivating the onlookers hence adding to the business and commerce. Hiranandani Estate by Ar. Hafeez Contractor in Powai, received a lot of flak from the architectural community for its Greek temples on roof tops.

“Both then and now, architecture is the mediation between technique, the images, and the panorama that culture presents at every instant.”17 When the vernacular is highly evident, it becomes easier to investigate a pattern or seek a

But today it has become the pride and image of the city with every other commercial or movie showing it as a backdrop. The question here is not

Fig. 2.8: Playful Envelopes of Malls (Above); Birla Hospital (Below) Source: www.architektur.tudarmstadt.de/upload/power, Architectural brochure of ‘ARCHIMEDES’

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whether it was or was not aesthetic. The question is that the layman liked it, it was successful and it is a sell out. It did not anesthetize the senses instead it played with them to generate varied and extreme reactions. Critically looking at the envelope one can see a clear picture of ‘postmodernism - of reaction’ where elements from architecture of the older times are used as playful elements on the façade.

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

based on the intelligent building concept. Every building needs to undergo a Technology and Infrastructure assessment by a reputed US university or organization. Moreover, the building has to be protected from earthquakes with efficient risk management systems. Our stringent security requirements need efficient access control systems. Though the basic structure is traditional, we use facades that echo the global culture.”

This aspect has made this housing project very popular among builders and the general public. The same has also been the reason of serious criticism of the envelope by calling it pastiche.18 Christopher Alexander explains the reason for such negative reactions: “Even in everyday life, the concept of good fit, though positive in meaning, seems very largely to feed on negative instances, it is the aspects of our lives which are obsolete, incongruous or out of tune that catch our attention.”19 To explain the above with a simple example, if a man wears an Italian designer suit with a big brilliantly coloured tie, one would naturally spot the oddity of the tie rather than appreciate the suit. The same logic could be applied to the severe criticism directed at the Hiranandani Complex. The criticisms could be attributed to the fact that the approach used in the envelope design is different to the conventional one for multi-storeyed housing in the city. The intent of the architect thus can be spelt out. He needs to make his building as appealing to the masses as possible in order to market it. While there is considerable scope for innovation here, the reason it has been given a separate category is because of the fact that most of the envelopes in the post modernist era meant for commercial purposes seem to follow the same guidelines of glass and alucobond clad box like buildings. The definition of the envelope is reduced to being a glass and aluminium box. In short, it is no longer an experience but just a face. Accenture building, Bangalore is one such example. As Abhishek Dasgupta, CEO, Human Resources Accenture comments“Our building needs to project a very global image due to the nature of our clients. We follow the American BS-997 Security Standards while designing buildings and all buildings are

Fig. 2.9: Hiranandani Estate Source: www.onlinerock.com/clubs/maharajblah/mumbai.

Examples in this reference could be the envelopes of software parks, malls, etc. The popular trend followed in designing the envelopes of these malls makes them stand out, be colourful, playful, bright, and expressive of the nature of shopping that takes place in them and attracts large crowds for shopping. Specifically; Architect Hafeez Contractor’s Hiranandani Estate and Hiranandani Gardens would be an ideal example of this case. However, here the question one asks is that where is this kind of popular architecture with its plastic interventions leading us to? Wouldn’t all this jazz turn monotonous one day? Wouldn’t there be a negative reaction towards the same materials being used every time, in the same way? May be one can argue here that these materials on the envelope evoke response from people anyways and it is clear that they react to them positively. But the question is – should buildings with totally different functions like a hospital or housing in India, use the same materials in the same manner? This leads us to point out that the materials used on the envelope need to relate to the function of the building. A mall may look fine with a colourful plastic façade to attract people, but would a hospital look as well?

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

ANAESTHESIA – CAUSE AND EFFECT The phenomenon of anaesthesia or numbness has to be rationalized by weighing the pros-and-cons of its causes. The definitions and perceptions of contemporary architecture have evolved through time. What started as Modernism has now metamorphosed into Globalization. Ar. Sonali Rastogi expresses her dissatisfaction through her description of the relentless process of building in the last two decades in India: “An entirely new urban structure is being formed. The absence of plausible and universally applicable doctrines has resulted in a lack of consensus on the shape of things to come amongst architects, city planners and others, responsible for formatting contemporary cities.”20 But it is most important to note, whether contemporary architecture - modern, post modern or ‘global corporate architecture’, has aided the creation of an image of its patrons in the eyes of the viewers. Contemporary architecture is not an idyllic world where the architect has the sole say in creating his building. Chandigarh helped in creating the image of a forward and upcoming nation as envisaged by Nehru. Similarly, the global corporate firms aspire to portray an image of modernity, sophistication, and technological expertise. The envelope, as a result, has created conflicts and hence sundered architectural society in to different sects with motley ideologies. There are many factors which eventually lead to the image that the envelope projects. 21 Cause-1.Social Mindset or Populist Notions: The basic social mindset plays a major role. There is an inherent desire to be at par with the developed world. With a rise in consumer buying power, there has been a definite shift in the social mindset. To put it simply the attitude of society has gone from ‘Why?’ to ‘Why not!’ Where earlier every new introduction into the society was looked upon with distrust and questioned continually today new ideas and concepts have a much more ready acceptance in society. And to gain full acceptance by the urban dweller, goods are coming in more and more glamourized packaging. The same is true of the envelope. Cause-2. Political Aspirations: The leader or visionary has an image to build for the success of his government in terms of ready acceptance and encouragement of change and technology. The

