remembering charles
Vo l u m e Z e r o / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9
Foto : DR rr.sapo.pt/
I believe architecture is sculpture... but it is sculpture used by human beings so it needs doors and windows, it needs place for light and air. And these openings dont spoil the sculpture... but make it complete. They also give scale to that abstraction. If you just make an abstraction, thats not architecture.
Charles Correa
Correa, C. (2013, May 23). Charles Correa in conversation with RIBA President Angela Brady. (A. Brady, Interviewer)
facebook.com/charlescorrea.architect/
~the balcao~
editorial 01 Charles Mark Correa was perhaps India’s ‘greatest ever architect’, and arguably even the worlds’. Few could match his architectural prowess, which was exceptional, for Correa was grounded firmly in the principles of architecture. Principles he first picked up at university in Michigan and MIT. However, he went beyond the loose boundaries of architecture and spoke of important social causes that mattered and infused the same into his designs adding layers of profoundness to them. This while exploring the poetic qualities of light and shade, he produced an architecture that transcended the barriers of time, caste and creed. When Correa returned from his studies, he arrived a pivotal time for India. Having recently gained independence, she was looking for an architecture that looked forward, yet was deeply rooted in its culture and context. And Correa produced exactly that. He sought to develop a vocabulary for Indian architecture that was more inspired by the deep mythic and cosmological beliefs of the country itself, yet was contemporary. He was a man truly ahead of his time. Charles foresaw Bombays population crisis way back when the first settlers were appearing and addressed the problems of the shortage of housing through his many projects. His proposal for the abandoned mills of the city, or for Navi Mumbai showed that he was brave and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. In doing so, he epitomised the most important duty of an architect i.e. to be a public servant. In an age where the architects ego takes centre stage, Correa’s words about architecture make us reflect about what it means to be a professional - ‘At its most vital, architecture is an agent of change. To invent tomorrow, that is its finest function’. His success led him to be commisioned in several countries, but through it all he remained extremely humble. Which is why it’s a matter of great pride for The Balcao that the very first edition of our online magazine is dedicated to the mastermind architect. In a way, it seeks to reflect our thoughts and ideals. In the same manner Correa wrote about architecture and its larger role in society, so too does the Balcao serve to talk about issues regarding architecture and culture. This edition of The Balcao looks closely at Correa’s life and explores his inherent Goan-ness. It is also dotted with several Correa-esque artworks similar to how he would incorporate visual imagery into his buildings. (talk Kala Academy) We also cheekily named our first ‘Volume Zero’ as opposed to ‘One’, inspired by Louis Khan who coined the term when he said ‘Actually, I don’t think history started the way they said it did. I think it started before that. I want to read Volume Zero’, something that inspired Correa deeply. (A Place in the Shade) We focus exclusively on the Cidade de Goa resort, featuring a short video to give you a feel of the place. The project which Correa built in the 1970s was a great culmination of work between the architect as well as several artists. In this he created strong metaphorical images and showed the important relationship between architecture and art. We bring you the essence of this in our photoessay. Unfortunately, I never met Charles Correa. It was during my third year of architecture studies that he passed away, sadly. Yet strangely, I feel like I have met him through the vivid descriptions shared by people. I feel I have witnessed the characteristic features of Charles like - the way he would drift on to so many topics in one conversation, his charismatic air, the grace he carried himself with, and the ‘gleam in his eye’. Lastly, I feel like he has spoken to me through the many conversations he has had with me through his buildings. Istev
contents cover story : the architect from Moira
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photo essay : Cidade de Goa
19
feature : the fall of Correa’s iconic gateway
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video special : the essence of Cidade
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cover story
the architect from Moira
ft.com
‘‘my father’s family came from Moira and yes - I know, thats where they keep the lunatics’’ A glimpse into Charles’ childhood, background and the relationship shared between him and his beloved Goa
A person can find a lot of pride in being a Goan: he is part of a culturally rich place, bound in tradition and steeped in values. The assimilation of different cultures over the centuries and in the manner they crossed paths gives one a unique upbringing and way of life. The list may go on, but speaking entirely as a Goan architect, it is a great source of pride to know that Charles Correa was…a Goan. The man who forged a new architectural identity for the whole nation of India, one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century and one of the finest architects to have trudged the world. Yes, that man was a Goan. Early life Although Charles was very much a Bomoicar, he never strayed far from his homeland. In his article ‘Learning from architecture’ Correa says ‘’My father’s family came from Moira-and yes, I know, that’s where they keep the lunatics’’ cheekily