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Joseph Allen Stein: Architect Who Brought Modernism to India
- 1. JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN 1912 – 2001
- 2. BIOGRAPHY Joseph Allen Stein was born on April 10, 1912, in Omaha, Nebraska. He studied architecture at the University of Illinois. In 1952 he moved to India, and became head of the department of architecture at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta. He worked in New Delhi from 1955 onwards. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor, in 1992.
- 3. He is noted for designing several important buildings in India, most notably in Lodhi Estate in Central Delhi, nicknamed "Steinabad" after him, and where today the 'Joseph Stein Lane', is the only road in Delhi named after an architect
- 4. WORKS the headquarters of the Ford Foundation, Unicef and the World Wide Fund for Nature a conference center called the India International Center (1959–62) the India Habitat Center for housing and environmental studies. Gandhi-King Plaza, an open-air memorial in IIC Triveni Kala Sangam Arts center, New Delhi, India. the American International School the Australian high commission in Chanakyapuri Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode campus, Kerala Kashmir Conference Center, srinagar Four factories for Escorts Ltd., Faridabad
- 5. PHILOSOPHY Mr stein brought a california modernism sensitivity to the country. His approach is called modern regionalism. According to him “regional without modern is reactionary, and modern without regional is insensitive, inappropriate.” His second guiding factor was to seek the character of the solution in the nature of the problem.
- 6. He realised the impact development was having on the ecology and his designs sought to find harmony. The only possible solution was along Gandhian lines- simple and ecologically gentle solutions. Mr Stein’s designs were modernistic, but inspired by India’s past. He was good at working with local materials, be it granite or glazed tiles, both influences of Tughlaq architecture. He also used jalis in most of his works. In the wider landscape of nature, he used local materials where he tried to merge his buildings with nature
- 7. He typically designed two- to four-storey buildings that fused with the surrounding trees, gardens and pools; flowers and vines would spill over the walls. He would have vertical gardens, courtyards covered with trees and plants, ponds blooming with lotuses, and vast landscaped lawns. He was described as “building in the garden”.
- 8. INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTER Founded in 1958 Inaugurated in 1962 It is a unique establishment in that it serves as a meeting place for the various cultural and intellectual offerings the city has to offer
- 9. PLAN The center is composed of stein’s individually articulated blocks- 46 guest rooms, lounge and dining room in one Programmed blocks of library and offices, domed auditorium are all grouped around two great courts
- 12. Plants in courtyard Paving pattern Fountain sculptures Exposed brickwork Precast concrete panels Window and shading devices of diff sizes The surfaces and materials Stein used: local stone, cast concrete jalis, blue and green ceramic tiles as highlights, were an updating of the Sultanate architecture of Delhi, which Stein had learned to love and admire through weekly exploration.
- 13. INDIA HABITAT CENTER It is a multipurpose building in New Delhi, India. Mixing work, commercial and social spaces, it is India’s most comprehensive convention centre
- 14. There are 5 main building blocks which are interconnected by means of aerial walkways. The offices of TERI, Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (HUDCO), National Housing Bank (NHB), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), International Labour Organization (ILO), etc are located within the premises
- 15. DESIGN CONCEPT The height of the building is around 30m high. The entire facade is cladded with red bricks which give a majestic look to the structure. Vertical and Horizontal ribbon windows have been used with a special glass that restricts the entry of sunlight.
- 16. OPEN SPACES 1. Plaza 2. Amphitheatr e 3. Open seminar space 4. Open air diner
- 17. COURTYARD Building are grouped around climate temperate courts shade by overhead sun screens and enlivened by vertical gardens
- 18. SHADING DEVICE The reflectors are installed above the building to provide shade and prevent sun from entering into the building. The reflectors are aligned at an angle which reflect back 70% of the sunlight and change their angle during winter to allow sunlight to fall on the windows.
- 19. USER EXPERIENCE Wonderful construction with garden courtyard! It’s so spacious and leaving Way for free air, sunlight and green space. Always love to visit the IHC for its cool and comforting atmosphere. What a wonderful architecture. I also enjoy eating at the two food courts here. Wonderful work. The grandure, cool and comfortable atmosphere and the livelyness of the campus is the main achievement of this great Architect.
- 20. TRIVENI KALA SANGAM A huge cultural complex with 4 different galleries- Triveni kala sangam house The sri dharni gallery Triveni gallery Sculpture court and art heritage
- 22. BUILDING MATERIAL the external façade has exposed brick work. Also has a system of intricate pre cast jalis
- 23. AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER’S RESIDENCE The Australian High Commissioner’s Residence was built in the late 1950s in the Chanakyapuri district of New Delhi
- 24. Local design details, such as stone jalis combined with large expanses of glass in a way that respected both traditional knowledge and modernist principles. The current High Commissioner’s wife said that the house was a joy to inhabit, the space flowing around the splendid central hall and each room feeling airy and open, with ready access to the outside.
- 25. GANDHI KING PLAZA The Gandhi-King Plaza is a little garden at one corner of the India International Centre. There is a brick pillar whose four sides are inscribed with the sayings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King
- 26. There two pilkhand trees, giving the plaza a permanent shade. The space created under the canopy is used for exhibition and similar events .
- 27. As expressed in a blog “Be it the two trees, the cane chairs, the stony landscape, the bird chatter, or the lovely pool, they all intermingle to create a Macondo of the mind, a place with no contact with the outside world. ”
- 28. CONCLUSION His legacy is that of living architecture - human in scale with spaces, which soothe and inspire. In a world of falling standards , his work remains exceptional .
