Charles Mark Correa (born, September 1, 1939-died June 16, 2015) was one of India’s leading architects and urban planners. Awarded the title of “Indıa’s greatest archıtect,” by RIBA, Correa has been highly respected both nationally and internationally for his more than 100 constructed projects and architectural approach. Redefining the principles of modernism, the architect rejected cold glass and steel structures, emphasizing the use of local materials in his buildings and harmoniously developing tradition and modernity. Blending India’s cultural and climatic conditions with modern architecture, Charles Correa argued that buildings are not just physical structures, but also spaces that shape the relationship between people and the environment.
Ferry at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. I Photo credit: David Brossard via Wikimedia Commons 2.0
Navi Mumbai architect Charles Correa thought a lot about ways to build efficient cities around the three key ingredients of jobs-housing-transportation, with adequate attention to social, cultural and educational institutions. The Charles Correa Foundation’s Nagari Film Festival 2024 was all about urban mobility.
Few people realize that Goa, too, is a land of five rivers: the Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, Terekhol and Chapora. This, in addition to Goa’s access to the sea routes via Mormugao and Panjim Minor ports, makes Goa one of the premier destinations for developing water-transport infrastructure in India.
Currently, ferries and bridges like the Atal Setu over the Mandovi take people across, on their way to school, work and other day-to-day activities. But there are chokepoints and limitations. For one, the bridges typically only connect the two banks where the river is the narrowest, rather than taking people as close as possible to their final destination over water. Two, as the population (domestic and tourist) grows, the pressures on infrastructure rise too.
An obvious fix, says Harvard University Graduate School of Design-trained architect Nondita Correa Mehrotra, is running water buses that can hit the sweet spot between affordability, accessibility, efficiency and lower climate impact.
The Charles Correa Gold Medal is an award initiated in 1998 by Indian architect and urbanist Charles Correa. Through the format of the Gold Medal, the Charles Correa Foundation intends to not only challenge students and schools of architecture to focus on pressing issues, but also to emphasize the role that architects can play in society as “agents of change”.
Looking at the world around us, we believe it is crucial for everyone to understand how to build sustainably and use our resources judiciously. Continuing the theme from the previous year, the Charles Correa Gold Medal will focus on thesis projects that address climate concerns through architecture design. Charles Correa coined the phrase ‘Form Follows Climate’ and often said “to build in India is to respond to climate”.
PANEL DISCUSSION
ARCHITECTURE THESIS PROJECT – WHAT CAN THEY SAY, WHAT CAN THEY DO?
As a part of the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024, the Charles Correa Foundation organized a panel discussion on the present and future of the graduating thesis projects at architecture schools in India titled, Architecture Thesis Project – What can they say, what can they do?
The discussion was led by Dr. Kaiwan Mehta, and the panel consisted of Ainsley Lewis, Vandana Sinh and Mustansir Dalvi.
Jury
The jury for the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024 is Sameep Padora (Architect and Author), Edoardo Narne (Architect, Academician and Author), Vyjayanthi Rao (Anthropologist, Writer and Curator), Melissa Smith (Architect and Urban Planner) and Kaiwan Mehta (Architect, Academic and Researcher), where they mainly looked for entries that consider the site and context of the proposed project with clarity in the formulation and addressal of real-life issues.
Gold Medal 2024 Winner
‘Water Edges: Navigating Inequity and Dilemmas related to Urban Water’ by Dweep Jain
The project is laudable as it works on multiple scales, addressing complex challenges at the urban scale as well as very detailed solutions to everyday problems, such as street furniture, building envelopes, and toilets. It is a sensitive response to the cultural framework, and incorporates astute observation into its design framework. As a result of this intensity, it sets an example of flexible thinking in its loose structure that allows change over time. It is putting the same importance on sacred space, scale, and the quality of details on a human scale. It also takes into account the larger time scale, placing it not only in the present but perhaps also in the future.
Honourable Mentions
‘Land.Water.Life: Majuli’s Symphony of Survival’ by Abhay Rajesh
It is evident from this project that a good student can control the scale, the section, details, and the environmental environment inside the projects using only a limited number of materials, underlining an architectural intelligence. The design is sensitive to the materials available and to the traditional architecture, but also projective, in the way it imagines how this format can be expanded to create new spaces and forms. It effectively creates spaces for livelihoods while simultaneously addressing how spaces could be used at times of catastrophes. It is a project that efficiently communicates a high quality of architectural space and structure.