referring to the eccentricity of the villagers. This gives us the impression of a man who was well in touch with this heritage. For Charles however, it all began on the opposite side of the Indian subcontinent. His father, Carlos, who was with the Indian Audit and Accounts Services, was stationed in Secundrabad and it was here that Charles was born, in September 1930. In very tragic circumstances, his father suddenly died a week before he was born. His maternal grandfather, Manuel Augustine Heredia, originally from Piedade in Divar, but living in Bombay then, called his daughter Florinda to live in the metropolitan city. And that is where Correa studied – first at St. Xavier’s school, and later at St. Xavier’s College. ‘I think I became an architect because of toy trains’ Charles Correa’s architectural journey began all the way back in his childhood in the 1930s and 40s, when he would play with his favourite - Hornby Tinplate trains. He spent countless hours designing patterns for the assembly of his miniature railway lines. So much so that when he came across an architectural journal later on, he felt he could read the various plans and sections. All thanks to tinplate trains! In his documentary ‘Volume Zero’ Charles describes how he and his siblings would be brought to being brought to watch the ships at Ballard Estate in South Bombay. Watching the process of manufacturing of the ship’s hulls and the manner these huge machines were built had a great impression on Charles’ young mind. Somewhere, subconsciously it triggered something inside of him, a precursor to the field he would be entering. Years later, he admits how significant this episode of his childhood was... “I could appreciate what Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn talked aboutMachines for living”
Top: Charles’ family home in Secundrabad Middle: Young Charles Correa that look... destined for greatness Bottom: Correa during his formative years in America Photos taken from Volume Zero[Motion Picture] - Arun Khopkar(2008)
Dawn of change
The fact that at such a ripe age, Charles lived through two ground breakingly significant transition periods in the history of these two places would have been instrumental in shaping his outlook towards life. These invaluable insights would play a pivotal role in helping him shape his thoughts about the architectural identity of the region. No wonder he was so successful in forumulating a bold new contemporary character for Goa (and India as a whole), one that was forward looking yet deeply rooted. Its because he understood perfectly the context and the aspirations of the people, but also because he too was one of them! He possessed that unquantifiable quality of understanding the roots of the place, something no architecture institution can teach. For Charles, the timing could not have been any better. The building spurt that took place in Goa in the mid 20th century required architects. The lack of architects in Goa led designs to be imported from either Bombay or Portugal, evident in the case of Mandovi Hotel and Dabolim airport respectively. As the tourism potential of Goa was being exploited, a cartoonish architecture started springing up in a bid to market the European aspects of the place. Goa’s architectural identity suffered. It desperately needed a strong modern framework to design their buildings under that spoke of its time and context. And the answer came finally with the Kala Academy and the Cidade de Goa. A brave new identity for Goa The Kala Academy, a performing arts centre on the banks of the Mandovi at Panaji, was completed in 1983, ten years after it was conceptualised. The Kala project gave Goa a bold new modern building that was still somehow ‘Goan’. A modernist plan of post and beam construction on an orthogonal grid offered the architect the necessary variation in dimensions demanded by a programme that makes use of several performance halls, exhibition galleries, informal public gathering places, etc.At the same time, it was a relatively low mass spread horizontally across the ground lending it a human scale, a sca An open ‘street’ going through the entire building allows one to enter the building without being self-conscious about entering; it makes an otherwise serious public institution seem less “institutional” and more relaxed and appropriate. Another project a few kilometers away was the 5 star resort Cidade de Goa. Again, the modernist framework comes into the picture. A row of cuboids that are alligned to a meandering spine gave it an appearance of a organic village cluster, but at the same time that of a futuristic town. Correa expertly managed to remain within the fine line that separates serious architecture from a cartoon.
Top: The architect strikes a pose Middle 1: Entrance pergola at Kala Academy Middle 1: Visual Imagery in the open street running through Kala Academy Bottom: Cidade de Goa, the clustered village resort
fotomodelka.info/kal-academy.html
When Correa was born in 1930, Goa and India were in very different conditions. India would gain independence from the British Raj only in 1947, just before Charles was about to embark on his architectural voyage in the US in 1949. Infact, by the time he returned from doing his masters at MIT and set up his own practice in 1958, Goa was still Estado da India Portuguesa. At this time, Bombay had a significant Goan population, and was an important centre during the freedom struggle, supplying various propaganda material to those taking part in protests for Goa’s cause, which came to frutition in December 1961. We would imagine that Charles was busy conjuring up the design for the Gandhi Ashram in his mind through this all, but at the same time he would have been well aware of the developments taking place in his homeland.