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image building exercise for any government is essential to convince the public of its superiority over other governments to ensure their seat in the assembly for the next term. Moreover, support to new technologies means portrayal of the government as forward thinking, visionary and most importantly up and ahead of the times. A government that embraces and encourages new technologies. For instance, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had a certain vision in his mind about the creation of Cyberabad, the IT precinct of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. It was his intention to put his city on the global IT map. A vision extensively used in all his election campaigns.22 Cause-3. Market Paradigms and Rise in Competition: The advent of Globalization has brought about a change in prevalent market trends. Earlier, only a very small percentage of people spent money on places or activities which had to do with innovative or interesting experimental designs. Spending power was mostly utilized in the creation of the conventional or bare necessities. Today an increasing percentage of people can be included in the upper economic strata. Thus, the new economic classes like that of the ‘nouveau rich’, ‘upper middle class’, etc., have emerged with a higher purchasing power. Therefore, there is a need or rather a desire to indulge in luxuries and comforts. In fact, luxuries and comforts of yesteryears have become necessities now. The same goes for the envelope. It has to be suited to provide the utmost comfort to the new age office executives. In short, the market has enabled the consumer to have a much higher purchasing power, therefore encouraging him to improve the quality of his living, working and leisure spaces. Spaces which are more secure, and have a lot more to offer in terms of comforts and above all make a much bigger statement than what the ordinary government housing does. About this scenario, Prof. K.T .Ravindran feels strongly that: “The architect is a trapeze artist swinging between creativity, technology, and an uncouth market. The market feeds and imprisons the profession simultaneously…and one can easily say that the unfair structure of the architectural market in India is the single most important factor that endlessly stifles creativity in this country. ”23 The competitive spirit of the corporate world is echoed in the signature styles of the envelopes they patronize. The envelope seeks to inspire awe in the viewer. It supposedly portrays the company is ahead

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of its times in terms of research and development. Hence, glass, steel and aluco-bond casings are today’s mantra, something which a traditional brick or stone building would fail to convey. Cause-4. Media: Media plays a vital role in linking all the above causes responsible for the spread of the image building phenomenon and change of social mindset. Neil Leach in his book ‘Anaesthetics of Architecture’ talks about saturation of image. According to him: “Our present condition is an ‘ecstasy of communication’. In the media society of today, technological advances in telecommunications and in methods of virtual reproduction ensure that we are constantly being inundated with images. Television, faxes, photocopiers and computers have become the virtual windows of the age of the information highway, conduits of digitized impulses that link the global network of communications... It is a culture of the copy, a society of saturation, the second flood. The world has become xeroxed to infinity.” 24 Therefore, Media becomes a major initiator of the alteration of the envelope. To start from the very beginning, the change in market paradigms is linked with media. Market and media, work in tandem and decide what part of the market needs to be fed to the public mindset to ensure a lucrative outcome. Media again interacts extensively is the politicoscape. As mentioned earlier, one of the main agendas of any government is to portray a progressive outlook. This becomes quite clear if we take a look at the advertisement in the India Now Magazine published by the government of Andhra Pradesh.25 In today’s age of extensive advertising where ‘target advertising’ is the keyword, architectural advertising has taken an altogether new dimension. Real estate companies have stepped in with full force and advertised about concept societies that provide a utopian lifestyle. Media and advertising have packaged all these concepts glamorously and lured the common urban dweller to invest in luxuries and comforts and portrayed the same as necessities to him.26 In fact, in many cases it has been observed that they tend to laud anything new, remotely popular or unusual to the extent that they compose flowery lines about mullions and romanticize every glass pane in the

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

building! It is the ‘wow factor’ that gets noticed. The purpose of function is secondary, to the ‘purpose of delight’ in this new era of architecture. Popularization of the envelope by the media has resulted in two kinds of situations. On one side we see the new and experimental envelope gaining ready acceptance because of the media and on the other hand there is only a shallow understanding of the envelope and its aesthetics. MEDIA

GLORIFIES WHATS NEW IN THE MARKET

MARKET

POLITICAL AGENDAS

GLORIFIES GOVERNMENT PROJECTS, POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING

URBAN DWELLER’S MIND AND MONEY

ALTERS SOCIAL MINDSET ABOUT WHAT TO BUY/INVEST IN AND WHAT NOT TO.