‘Re-imagining Social Housing through everyday infrastructures’ by Neha Dalvi
The project responds both practically and sensibly to a need for rehabilitation housing that is ubiquitous in Mumbai. It highlights certain qualities of sociality, which is connected to work, care, and maintenance, as opposed to an imagined social life of leisure. This design is contrasted well with the surrounding high rise landscape. The way the exterior spaces connect the houses and the pathways adds to the value of the design by creating a sense of community. The design is well considered within the space constraints that exist. It understands the way small spaces are used temporarily, and imagines the function that might take place in small spaces at the level of the unit as well as in its aggregation at the level of the settlement. The planning here is not only sensible but makes the project economically viable, adding another layer to the design.
Award Ceremony
Watch the Award Ceremony of the Charles Correa Gold Medal 2024 above.
Mustansir Dalvi is Professor of Architecture at Sir JJ College of Architecture (retired). He is on the Board of Governors of the MMR-Heritage Conservation Society and a Trustee of Art Deco Mumbai.
Dalvi holds degrees in architecture and a diploma in Indian Aesthetics from the University of Mumbai. He received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay. He is the author of The Romance of Red Stone: An Appreciation of Ornament on Islamic Architecture in India (2011) and The Past as Present: Pedagogical Practices in Architecture at the Bombay School of Art (2016). Dalvi is the editor of 20th Century Compulsions (Marg, 2016), a collection of writings about early Indian modernist architecture. His latest book, Citizen Charles: a biography Charles Correa, by Niyogi Books, is scheduled to be published in October 2024.
Vandana Sinh
Vandana Ranjitsinh is an architect and educator who is a Founder Principal of Ranjit Sinh Associates. A graduate of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, Vandana began her career with prestigious firms like Atelier Dolf Schnebli Associates, Switzerland; with Kamu Iyer at Architects Combine, Mumbai and Kuenleg Professional Consultants, Bhutan. At Ranjit Sinh Associates – established in Mumbai in 1982 – her work focuses on a commitment to design and environmental sustainability. With over three decades of experience, the firm has been widely recognised and won competitions and awards, including the AESA Gold Award in 2008 for the Best Project in Group Housing for The Woods, Wakad. As an educator, Vandana has taught Architectural Design and Theory at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture, Mumbai since 1993, where she has previously held the position of Chairperson of the Academic Forum. She has conducted workshops and has been a juror across various universities. In 2011, she was awarded Best Architectural Design Teacher by the Maharashtra Association of Schools of Architecture.
Ainsley Lewis
Ainsley Lewis, Dean of M. Arch program at USM’s Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies( KRVIA)., is an urban designer and a distinguished academician for more than two decades. His pedagogical philosophy centers on the synergy between architectural research and manifestation, grounded in semantics and phenomenology. He has contributed significantly to architectural education through capacity-building workshops and lectures on Architectural Design, Informal Housing, and Conservation. Professionally, his firm’s exploration of spatial nomenclatures has earned him national and international recognition, including the UNESCO Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage Award of Merit in 2019 and IIA National Award winner 2021. He recently presented a paper at the UIA2024KL international conference of architects.His work is published in professional journals of architecture, conservation, urban design and interior design.
Kaiwan Mehta
Kaiwan Mehta is a theorist and critic in the fields of visual culture, architecture, and city studies. Mehta has studied Architecture, Literature, Indian Aesthetics and Cultural Studies. In 2017 he completed his doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru, under the aegis of Manipal University. In April 2022 he was appointed as the Dean at Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, at NMIMS University. He was recently elected to the coveted International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA).
Sameep Padora is an architect and author. Born in Chamba, Northern India, Sameep Padora established his Mumbai based practice in 2007 after graduating from the GSD, Harvard University. The studio’s work has been widely published and has in the past received the Wallpaper Design Award for Best Public Building, Beazley Architecture Prize, Wienerberger Brick Award, Archdaily Building of The Year, Wallpaper Design Award for House of the Year, as well as the Architectural Review’s Emerging Architecture and the AR Library Commendation Awards.
Besides the architectural practice, Sameep also runs a not-for-profit sPare that researches issues of urbanization in India with a focus on housing. sPare’s research publications; In the Name of Housing, How to build an Indian House and (de)Coding Mumbai are projects attempting to unravel the production of affordable housing in Indian cities. Sameep has presented the studio’s projects and built work at numerous forums including te Seoul Biennale and at various universities including the GSD, Cooper Union, Cornell and TU Delft amongst others.
Sameep serves on the academic boards of a number of educational institutes and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CEPT University.
Edoardo Narne
Edoardo Narne is an Associate Professor at the University of Padua. Visiting Professor in 2002-2003 in Architectural Design at the Alfonso X University of Madrid, in 2011 at the IUAV in Venice, in 2018 at the Goa College of Architecture in India, occupying the international chair Charles Correa, and in 2019-2022 at ENSTP Youndè, Cameroon. Since 2017 he has been Director of the inter-university Master, University of Padua and University of Catania, “Forms of Contemporary Living”. Member of the teaching staff of the PhD program “Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Sciences” at the University of Padua. He is the author of about one hundred scientific publications. In many of his writings, the themes of living on an urban scale are analyzed with strong attention to the typology and morphology of buildings and to the experiments of social housing and cohousing. Since 2019 he is coordinator and Tutor for the G124 project on the suburbs of the Architect-Senator Renzo Piano.