www.goatrip.co.in
Both these projects are significant as they created an identity of contemporary Goa and did not merely express a commonly held idea of what Goa is all about. In a contemporary context, they reinterpreted elements — the clustered village and the public street that have only an indirect association with Goa, derived mainly from the Portuguese past. However, they speak of a large and remembered part of Goa and to that extent are credible and successful attempts at defining and expressing our identity. One with the water Another of Charles’ major projects was The Verem Villas, a group of houses abutting the historic Mandovi River. He stressed on the importance of the Mandovi - ‘this was the historic river. We have many rivers in Goa, but this is the historic one’ This only proves that Correa understood Goa. He listened to the site as he sensitively laid out the homes in such a way that they were very humble pieces of architecture, yet introduced a gradual descent towards the river to highlight its significance.
www.flickr.com/people/urbzoo/
By now, we notice that the majority of Correa’s projects in Goa were immediately abutting Goa’s majestic waterways, and he explored that relation in each of his designs amazingly well. The way the open street of the Kala Academy invites you through the building to enjoy the scintillating view of Reis Magos fort across the Mandovi. Or the view of a ‘village washed up against the coast’ in Cidade de Goa. Then the Dona Sylvia resort, built in 1991, situated on Cavelossim beach is another lesser known example which explores this profund relation between land and water. The exception here would be Margao Railway Station, in which Correa collaborated with Mario Miranda in 1992. The pen is mightier than the stone However, his contributions to Goa are much more than those in brick and stone. Correa wrote extensively about Goa, and expressed his views on the the state of affairs frequently. His love for Goa is evident in his article titled ‘Goa : Planning for Tourism’ when he describes the ride along Ponte de Linhares as the most exhilerating experience while observing Goas ‘virgin landscape’. He equally hated the hideous ribbon development of Porvorim, blasting its lack of thought for pedestrians and quality of urban space. Perhaps what Charles felt about Goa can be best summarised when he said ... ‘ Over the past few years Goa has been dotted with several kitsch structures which claim to give a Goan experience. Ofcourse architecture must be based on our past, but it should re-interpreted in the context of todays materials, and todays aspirations. Goa is a more serious place than a cartoon’ We either tend to cling onto our past, or build something entirely alien, but Correa constantly reminded architects to use ‘your own voice’ while respecting the past at the same time. It is probably for this reason that Correa’s architecture has a timeless quality to it. They are universal in their outlook, yet steeped in their roots.
Top: Dona Sylvia Resort, Cavelossim | Middle 1: One of the houses at Verem Villas | Middle 2: Frontage at Verem Villas, roadside | Bottom: The Charles Correa Foundation HQ at Fontainhas
Correa had a special affinity for Fontainhas, the Latin Quarter of Panjim. Along with his wife Monika, he would make it a point to take his two children Nakul and Nondita, to Goa for their vacations, and without fail, on a trip to the quaint little ward. Years later, in 2011, he set up the Charles Correa Foundation, a non-profit organization with the aim to find solutions to spatial and land related problems of Goa. And the location was obvious. He found himself a cosy little house in Fontainhas for his office. The interiors are very Correa-esque and we can assume that it was his vision and design that was implemented there. If it were, it would have been his last project, in the most loose sense of the word.
www.flickr.com/people/urbzoo/
‘‘We used the natural levels of the site, exaggerated them a little bit so that you came down to this point... As you enter, you are really stepping down to this water. and thats the most compelling thing you can do. Look through a house and see the water ahead of you... Then you dont have to play any tricks, we just used the tile roof, simple brick walls and columns. Infact if we had played tricks and made an over-ambitious house it would have killed the site.You had to be very quiet to hear what the site had to say... thats very important in architecture - to listen to the site.’’
‘‘when we built our house in Bangalore some years ago, i wanted to put a verandah in the front. but then i realised i had never seen someone in Bangalore sitting in their verandah. coz its so clammy and cold, people dont do it...
...whereas in Goa you hard balcĂŁo without seeing tw looking at the traffic goin
...you have to have that real experience of t no thats wrong, my hand is taking me to the
rdly ever see a wo people sitting there ng by...
the place to work as you are drawing, to realise e wrong place.’’