Fig. 2.10: Media Interrelationship Source: Authors, Seminar 2006

Media has been reduced more to a laudatory mediator than a critic. The resulting envelope therefore is just a mindless copy of what is seen and imitated from magazines. Today there is an absence of a critical media when it comes to architecture in India. Even the most reputed Indian journals laud what is popular without actually reviewing it with a critical eye. Hence they fuel the public mindset of ‘what is popular must be good’ hence increasing its popularity ten fold! The following causes result in many effects and it becomes difficult to point out clearly which cause led to which particular effect. But broadly one can say that excessive exposure to images has led to the phenomenon of aping that leads to monotony and hence numbness. Why is it that the mind is concerned only with the superficial images? Are we intoxicated by the gloss and over illumination of the images? Effect-1. Image Intoxication: In the era of ‘Delhi times’, ‘Rouge’ and ‘Page 3’, the post-modern generation is greatly concerned with the feel-good factor of appearances. One wants to look and feel younger. No one wants wrinkles, white hair or the lack of it! Buildings are no different and neither is our attitude to them. We want them to be chic, clean, glossy and ageless beauties. That’s longevity today! Not that it’s a new concept entirely; even Palladio wanted them to last forever. Today it is the facade

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CAUSES

Social mindset /populist notions

Political Aspirations

Market Paradigms & Rise in competition

Media

EFFECTS

Image Intoxication

Architecture /Commodity

Signature Styles

Pastiche

Monotony

Incoherent Communication

ANAESTHESIA Fig. 2.11: Anaesthesia, Causes and Effects Source: Authors, Seminar 2006

that counts, the envelope should ‘appear’ eternal. The mind has become so anaesthetized that it only browses over the superficial image. Attempts are made to treat the face and not the substance. Unfortunately though, the masses are principally led by the flashy things they might have seen in pictures, books or television which they would love to see in reality in their own backyard, regardless of the fact that it might not belong there at all.

“The masses due to the lack of reflexivity and conformity were the despair of revolutionary intellectuals now has become the model to be followed. For they have always given precedence to ecstasy and fascination, and thus to the object. There is in this conformity a force of Seduction in the literal sense of the word, a force of diversion, distortion, capture and ironic fascination. There is a kind of fatal strategy of conformity.” 27

Effect-1.a. Force of Seduction: Jean Baudrillard in his book ‘Gulf War did not happen’ discusses the ‘Theory of Seduction’. A theory also stated and restated by Neil Leach to provide a better picture of his views. Baudrillard discusses the real consequences of changes in symbolic and material forms which are important in a world that is increasingly dominated by media hype and obfuscation. According to him the subject (in this case the masses) are dominated by an unpredictable object- the object of fascination.

Applying this theory to architectural practice today is not very difficult. Here the masses represent the urban dwellers that are being driven by a force of seduction or fascination of a utopian lifestyle and work environment as a joint exercise by the MNCs and Media. This mindset is slowly bringing about conformity in styles of architecture, what we have better understood as ready-made solutions or standardization. Planned and carefully executed strategies to make a standard kind of architecture sell by seducing the consumer. Though, whether or not it proves fatal (to the traditional or pre-existing architecture) is something which only time will tell.

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Anaesthetics of the Envelope

Or, looking at it from another perspective; it is the act of seducing the consumer, which in this case is a developing nation and the large number of consumers it has to offer, with extensive imagebuilding exercises. It’s the glamorisation of packaging to make it attractive for the consumer and saleable. This fascination with one standard kind of architecture is slowly leading to conformity in architectural styles the world over, or as we call it Globalization is taking place. The right packaging or envelope of a building creates the right image.

P AGE 3

Chic ??

Fig. 2.13: Row Housing in Chandigarh Source: Authors, Seminar 2006

u g e

Delhi Times

Glos s y

Health Food G Y M

I M

Clean ??

A G E Longetivity ??

Fig. 2.12: Image Intoxication Source: Authors, Seminar 2006

A community packaged and presented in the right way with the right kind of amenities and luxuries projected as necessities seduces people into desiring to be a part of that community, that environment and culture. Hence seduction theory in a way urges one to constantly aspire towards a utopian lifestyle. While the attitude of the metropolitan individual might have been reduced to blasé comprehension of things around him, the larger lower or middle income individual is more in awe of what is happening around him, hence gradually opening out into new avenues. Effect-1.b.Pastiche and Monotony: This phenomenon of image intoxication and seduction leads to ‘copy - paste’ architecture or ‘aping’ and this automatically leads to stagnation and ‘monotony’. This monotony breeds numbness or anaesthesia that eventually stifles the creative and imaginative capabilities of the designer and the public.

In this case, it becomes very difficult to actually single out an envelope which has successfully created an identity of its own without really having to bank on a pre-existing structure. It is not wrong to use Aluco-bond and a glass facade to convey a certain modernistic image but instead of copy-and-paste an identity that is unique can also be created with the same materials. For instance, the two buildings from the I-Flex technology park at CV Raman Nagar, Bangalore have experimented with form in drastically different ways. Both have used glass and alucobond extensively for their façade treatment, yet both seem to compete with each other in making a statement and building an image for the viewer. Mr. Suneet Paul suggests that a more appropriate word for this might be ‘inspiration’. No two buildings can ever be identical even if the concept is the same. Since by the time the project reaches completion, influences in the form of the design team, the labour, the expert team etc. affect the design so much that it becomes original not by thought but by process and these influences are specific from place to place and cannot be broadly termed as an ‘aped’ design. Even if it were aping then it is only human nature to do so.28 He adds to this by referring to the row housing concept of Chandigarh and other developed western nations. Though they seem monotonous, their modular quality, functionality and economy greatly surpass their visual appeal.

