Charles Correa

Presentation on Architect
Charles Correa
Presenters:
Asmita Adhikari BAE/2070/06
Barsha Malla Thakuri
BAE/2070/08
Bindu Regmi BAE/2070/10
Prabal Dahal BAE/2070/27
1
Ar. Charles Correa by Asmita, Barsha,
Bindu, Prabal. January 2016

Content of Presentation
 Introduction
 Philosophies
 Work 1: Vidhan Bhawan
 Work 2: British Council Building
 Work 3: Champalimaud Centre
 Other Works
 Conclusion
Bindu, Prabal. January 2016 2

Introduction
 Born in 1930, Charles Correa grew up in the city of
Secunderabad in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh
 University of Bombay, followed by the University of Michigan
and then MIT Massachusetts
 Awarded with prestigious: The Padma Vibhushan, the
Australian Decoration for Science and Art, and the Royal
Gold Medal
 Leading architect for urban growth centres and founder of the
Urban Design Research Institute in Bombay, his work uses a
combination of traditional and modern features in order to
create cutting-edge designs.
 Correa has written essays and theoretical works focusing on
the differing aspects of architecture and urban planning

Inspirations
 Hornby trains and Chinese gardens
 Hornby Trains:
They had flexibility. Every time one finished playing, back they went
into their wooden box – to be reincarnated the next day in a totally
new formation.
 Chinese gardens:
It gradually builds and builds until it finally overwhelms you. Hornby
all over again! First you go through the sequence of pond and
bridge and dragon wall in one direction, and then you find yourself
coming in from another direction, experiencing them all in another
sequence, in another order, from another height and so forth. The
same handful of props are used and reused, again and again. And
each time, because of a slight change in angle, or in sequence, they
carry a new significance.
 He described that the works of Le Corbusier gave him the freedom
to invent architecture of the future
Fig. Hornby Trains
model

Ideas, Principles and
Philosophies
 Architecture is not abstraction.... it should work.
 Architecture is a three-legged stool: climate, technology
and culture. Together they generate the building.
 “We do not know if architecture can be taught — but we
know it can be learnt,” “For learning is a process that
depends on us ourselves, and our attitude of mind.”
 “History is a profound repository of space and time. It is
the abstract principles we discover in history that we
imbibe and learn from.”

Philosophies
 Metaphysical values:
- OPEN TO SKY
Heaven Earth relationship...we force today... It was
primordial and basic... example: Rome's Pantheon
“I know I can get educated in non open to sky space but
I am not sure about enlightenment.” Charles at Seminar
Jana Pravaha, Mumbai
“Open space means being in the open, like the guru
sitting under a tree. It’s beyond education – it’s
enlightenment. When you sit on the seashore,
something happens to your mind.” Excerpt from
Charles’ interview extracted from Uncube Magazine

Philosophies
 Instrumentality, Identity, Pluralism, Income generation, Equity,
Disaggregation.
 Use of Vastu Shastra
 Centre has to be empty...Brahman
 The empty space kind of gives a sense of orientation
Fig. Conceptual plan of Jawahar Kala
Kendra by Ar. Charles Correa based
on Mandala of 9 planetary systems:
architecture as a Metaphor

SOME OF HIS WORKS

MP VIDHAN SABHA
 ‘Vidhan Bhavan is a public building which
should say something very powerful
about democracy, It is a building which
has got to down with the idea of
governing yourself. It has to express the
role it has to play and tell people that this
is your city, this is your state and you
must participate in it, It must not be low-
key. It should have a presence.’
 -Charles Correa

MP VIDHAN SABHA
 Deep understanding of the Vedic principles
Won prestigious AGA KHAN award for this in 1999

MP VIDHAN SABHA

MP VIDHAN SABHA
Fig. Ariel view, model and elevation of
MP Vidhan Sabha by Ar. Charles
Correa

MP VIDHAN SABHA

 The building is located in the centre of Bhopal
 Since the main access road is not axial , but swings towards
the site in a rather casual manner , the plan of the building
developed is as a circle, so it could have an auto nous unity
and presence, regardless of the direction from which it is
approached.
 References of this circular form are – parliament building in
New Delhi, Buddhist stupa near Sanchi.
MP VIDHAN SABHA

 The plan is a pattern of
gardens within gardens,
divided into 9 squares .
 The five central ones are
halls and courtyards , while
the 4 corner positions are
occupied by The Vidhan
Sabha , The Vidhan
Parishad, Central library,
and Combined hall.
MP VIDHAN SABHA
 It also contains a host of other facilities : offices, cabinet rooms,
cafeterias, common rooms for security staff etc..
 According to the requirements there are 3 main entrances-
for public, VP’s, MLA’s
 While moving along verandah and overlooking courtyards and
gardens – as in traditional architecture of India.

MP VIDHAN SABHA
 The whole building presents as extremely pleasing vision of
powerful curves and straight vertical and horizontal lines.