The Correa home at Verem, within the same group of housing he designed
Charles was part of the board for the Regional Plan 2021 which was formulated in 2008 during the tenure of Digambar Kamat. He shuttled up and down to Goa for discussions, all at his own expense. ‘Goa is the first state in our entire nation in which the regional plan went through this process. We can be proud of that. Goa is a model for the rest of India to follow. And all this work was guided by a task force, none of whom were paid. They only wanted to give back to Goa a little of what Goa has given to all of us’ The prophecy comes true A verse from the bible says… ‘A prophet is always neglected in his own hometown’. And it can very well be applied here too. For Correa gave numerous suggestions to how Goa should move forward, but were hardly actually taken up. He spoke of ways in which tourism and the general society could co exist so that Goa could ‘preserve its cake and eat it too’. But the destruction of Goa’s landscape in recent times and certain planning strategies go against the ideals he spoke of. The Charles Correa Chair, organized by the Goa College of Architecture and the University in honour of him brings various experts in the field of architecture around the world to interact with the students to further their exposure. In 2017, the recipeient of the Chair, Ar. Heinrich Wolf said that he felt ‘politics is a crippling force to the development of a nation’. Its quite true. Theres a massive rift between the opinion of the general public, more so between architects, and the politicians of any state for that matter. Correa’s structures however, stand humbly, yet defiantly in their settings. Years will go by, but it seems that the lessons he portrayed through his buildings will be evergreen. Thousands of new buildings were built in Goa in the past 50 years but somehow very few are as serious pieces of architecture as Correa’s. Even less have made an attempt to reinterpret Goan architecture in our contemporary times. And none have shaped a vision for Goa to march into like Correa did.
References: • • • • • • • • •
Correa, C. (2010). A Place in the Shade. Gurgaon: Penguin Books. Correa, C. (2013, May 23). Charles Correa in conversation with RIBA President Angela Brady. (A. Brady, Interviewer) Almeida, Sarto, Mehta, J. (2008). Architecture of Goa: Seeking Vision and Identity - the Current Scene. Retrieved from https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-21229 D’Souza, D. N. (2015, June 18). Charles Correa No More : ‘His works were ahead of time’. Indian Express. Fernandes, J. (2015, June 17). The ‘Moidekar’ who hoped to save Goa. The Times of India. Frampton, K. (1997). Charles Correa. Thames & Hudson;. Khopkar, A. (Director). (2008). Volume Zero [Motion Picture]. Menezes, V. (2015, July 11). Goa’s dirty secret : Charles Correa was consistently ignored. The Times of India. Varma, R. (2016, June 16). Architecture as an Agent of Change: Remembering Charles Correa, “India’s Greatest Architect’’. Retrieved from www.archdaily.com: https://www.archdaily.com/789384/architecture-as-agent-of-change-remembering-charles-correa-india
photoessay
boa vistas da Cidade de Goa
A picture is worth a thousand words, and so here’s 13,000 words (or maybe more) worth of photos that tried to capture the true essence of Correa designed 5 star resort. We should probably stress on the ‘tried’ bit, because nothing could never match the actual experience of visiting the place, driving down the driveway, passing through each opening and letting the views unfold before you. This is just an attempt to bring it to you in paper.
‘‘a part of Lisbon washed up against the coast of Goa’’
a modernist cuboidic mass
sequential unfolding of views
beach please
responding to the site
‘ts got Correa written all over it’
dining under a starry night in Alfama - In Goa!
trompe l’oeil
article
the fall of Correa’s iconic gateway
A wave of new developments being carried out at Cidade de Goa, the 5 star resort designed by Charles Correa in the 1980S, threatens to sideline the essense of the place that he sought to achieve. The latest, the demolition of the famous entrance gateway. What does it mean for the complex?