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

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goods and ideas, consumerism and the market. Architecture is becoming more of a commodity for conspicuous consumption announcing social class.” 30

Therefore, there is a need to create an image which is more of an announcement. We decided to experience this new age fascination first hand, both as students of architecture and also as users of space. For instance, a look at the Centre Stage Mall’s colourful exteriors draws instant attention. The bizarre shapes jutting out here and there add the element of interest as meaningless ornaments or attachments, making us realize that the virtuous ideologies and theories used for creating good design are no longer real. Treating architecture as a commodity, makes it easier for the general public as they associate various qualities with a certain type of façade, for example popularity, ease of visibility and recognition of public landmarks etc. Chairperson Mr. Suneet Paul had a refreshingly new perspective:

Fig. 2.14: A-1 and A-3, Flex Technology Park, Bangalore Source: Authors, Seminar 2006

Effect-2.Architecture As a Commodity: Today’s consumerist society has reduced architecture to a mere commodity that sells, promotes and propagates the image of the ‘corporate’ world. ‘Architecture’ as a ‘commodity’ is the maxim of the new generation designers. “Function follows form and form follows freedom. Freedom follows delight. And delight is fun for the designers and the visitors.” 29 Newer construction technologies and experimental forms are not only being readily accepted but also hailed enthusiastically! As architect Bhushan comments in his paper ‘Globalization, Building Technology and Architecture’:“Cultural and social symbolism of architecture today is influenced more by foreign

“Developers have repackaged mundane projects such as housing development schemes in to interesting buy-able projects to invite more people to invest in to them. This is a sign that there are aspirations to achieve a better lifestyle. Definitely not anaesthetic.”31 Effect-3. Signature Styles: Every individual possesses a certain style of expression that is evident in his works. In architecture, reflection of styles, if broadly accepted an appreciated, become a hallmark of fame and recognition for the architect. As motivating as it sounds, it is equally constricting for an architect as he gets bound within his own web of styles, popularly known as his signature style. This unconsciously leads to a repetition of the elements and styles gradually inducing numbness on the part of the designer, for whom the envelope becomes just a visual trademark. Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Holocaust Museum, an extension to the Berlin museum, is all the more significant since the building contains many paradoxes. “It manages to be figurative without being painfully literal, commemorative without being bombastic and engaging without resorting to a clunky ‘interactivity’.” 32

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Anaesthetics of the Envelope

Fig. 2.15: Jewish Holocaust Museum & another War Museum by Daniel Libeskind Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Libeskind/26.08.06

“The theme of the art museum displays proclivity towards its iconography as the secular temple of the post-modern age.”33 With its vertiginous spatial effects, its punctured zinc planes and gashed slits for windows, it is also an austerely beautiful object, which is nevertheless designed to hold both the memory and the evidence of some of the most unspeakable historical events ever recorded, events which are commonly felt to ‘defeat’ representation So from the outside it has a very dramatic penetration of the building with almost a kind of cartography or topography of the invisible sights of Berlin which penetrate through the zinc clad building volume. Of course the building is not just a trendy façade, but a plastic expression of spaces and times, shadows, ghosts, horizons which unfold in an exciting way for viewers who might not have ever heard of Berlin history, Jewish history, what it used to be like, what it might be in the future. That is the real mission of the building. This envelope had many philosophies justifying its form; it set of a trend of museums with similar characteristics, with very weak reasoning behind the choice, and thereby leading to a subtle anaesthesia. The controversy is that Libeskind himself used the same style for yet another lesser known museum in Ontario. Do the linear criss-cross openings on the metallic facades of both the museums depict scars? It is just a style that Libeskind created which went off to be a great hit amongst the public when they understood his concepts and therefore, became his signature style. Effect-6.Incoherent Communication: Architects and designers often sideline the envelope in the quest to prove their planning prowess or overdo it to prove their artistic prowess. The human element

with its needs of comfort, preservation and sustainability and, most important of all, relativity are all forgotten. But unfortunately, by and large popular demands and clients’ needs pressurize the architect to produce typical facades since he doesn’t want to take chances by producing something strikingly different from the already existing and successful ones as he fears that people might not accept it. And that is why every sheep follows the herd thus resulting in very little experimentation. The concern here is also the lack of examples of bold architecture when there is the technology and the means to do so. There is a need to jog architects’ memories on the principles and methods of people-centric design. This, for the most part, means an envelope that is sensitive to clients, users and the society at large. Purists may see a dismal scene with the upcoming retail invasion on the urbanscapes, some is junk architecture and that is indeed a concern architecturally but the reality is that they are a part of life and so many people have accepted it. It makes the architectural community rethink the fundamental question ‘for whom do they build?’ But such kind of architecture is equally complemented with characteristic architecture from architects like Christopher Beninger, Ashok Dhawan, Anil Laul, Raj Rewal, etc… Since certain norms of the profession don’t often co-relate with the public’s comprehension, needs and aspirations way this topic is very relevance in today’s architectural scenario.34 Another form of anaesthesia is seen in the drawbacks of various architectural movements. For instance the International Style of modernism became very popular owing to the sophisticated image, simplicity, universality and ease of construction. But it soon encouraged an element of boredom and lost its original charm.35

