What is the relevance of the Chandigarh experiment today? Written by an esteemed scholar and former resident of the city, this fascinating book re-evaluates Le Corbusier’s work in Chandigarh in terms of the pressing challenges of the present, in particular climate change, globalization, neo-nationalism and information technology. Through a lively poststructuralist and postcolonial framework, the book explores issues of preservation, identity, meaning, and change, comparing how the Chandigarh we see today compares to the original plans and drawings. But the book also asks whether Chandigarh’s aesthetics, as well as the ethical tenets on which it was based, are still relevant to urban planning and landscape architecture today. What lessons, if any, does the utopian ethos within modernism offer in the face of the climate crisis, rising authoritarianism and the digital explosion? Via chapters focused on the hydrologics of the master-plan, the symbolism of the Capitol buildings and the archaeology of the unbuilt Museum of Knowledge, this book makes the future-preservation case for Chandigarh as an ‘open’ work, a project that was set up by design to be ‘completed’ by others in times yet to come. Engaging and erudite throughout, the book will appeal to any student, scholar or professional with an interest in architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning.

A carefully crafted selection of essays from international experts, this book explores the effect of colonial architecture and space on the societies involved - both the colonizer and the colonized. Focusing on British India and Ceylon, the essays explore the discursive tensions between the various different scales and dimensions of such 'empire-building' practices and constructions. Providing a thorough exploration of these tensions, Colonial Modernities challenges the traditional literature on the architecture and infrastructure of the former European empires, not least that of the British Indian 'Raj'. Illustrated with seventy-five halftone images, it is a fascinating and thoroughly grounded exposition of the societal impact of colonial architecture and engineering.

What is the relevance of the Chandigarh experiment today? Written by an esteemed scholar and former resident of the city, this fascinating book re-evaluates Le Corbusier’s work in Chandigarh in terms of the pressing challenges of the present, in particular climate change, globalization, neo-nationalism and information technology. Through a lively poststructuralist and postcolonial framework, the book explores issues of preservation, identity, meaning, and change, comparing how the Chandigarh we see today compares to the original plans and drawings. But the book also asks whether Chandigarh’s aesthetics, as well as the ethical tenets on which it was based, are still relevant to urban planning and landscape architecture today. What lessons, if any, does the utopian ethos within modernism offer in the face of the climate crisis, rising authoritarianism and the digital explosion? Via chapters focused on the hydrologics of the master-plan, the symbolism of the Capitol buildings and the archaeology of the unbuilt Museum of Knowledge, this book makes the future-preservation case for Chandigarh as an ‘open’ work, a project that was set up by design to be ‘completed’ by others in times yet to come. Engaging and erudite throughout, the book will appeal to any student, scholar or professional with an interest in architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning.

Collects recent scholarship on modernism which outlines a new decentred history of global modernism in architecture Over 100 black and white illustrations Contributions from the US, UK, Europe and Australia

Collects recent scholarship on modernism which outlines a new decentred history of global modernism in architecture Over 100 black and white illustrations Contributions from the US, UK, Europe and Australia

A renaissance man of Indian modernism, Aditya Prakash (1923-1988) trained as an architect in London and also studied at the Glasgow School of Art. His buildings adhered to the strictest principles of modernism as adapted to the Indian climatic and living conditions. His work in all forms is characterised by rigorous authenticity and directness. He began his career as an architect in the Chandigarh Capital Project and later went to work for the Punjab Agricultural University before he became the principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture. Besides practising architecture, Prakash was a prolific painter, sculptor, furniture designer, stage set-designer, poet and public speaker. As an academic, his first love was sustainable urbanism. He published two books and several papers on the subject. This book traces the width of Prakash's career and obsessions, and includes critical essays, interviews and a chronology of works, along with lavish illustrations of a portfolio of select works.

A carefully crafted selection of essays from international experts, this book explores the effect of colonial architecture and space on the societies involved - both the colonizer and the colonized. Focusing on British India and Ceylon, the essays explore the discursive tensions between the various different scales and dimensions of such 'empire-building' practices and constructions. Providing a thorough exploration of these tensions, Colonial Modernities challenges the traditional literature on the architecture and infrastructure of the former European empires, not least that of the British Indian 'Raj'. Illustrated with seventy-five halftone images, it is a fascinating and thoroughly grounded exposition of the societal impact of colonial architecture and engineering.

Shivdatt Sharma (b. 1931) is one of the most prolific Indian modernist architects. Starting out as an architect in the Chandigarh Capital Project Team led by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Sharma subsequently became Chief Architect of the Indian Space Research Organisation. He then went into private practice. Sharmas architecture is a distinct blend of the core principles of Modernism, interpreted through the lens of contemporary Indian realities. Modernism was adopted as both symbol and instrument of nation-building in Nehruvian India. Working alongside designers and artists, architects went to work building innumerable small townships, universities, public institutions, housing estates and infrastructural projects across the country. Progressive businesses also patronized Modernism as full participants in the project of nation-building. The Modernism in India Series documents the extensive heritage of Modernism and modern architecture in India. Bringing to light the work of a forgotten generation, this series documents work that is currently under threat by the forces of globalization. This well-illustrated book documents Sharmas work from the early days, when it was a part of the experimental and innovative ethos of Chandigarh, to the present. He has designed for a range of public and private clients across the world. Along with a portfolio of selected works, this book includes critical essays, interviews and a chronology of projects.