The Cidade de Goa resort in Dona Paula is porbably more famous for the fact that it was designed by the great Charles Correa than for it being a five star luxury beach side getaway, atleast in the minds of architects. It remains however, a beautiful place to experience with mesmerizing vistas and a picturesque setting constantly ushering you to pinch yourself and ask ‘Is this real?’. Yet, it is its own biggest competition, and finds the need to constantly revamp itself inorder to keep up with the trends of the hospitality sector. It is this very reason that has bought the demolition of one of the iconic elements of Charles Correas masterplan; the entrance gateway. Cidade de Goa, situated in Dona Paula, was built in 1982 based on a concept of a Iberian town by Charles Correa. In the roughly 1000sq.m of area he has created an entire experience of a town with little nooks and gimmicks to characterize it. It has all the feels of a Goan town, or village, rather as it explores the century old relationship shared between land and water, central to the Goan identity. It therefore serves as a great modern icon for the place. Cidade de Goa is no stranger to change. It has undergone major refurbishment and extension works ever since its inception in 1982. Architect Ralino De Souza comes to mind, who designed the new wing symmetrically opposite to the main block and executed it so sensitively that it blends in seamlessy with Correas building. Infact, the onlooker would think that it was all designed by Correa himself. However, in recent times, change seems to have accelerated in the complex, with a new hotel block being built right behind the original quatros of the resort. This divides the site into two very distinct parts - the lower one with the original resort (and other structures) by Charles Correa, and the upper portion with the new hotel on the cliff. The entrance driveway would then be required to be the focal nodal point from which circulation to either is carried out. Hence one can see the owners desire to demolish the entrance gate for a bigger and more grander one befitting the increased capacity and footfall.
The old gateway would pleasantly greet passers by on the Dr. E Borges Road
Now you might think - why the fuss over just a simple gateway? But is that all it is was? a structure like any other, built in stone to certain dimensions and plastered and painted over? Wrong. This, just like the other buildings, was no ordinary piece of architecture. For one, it was the face of the resort; It was the only parcel of built form that stood facing the main road warmly greeting passers by while also cordially inviting visitors into the site for a memorable experience. One can reminisce about the friendly exchanges with the security guards while they asked you to open your trunk for security check. Once you were good to go, you would then embark from there to the lower part of the resort. The gateway was also a vital part of the concept of the resort. Anyone familiar with the design and layout of the resort will know that it is but a mixture of fragmented abstract pieces of imagery which on the whole unite together to give the visitor the experience of a lifetime, etched into the soul. This experience is sequential, built up slowly in the visitor at each stage, taking him around like a rollercoaster. Take away the first and most important part, and you ruin the whole thing. Much like watching the climax of a movie without the whole build up. Through visual imagery, Correa has made the mundane extraordinary. A wall in the passage of the lobby is therefore not just a wall, but a street leading to you to different experiences, painted ofcourse, but adding a ‘fourth dimension’ to the space. Correa roped in many famous painters from Mumbai for this trompe l’oeil which reaches its height at the entrance traffic circle, with the soldiers guarding the door.
Changing Times : the new multi storey hotel juts above the landscape overlooking the resort. Note the right wing building by Architect Ralino De Souza on the right, blending seamlessly into the surrounding environs
So the gateway is part of a much larger scheme of things, and its strategic position as the first of all these elements, the one that kick starts all of it gives it prime importance, a bit like the show starter which sets the tone for things to come, makes it all the more harder to swallow this new development. Once one passes the gate, one would descend onto the road carved out in the rock to ultimately lead to the complex. Not to mention, the entrance was also a part of the logo of Cidade de Goa. Clearly, we can see how important it is. Correa once wrote about this sort of multi fragmented experience. ‘As a young architect, I’m perplexed by the contrary attitudes of two quite different thought processes...one which produces architecture which has very strong conceptual ideas but which you do not really linger beyond the first five minutes.’ while the other ‘which does not involve any holistic schema at all’. Cidade de Goa clearly follows the second thought process - it is but a ‘series of spellbinding effects, one after another, perhaps without any real inter-relationshop - except, ofcourse, that one set-piece follows the previous one in a knockout sequence’. The same concept is followed, as he points out, in Chinese Gardens where the sum is greater than the part. So before anyone dismisses the demolition of the entrance gate as an ordinary event, it is best to go deep down into the ethos that Correa has fixed into the site. Only then will one know the implications of the act. However, in order to prevent sounding too clingy... we must move on. What comes in the place of it remains to be seen but no matter how big or grand it may be, it would never quite compare to Correas gateway. The resort will survive and continue to hit the heights and won’t really be affected by it. But those who have experienced the transition through that gateway will know what a good feeling it was. Sadly, noone can experience it ever again and all that remains of it is photographs and memories in people’s hearts.
References: Frampton, K. (1997). Charles Correa. Thames & Hudson; Correa, C. (2010). A Place in the Shade. Gurgaon: Penguin Books
video
The aura of Cidade de Goa
Cidade de Goa is perhaps best enjoyed against the backdrop of a Portuguese fado. Here is just that - A short video that tries to capture the essence of the place - no fancy tricks, but just raw footage of the sussegado life at the resort
obrigado