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

ACKNOWLEDGING THE DICHOTOMIES “…We are enveloped in a great “age of paradox”. Our paradoxisms must not result in confusion and frustration. They should instead, provide us with a cultural outlook which contains a rich two- fold comprehension of all things.”36 There exist several dichotomies in the architectural profession of which, one aspect is the difference of opinion between two schools of thought ‘the purists and the market players’. However certain parameters remain common to both. The second aspect is the conflict between the designer or artist and the corporate world. The third aspect is the gulf of understanding between the client and the designer. Purists vs. Market Players: “The simulacrum is never that, which conceals the truth – it is the truth which conceals that there is none. The simulacrum is true.” - The Oracle, the Matrix The movie, ‘The Matrix’, talks about two separate worlds. The Matrix, being the one where all humans live in an illusory world created by machines. Where everything is programmed to be tempting, beautiful and picture perfect. Then, there is the last surviving, human city of Zion, where survival and existence are the only prime goals. Where nothing is picture perfect yet it is true and it does exist. The Matrix has been interpreted as a metaphor of the architectural world today. There exists a similar chasm in the professional world among the designers’ sensibilities and cognizance. At one end are the ‘Matricists’ driven by the market, quick money and glamour, talking of sleekness, sophistication and face-value longevity. At the other end are the ‘Zionists’, greatly concerned about the world having an anaesthetized existence. They have more profound ideologies that are strongly rooted to the past, coupled with a vision for the future that aims to see harmony with space and time. This school of thought takes lessons from the likes of modernism, vernacular or traditional architecture, sustainable models etc. Where the ‘Matricists’ are all out to seduce and blind the masses with their spate of promises of glamour, extravagance, luxury and high-end

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prodigal life-styles, a Zionist tries to educate them providing a holistic solution that looks towards a sustainable future. Followers of both these schools of thought need to address a few issues that crucially affect the end product. It is felt that there is a common platform on which their horizons do meet. Their takes on the same issue might differ but the two schools of thought are like two sides of the same coin which hold equal significance. We feel Indian architecture is well balanced because of both. While one believes in experimenting, the other retrospects and believes in looking back and forth before taking a step. Their common stand is the inclusion of culture and heritage in their designs. Whatever reasons they substantiate for designing the way they do, both try to use the backdrop of our cultural heritage: one tries to take inspiration from it and the other tries to break away from it. Culture and tradition is definitely referred by both before designing and this thus forms the common platform that links the ‘Zionists’ and the ‘Matricists’.37 Artist vs. Industry: The artist in industry, like the industrialist, is also an indispensable individual. He is professionally competent in creating the visual needs of an industry. He cannot be looked upon as a creative genius who is a necessary evil. Like all people, the artist in the industry has an instinctive urge to create. Professionally, however, he feels dedicated to the arts, and therefore, feels he must envision and express ideas that reflect the cultural fulfilment of his fellow men. His client – the patron, without whom he cannot prosper, may be industry, government, church, a university or a king. In any event he is the vehicle for the ‘visual voice’ for all of these. In spite of this interdependence there are clashes in the decisions taken by the designer and the developer or the industrialist. This disagreement can be resolved by considering what has been suggested in the essay on ‘Symbology’ by, Elwood Whitney: Singleness of Purpose“…no great society has ever been without its artists and that no great artist has ever been without his patron. And that no corporate group has ever existed which was not identified by its art. ……..Singleness of purpose can be better understood….As our technical horizons expand, and the world becomes more complex, industry not only needs more talents, more manpower and greater resources to produce, it is also faced with the

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increasing job of selling its products, philosophies, and its total corporate image.