- 29. REFERENCES BOOKS White, Stephen(1993). The architecture of Joseph Allen Stein in India and California. Oxford University Press NEWSPAPER ARTICLES An American In Delhi(2011, Sept 2). Mint Newspaper Stein’s gone but his works live on (2001, Oct 8) Times Of India Obituary – A built legacy:Joseph Allen Stein (2001, Nov 10) The Hindu
- 30. WEBSITES Joseph Allen Stein (n.d.) Retreived Aug 5 2014 from en:wikipedia.org/wiki/joseph_allen_stein The Biological Dictionary of Delhi-Joseph Allen Stein b.Oncaha, 1912-2001 (sept 7,2011) Retreived from www.thedelhiwala.com/2011/09/07/the- biographical-dictonary-of-delhi-1912-2001
Editor's Notes
- In San Francisco, he designed modest homes in the California style, but also became increasingly interested in the issues of low cost housing. With the outbreak of the Korean war and the rise of McCarthyism in 1950, he felt the need to find a location where his talent as an architect could be more freely expressed, and so left the US.
- Many Indian architects worked with Stein and were influenced by him, especially in terms of sensitivity to material. “From him, I learned perseverance, not letting my building principles be swayed by clients,” says Praveen Vashisht, who worked with Stein in the early 1980s and whose firm looks after Stein buildings such as Triveni Kala Sangam in Delhi and the Express Towers in Mumbai. “He believed in the straightforward expression of the intent of the building and how it was related to the site.” The new buildings, with their blinding glass façades, are all examples of architecture working against nature. “Why do we always want our buildings to be sensational and stunning?” asks Ms Jalil. “Why are we not able to see a beauty that is subdued and understated?” She is sitting at Gandhi-King Plaza. Two giant pilkhand trees, planted by the master architect himself, give permanent shade. Every element calms you. Being an essentially shy man, Stein did not push to publicize his work or publish as widely as he should have. He preferred to have his work speak by example, and also showed by example how to live a complete life honest to one's own beliefs.
- Mr Stein foresaw what the juggernaut of progress would do to the delicate balance of ecosystems; his designs sought to find harmony. In an interview in 1982, he said: “India has intense and sharply drawn environmental problems. There is probably no possibility of solutions here except along what may be called Gandhian lines, which means essentially seeking simple and ecologically gentle solutions.” In a world of falling standards, his work remains exceptional.
- In 1952, Mr Stein arrived in Calcutta as a professor of architecture. India under prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a liberal land open to ideas and hungry for progress. Mahatama Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore lived on in people’s minds. Their ideals of creative thinking and simple living shaped Mr Stein’s philosophy of integrating man-made construction with nature’s expressiveness
- It provides three activity streams: The Intellectual Stream, which is supported with the organization of seminars, symposia, meetings, discussions, and a well stocked library that also helps publish papers. The Cultural Stream, through events like dance recitals, film screenings, and drama. The Social Stream, through its hostel and catering facilities which brings together people in a pleasant setting.
- Other spaces Auditorium- Hexagonal. For 240 persons. Small stage mainly for delivering lectures. Exhibition area- Conference room- 40 persons Library , guest room , hostel , general and private dining and bar, restaurant
- PLAN the first, or entrance court, provides access on the north side to the guest room on the south to the auditorium and programmed block of library and offices Passing through the portico ,the visitor enters into the main courtyard and then into the gardens of the ,which the rear and the north of the sides of the site The surrounding north wing of survices and the west wingof the guest –rooms have been raised up on piers, bringing the Lodi tombs into framed view and creating a large verandah beneath. N The guest –room wing has also been given a curved form which approaches and then recedes away from the Lodi gardens site boundary.
- COURTYARD AND GARDENSThe India international centre is conceived as design of interrelated interior and shaded space courtyards and gardens. Each courtyard and garden at theIIC has a difference function and aspect.
- It is a complex of institutional and office spaces , conference sand library facility for groups involved with environment and habitat issues architect Joseph Allen Stein decided to radically change the traditional image of an office building as an architectural project and transformed it into an urban design project.. Constructed on nine acres in an urban area, the building eschewed traditional building materials and technique
- The Habitat Centre would be a home not only to those offices and research organizations but in order to facilitate their interaction, the centre provides a range of facilities like conference venues, exhibition halls, seminar rooms, restaurants and performance venues for cultural activities. Habitat Centre is conceived to provide a physical environment which would serve as a catalyst for a synergic relationship between individuals and institutions working in diverse habitat related areas and therefore, maximize the total effectiveness. The space was designed to permit the members of the Centre to share services both inside and outside the building with multiple courtyards, common meeting rooms, shared parking area, library, restaurants, museum, and hotels, some of which are open to the general public
- The creation of a green and healthy environment forms the backbone of the complex The courts are elevated on plinth over a car parking so that a series of pleasant civic spaces for pedestrians are created These spaces become semi enclosed atrium like area ssuitable for a variety of functions including exhibitions, displays and conferences
- The main attraction is the remarkable courtyard within the building which is filled with trees and greenery which creates an image of garden with well-planned air ventilation within the building. Given the heat of the Indian summer, many of the exterior spaces are shaded by delicate blue patio covers, casting intricate shadows and further blurring the distinction between inside and out The courtyards are planted with a pleasing array of greenery – large pots and beds of evergreen shrubs and tall trees, providing a more human feel and scale amongst the concrete monumentality.
- Stein’s design is beautifully simple. Using local materials and with a deep understanding of the harsh Delhi climate, he produced a house that related perfectly to the lush green landscape in which it sat.
- The Gandhi-King Plaza is a snug little garden at one corner of the India International Centre (IIC), Delhi’s so-called intellectual hub.
- there is no showiness of the next-door Lodhi Garden: no exotic flowers, no grassy expanse, no scenic ruin. Instead, every element here conspires to un-excite your feelings and lull them into tranquility.
- The plaza allows you to see and feel what you want to. Everything else is screened off, like the sunlight.