 Correa has used open to sky courtyards and a
labyrinthine pattern of pathways to organize the
complex requirements of administrative and
legislative functions.
MP VIDHAN SABHA

 The whole composition is enclosed by a wall that defines its exterior
form like a circular inner city- a model of the city of Baghdad.
 This approach has generated an interesting roofs cape and skylines,
too often missing in contemporary architecture.
 The use of gateways and domes and a tower to develop the imagery
of this landmark is very much in the tradition of the harmonic order
found in the traditional architecture of Islam.
MP VIDHAN SABHA

BRITISH COUNCIL
• Year : 1987 – 1992
• Location : Delhi
• Materials : walls - red sandstone , sculptures
–
black rock quarried from Mahabalipuram.
• It is the headquarters of their office in India.
• Houses a library , an auditorium and
an art gallery too.
• Correa’s challenge - to express the three
basic
cultural identities that have shaped
contemporary
India.
• These elements are arranged in a series
of layers – represents the historic interfaces
that have existed between India and Britain.
• He created a series of three courtyards
representing the three cosmic focal points
that stand for the world centre in Hindu,
Muslim and European cultures.

 The first node at the farthest end of
the
axis : mundi of Hinduism
A spiral symbolizing bindu : energy
center of the cosmos
 The central node : It is the main
courtyard
derived from the Islamic ‘Char Bagh’
 The third is the European icon : inlaid
in
marble and granite.
Represents ‘Age of Reason’
including mythical values of science and
progress
BRITISH COUNCIL DELHI

 On the main facade is Howard
Hodgkin’s mural, made of
white makrana marble inlaid
with black cuddapah stone.
 The black stone design is
representing the shadow cast
by a giant banyan tree waving
in the wind.

Fig. Conceptual Sketches for The
British Council, Delhi

Fig. Photographs showing the openness of British Council
Delhi as designed by Ar. Charles Correa

CHAMPALIMAUD CENTRE FOR
THE UNKNOWN
BY CHARLES CORREA

QUICK DESCRIPTION
 Champalimaud Centre for the
Unknown is a research institute based
in Lisbon focused in biomedical
science particularly in the fields of
cancer research and neuroscience.
 The centre was named for the late
Portuguese businessman and
benefactor Antonio Champalimaud
CHAMPALIMAUD CENTRE FOR THE UNKNOWN

ABOUT THE CENTRE
 Architects: Charles Correa Associates
 Location: Lisbon, Portugal
 Project Team: Charles Correa, Sachin
Agshikar, Manas Vanwari, Dhaval Malesha
 Architect Of Record: Glintt
 Laboratory And Clinical Design: RMJM
 Services: Vanderwell
 Structure: LNM
 Bridge Design: Joerg Schlaich
 Lighting: DPA
 Signage: Studio Dambar
 Area: 50000.0 sqm

CHIEF ARCHITECT’s Words:
“What makes me most proud about this
project is that it is NOT a Museum of
Modern Art. On the contrary, it uses the
highest levels of contemporary science
and medicine to help people grappling
with real problems; cancer, brain
damage and going blind. And to house
these cutting-edge activities, we tried to
create a piece of architecture.
Architecture as Sculpture. Architecture
as Beauty. Beauty as therapy.”
-Ar. Charles Correa

Fig. Site location and geography

Fig. Deriving the form from the site

Fig. Using the site itself as a source of

The project is divided into three key
elements –
A. The research and healthcare
building
B. The conference centre building
C. An open to air amphitheatre

Bindu, Prabal. January 2016 34Fig. The Centre

Furthermore, the centre comprises-
• The Complex
• Laboratories
• Champalimaud Clinical Centre
• Auditorium
• Exhibition Centre
• Darwin's Cafe
• Cafeteria
• Gardens
• Public Area

CHARACTERS
 It has a
curved stone
form with
circular cut-
ways.
 It features a
Glass Bridge
designed by
Schlaich
Bergermann
and Partner—
Klaus Straub

CHARACTERS
 The path rises at a
gentle slope that
obscures the ocean
view until the end,
where two concrete
monoliths frame a view
to a pool of water and
the Atlantic beyond.
 Glass walls on all four
floors face a large
indoor-outdoor sunken
garden—Correa likens
it to a Brazilian rain
forest—defined on its
south edge by a curved
stone wall and topped
by a pergola.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swm4vc7i4U8

Other Works
 Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalya
Museum, Ahmedabad (1958-63)
 “Heritage does not mean that you
make a cartoon version of the past.”

Fig. Left: View of Gandhi Smarak
Sangrahalaya
Right: Plan and Elevation of the
Museum

Other Works
 Tube House, Ahmedabad (1961-
62)
 “Dealing with environment/energy is
more than using glass tower, low
yield glass to get LEED certificate.
We can do it using form, dealing
with climate....” Charles at Seminar
Jana Pravaha, Mumbai

Other Works
 Kanchanjunga Apartments,
Mumbai, 1970-83)
 “…the garden terraces of the
Kanchanjunga Apartments are
actually a modern interpretation of a
feature of the traditional Indian
bungalow: the veranda.” Archdaily
website
Fig. KanchanJunga Apartments

Fig. Islamic Cultural Centre, Toronto

Conclusion
 Exquisite use of line and geometric balance
 “Architecture is sculpture with gesture of human
occupation...not just abstract sculpture.”
 Architecture as a Metaphor:
-“Architecture should be such that more of
meaningful things come out of our system.”
-Open spaces
“…we need to be on the cutting edge... not just
think about profit! No building is better than the
client who commissions it…”

THANK YOU!
GOOD DAY!

Charles Correa

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (13)

Similar to Charles Correa

Similar to Charles Correa (14)

More from Prabal Dahal

More from Prabal Dahal (13)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Charles Correa