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

its

This must be done in the face of growing competition to an increasingly more discriminating public. At the same time, industry is providing the artist with new materials new tools and new dimensional techniques, which make it possible for the artist to give timely significance, understandability and proper magnitude to his creative expression. So we find that the industry helps the artist and the artist helps industry.”38 Designer vs. Client: These are the designers and their viewpoints. What about the users? How do they perceive what is happening around them? Having reviewed the reactions of common people, comprising office-executives, shoppers, businessmen, we came across an all-new picture, where matters that throttle a designer’s brain are reduced to insignificance in the common people’s lives. The public is more often than not image ridden. The common man finds it more reliable to go to a hospital building whose envelope spells of sleekness and sophistication though it also means a higher burden on the pocket. A sleeker image arouses in him the hope of finding cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art medical facilities there. The brand-conscious teenagers would rather be seen at Ansal’s Plaza than in the export-reject market of Sarojini Nagar when it’s a question of their popularity quotients. The designer builds for the client and the client looks to the designer to fulfil his requirements. This inter-dependence therefore needs to be rationalized and better understood to reach to a common consensus. This is where the concept of singleness of purpose comes into picture. Our faculty advisor Narendra Dengle suggests that the difference between the aspirations of the designer and the client should be dissolved and the two should be united in the process of envisioning and designing thus ensuring a collective single vision for the whole project.39

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE “When one talks on behalf of building envelope, it is important to know why we do what we do.”40 A building envelope, skin or façade, is surrounded by a complex web of reasons that govern in the shaping up of its design. Ideally, as

much time and thought that is given to planning, must also be given to the designing of an envelope, as we know, it can have multiple connotations in its context and environment. Our ancient temples had a host of messages to convey through the facades as the temple performed multiple functions (cultural, educational, political, religious etc…) within a community. Postindustrialisation facades became more machinefriendly and the frills and ornamentation that used local crafts were rendered meaningless and hence omitted as superfluous features. Over the years, science and technology overplayed the philosophical and craft component that once had major influence in the design of the building envelope. This went on to transforming the envelope into mere clothing or packaging paper of a built space that lacked a meaningful and thoughtful response to the concept, context, environment and resources (natural and human) leading to mindless repeated glass boxes or ‘Anaesthesia’. If it comes to blaming any person or aspect the list is endless. One wouldn’t know if it was industrialisation, globalisation, media coverage, image intoxication, seduction theory, or insensitive designers and ignorant clients. Infact, the purist’s point of view is that not everyone can feel the numbness or intoxication created by the image because most of us are already engrossed by its glamour and charm. Therefore, anaesthesia does exist in the mind of the public and the designers. One needs to pull up once in a while, and ask certain fundamental questions about contributing positively towards a better or at least a safe future for posterity. The first task now, is not only to wake-up ourselves but also those around us, for whom we build. It’s true that the architectural community or for that matter the whole society, has a reduced sensitivity. Today the site is more of an artist’s canvas than an architect’s intention. There is a need to understand how various changing parameters and intents guide the creation of the envelope which in turn becomes not only the architect’s creation but a part of the daily life of the user, client or common man. The bounds of creativity can be broadened and freed from the image hypnosis that we have all fallen prey to, by a refined exploration of the craft of architecture, and skills of the designer that evoke the spirit of a place. A designer accomplishes these through a balanced growth of the three essential components – ‘the philosophical’, ‘the visual’ and ‘the skill component’. By using what exists as a stepping stone for what is to come, the architect can reinforce rather than undermine the character of

Anaesthetics of the Envelope

neighbourhoods and cities every time a building is added. Ethics and ethical designers are unaffected by market forces. Designers could abstain from the trappings of hypocrisy by choosing commissions that interest them instead of choosing ones that end up as mere wastage of valuable creative aptitude for meagre financial gains. Today’s architecture oscillates between the shocking, expansive monuments and the staid numb suburbia; both of which increase the burden on our natural resources and add to the overall socio-cultural bankruptcy. In this world of bigger, higher, costlier and faster, there is an urgent need for designing practitioners to pause and recognize as to how architecture can allow human beings to live comfortably with dignity and continuity. There is no harm in having a sleek and sophisticated vision for the future, what is important is that the vision needs to be a holistic one. The point of realization of anaesthesia is itself the end of it. Infact one could also see the current scenario in a positive light where today’s listless and repetitive glass boxes can be weighed much lesser against many other works that are less popular or talked of but more sensitive. For instance, works of the likes of Gerard de Cunha, Laurie Baker, etc… quietly elucidate the importance of responding to the user’s need and at the same time respond to the surrounding resources in the process of designing. It is more important to remember sensitive designers but it is also important to encourage designers who are in the act of experimenting and creating new statements that will form a part of our vibrant heritage over a period of time. Suneet Paul totally disagreed with the notion that numbness exists in contemporary Indian architectural scenario. He remarked“In a country like India, due to the mixture of cultures and clans, on whose pretext we do a lot of retrospection, there is so much vibrance and variety that has generated a lot of attention and awareness not just in the country but in the world, encouraging other foreign cultures to come and experience the Indian flavour. We as a country are a huge population that adds to the different styles and typologies that are created in a year. At this time and age there might be mediocrity in the profession but that is so miniscule compared to the great developments that are taking place that have made their mark globally.”41

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After analyzing the reactions of various renowned architects, designers and consumers on the existence of anaesthesia in designing and perceiving the building envelope, one reaches a consensus and admits that the present age is anything but numb, people are now responsive to design and creativity and are exposed to the outside world; they have now begun to step out of their self knit cocoon. Today we can debate about numbness or anaesthesia but in reality we actually see a highly sensitized society that has opened up to new avenues and possibilities of development. In India especially, one may see this new rage of progressive development that is ties owing to retrospection. This sets our culture apart from the rest of the world. The fact that there is so much questioning, reasoning and contemplation over the current typology of envelopes is enough to prove that people have woken up and have given up the mechanical thought process. “Five years back one could speak of an anaesthetized society but today there’s so much work, so many projects flowing in to the country like the acceptance of metro corridors, flyovers etc…”42 True, it’s a fast paced age. Retaining the old through thoughtless repetition of traditional patterns is indeed irrational but it is no different for the glass facades, aluco bond-steel structures that have started to dot the urban-scapes of the globe. Why create a global culture when the globe is non-uniform naturally? Why forget the little meandering detours of human sensitivities that have built strong roots of culture and heritage for the future generations to learn from? In this day and age, the designer must remember that the envelope he/she designs must not just be a testament to his/her creative abilities but it also holds responsibility in shaping the attitude and vocabulary of the whole community. After all it is eventually to become a part of that particular community. Infact, these words by Elwood Whitney could be a perfect concluding thought: “We are a civilization of people in a constant state of tension driving ever forward trying to make this a better world to live in. We are in constant pursuit of an ideological way of life….The expanding challenges of contemporary lifestyles combined with the continual pursuit in our treadmill of discovery, marks us as creative people, in search of a cultural way of life. ”43

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our group would like to sincerely thank our seminar guide, Prof. Narendra Dengle for his immense support and vision throughout the course of study. We are deeply grateful and indebted to Mr. Suneet Paul who despite a busy schedule, agreed to chair our seminar session. Our deepest gratitude goes to Prof. Malay Chatterjee and Dr. Ranjana Mittal for their guidance throughout the entire research process. Many thanks to Ar. Abhimanyu Dalal, Ar. Shubrojit Das, Ms. Aparna Varadharajan, Mr. Abhishek Das Gupta CEO Human Resource Accenture, Architect and Urban Planner Maheep Thapar and all the others who have helped and advised us throughout our process of research.

REFERENCES 1.

Christopher Alexander, “Goodness of Fit”, Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard University Press, U.S.A. and U.K., 1979, p.15.

Alisa Akbar, “Enhancing Spatial Quality Through Landscape Design”, Unpublished Architectural Dissertation, School Of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 2006, p.35

Prof. Narendra Dengle, during a discussion with the authors on factors affecting the building envelope, 29.08.2006

Christopher Alexander, op.cit., p.15.

ibid p.24.

B.C.Brolin, “Failure of Modern Architecture”, U.K. Press, 1982, p.112.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function/ on 28.08.2006.

Architect and Urban Designer Abhimanyu Dalal research interview with the authors on 3.09.2006.

Ar. Shubrojit Das, responding to a question about the existence of anaesthesia or numbness in present day architecture during an interview with the authors

10. Neil Leach, Rethinking Architecture, Routledge, 1997, p.185. 11. http://www. Centre Pompidou Paris by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.htm/ on 27.08.06 12. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3575/is_n1220_v205/ai_21269552/pg on 27.08.06 13. http://www. Lakeside spectacular - architect Jean Nouvel's design of a cultural center in Lucerne, Switzerland Architectural Review, The - Find Articles.htm/ on 26.08.06 14. Renzo Piano, “Architectural Review”, Emap, London, October 1998, p. 99. 15. www.galinsky.com/buildings/tjibaou/index.htm 16. ibid. 17. Nadia Alhasani, “Tradition vs. Modernity: The Quest for a Cultural Identity”, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, Journal of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments , Vol. VII, no. II, 1996, p. 45 18. Ar. Shubrojit Das, giving examples of postmodernism in India, during an interview with the authors. 19. Christopher Alexander, op.cit., p.24. 20. Sonali Rastogi, “Shopping Malls- An Indian response”, Architectural Journal - A+D, Media Transasia Ltd., Vol- XIX, No- 2, 2005, p.30.

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21. Sharbani Ghosh, “Globalization and the Indian Urban Fabric”, Unpublished Architectural Dissertation, School Of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 2006, p.45 22. ibid, p.49 23. Prof. K.T.Ravindran, “Contemporary Architecture”, Architectural Journal-A+D, Media Transasia Ltd., Vol- XXI, No- 12, 2005, page-56 24. Neil Leach, op.cit., p. 115 25. The media helped the Andhra Pradesh government to glorify its IT ambitions while inviting companies to invest in the state by popularizing its subsidies and schemes. 26. Mr. Suneet Paul’s, comments during an interview with the authors on 28.11.2006 27. John Letche quoting Jean Baudrillard from his book ‘Gulf War Did NOT Happen”, (Routledge, Taylor, Francis grp.), p.217. 28. Mr. Suneet Paul, reacting to words ‘aping’ and ‘cliché’ during an interview with the authors. 29. Harshad Bhatia, “The Wow Factor”, A+D, Architectural Journal, Media Transasia Ltd., Vol- XXII, No- 10, Pg-104 30. Prof B.S.Bhushan, PhD, “Globalization. Building Technology and Architecture”, seminar paper, quoted by Sharbani Ghosh, “Globalization and the Indian Urban Fabric”, Architectural Dissertation SPA, New Delhi, 2006. 31. Mr. Suneet Paul, Managing editor of Architectural journal A+D stated in an interview with the authors on 28.11.2006 32. Naomi Stead, “The Ruins of History: allegories of destruction in Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum”, Open Museum Journal Volume 2: Unsavoury histories, August 2000, p.58 33. ibid, p.28 34. Mr. Suneet Paul, Managing editor of Architectural journal A+D in an interview with the authors 35. B.C.Brolin, “Failure of Modern Architecture”, U.K. Press, 1982, p.123 36. Elwood Whitney, “Symbology- the use of symbols in visual communications”, Communication Arts Books, Art Directors Club, New York. 1960, p.108. 37. Authors, “Anaesthetics of the Envelope”, Architectural Seminar Programme, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi 2006 38. Elwood Whitney, “Symbology and The Corporate Image’, Symbology- the use of symbols in visual communications”, Communication Arts Books, Art Directors Club, New York. 1960, p.110. 39. Prof. Narendra Dengle, during conversation with the authors.25 Sept.2006 40. ibid. 41. Mr. Suneet Paul, Managing editor of Architectural journal A+D stated in an interview with the authors on 28.11.2006. 42. ibid. 43. Elwood Whitney, op.cit., p.107.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY PUBLISHED MATERIAL BOOKS 1.

Alexander Christopher, “Notes on the Synthesis of Form”, Harvard University Press, U.S.A. & U.K., 1979.

Brolin, B.C., “Failures of Modern Architecture”, U.K. Press, 1982

Jerde, John, “You are here”, London, Phaidon Press, 1999.

Leach, Neil, “Anesthetics of Architecture”, Routledge, 1997

Letche, John, “Gulf War Did NOT Happen”, Routledge, Taylor, Francis Grp.

Mortellito, Domenico, “Symbology: the use of symbols for visual communications”, Communications Arts Books Publishers, 1960.

ARTICLES 1.

Bavadekar, Praveen S. & Reddy, Janardhan, “Silicon Implants- a study of the shopping malls of Bangalore”, A+D - A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd., Volume - XIX, No- 2, 2002.

Begde, Prabhakar, “Critical Regionalism”, A+D - A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd., Volume - XXI, No- 12, 2004.

Bhatia, Harshad, “The Wow Factor”, A+D - A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd., Volume- XXII, No- 10, 2005.

Das, Shubhrajit, “ ‘Signature’ - Architects in Cincinati”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd. , Volume- XIX, No- 2, 2002.

Hadid, Zaha, “Interview with Zaha Hadid”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd. , Volume - XXII, No- 4, 2005.

Ozkan, Suha, “Modernism- the prevalent Paradigm in Architecture”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd. , Volume - XXIII, No- 5, 2006.

Paul, Suneet, “Editorial”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd. , Volume XXII, No- 6 , 2005.

Rastogi, Sonali, “Shopping Malls- An Indian response”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd., Volume- XIX, No- 2, 2002.

Ravindran, K.T., “Contemporary Architecture”, A+D, A Journal of Indian Architecture, Media Transasia Ltd., Volume- XXI, No- 12, 2004.

UNPUBLISHED MATERIAL 1.

Akbar, Alisa, “Enhancing Spatial quality through Landscape design”, Dissertation, S.P.A., 2006.

Ghosh, Sharbani, “Globalization and the Indian Urban Fabric”, Dissertation, S.P.A., 2006.

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WEBSITES 1.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function/.

http://www.eveandersson.com/photos/france/paris/783-arc-de-triomphe-stairs-small.jpg /

http://www.galinsky.com/.../tjibaou/cct-exterior.jpg

http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Daniel_Libeskind.html

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http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/1272/anachronisme.jpg

10. http://www.Jean Nouvel - Concert Hall - Danish Broadcasting Corporation arcspace_com.htm 11. http://www. Lakeside spectacular - architect Jean Nouvel's design of a cultural center in Lucerne, Switzerland Architectural Review, The - Find Articles.htm/ 12. http://myhome.naver.net/kimhyoungwoo/images/modern/Frank%20Lloyd%20WrightGuggenheim%20Museum1%20.jpg / 13. http://www.nik.co.uk/.../2005_arab_institute_2.jpg 14. http://www.onlinerock.com/clubs/maharajblah/mumbai. 15. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/images/ance-e-magnet.jpg 16. http://students.washington.edu/croquet/photo/2003-04-05/10.jpg 17. http://southrongaard.sca.org.nz/gallery/main.php?g2 18. http://www.skobba.com/var/plain/storage/images/ 19. http://universe-review.ca/I07-02-SolarSystem.jpgpl 20. http://www.uoregon.edu/~nterry/image/b+w%20mountains.jpg