Vyjayanthi Rao
Vyjayanthi V. Rao is an anthropologist, writer and curator, teaching at the Yale School of Architecture. Her work explores the role of culture and speculation in shaping built and living environments. Her understanding of speculation expands beyond the financial realm into practices that center around the imagination such as design and art. In addition to observant participation through fieldwork, her research draws on sound, image, mapping and collaborations with visual artists and architects. She has published extensively on these subjects, co-curated exhibitions for the Lisbon Architecture Triennale (2022) and the Center for Architecture in New York (2023) and participated as an artist in the Kochi Biennale (2016) and the Chicago Biennale of Architecture (2023). Since 2023, she has been one of the Editors in Chief of the journal Public Culture (Duke University Press).
Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith is an architect and urban planner based in Ahmedabad, India, and founding partner of BandukSmith Studio, an architecture and (urban) design practice which builds, and also asks questions of the way we make our built environments, and how this can impact the realities of practice. She completed Master of Architecture and Master of City & Regional Planning degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, where she was a John K. Branner Fellow in 2010. At CEPT University, where Ms. Smith has been teaching in the Architecture and Planning faculties for the past decade, she served as the founding Program Chair to establish the first Bachelor of Urban Design program India. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, and generally follow how inhabitants tend to restructure their built environments over time.
Kaiwan Mehta
Kaiwan Mehta is a theorist and critic in the fields of visual culture, architecture, and city studies. Mehta has studied Architecture, Literature, Indian Aesthetics and Cultural Studies. In 2017 he completed his doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru, under the aegis of Manipal University. In April 2022 he was appointed as the Dean at Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, at NMIMS University. He was recently elected to the coveted International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA).
Author: Abhay Rajesh Site Location: Majuli Island, Assam Institute: Avani Institute of Design Advisor: Ar. Thushara K
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In response to the annual floods and relentless soil erosion on Majuli Island, this architectural thesis explores how spatial adaptation can enhance resilience and improve the inhabitants’ lives. The “Land Water Life – Majuli’s Symphony of Survival” project focuses on creating multifunctional community spaces that dynamically respond to the island’s ever-changing landscape. The design investigates architectural strategies that facilitate living during and after floods, aiming to extend the functionality and safety of the spaces on the island.
The project delves into the intricate relationship between land, water, and community, highlighting the resilient negotiations the people of Majuli undertake to coexist with their environment. By reimagining traditional Satra spaces and integrating essential healthcare facilities, the project preserves cultural identity while improving access to critical services. This holistic approach underscores the interconnectedness of cultural preservation, environmental resilience, and community well-being.
The thesis emphasizes creating structures that not only adapt to the island’s flooding but also support the community’s socio-cultural revival. Through innovative design strategies, the project aims to serve as a beacon of resilience and empowerment, ensuring that Majuli’s way of life can endure and thrive despite the challenges posed by floods.
Author: Dweep Jain Site Location: Nashik Institute: L.S. Raheja School of Architecture Advisor: Ar. Mridula Pillai
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‘Water edges or boundaries’ are challenging to define due to water’s inherently fluid and dynamic form. In the rapidly urbanizing society, water in the urban realm is increasingly vulnerable. Such is the plight of the Godavari River also known as the as the Dakshin Ganga, is India’s second-longest river. The river is enshrined in scriptures as one of the four sacred rivers worthy of reverence and worship. Godavari not only harbours a strong cultural significance, being the stage for the Kumbh Mela, but also is home to delicate ecosystems. Despite people worshiping the intangible idea of the river, its tangible form has been subject to abuse in the name of development. The inequities become especially severe at the source, in Nashik, where rampant concretization, illegal encroachment etc have severely compromised the river’s health and its ecological network, creating an alarming situation in need of immediate intervention.
By conceptualizing the evolving riverscape as a “form,” this approach responds to the impending climate emergency in Nashik’s precinct. The form is designed to sustain and adapt to its ever-changing environment, creating a resilient and equitable realm. It revitalizes the riverscape, ensuring it nurtures the neighbourhoods and ecosystems that rely on it as their lifeblood. Here, the ghats and built structures are not static; they adapt dynamically to shifting climatic and cultural needs. This approach moves beyond mere preservation, establishing a sustainable and equitable framework that addresses contextual and climatic challenges, ultimately fostering a resilient and thriving precinct. Architecture, in this vision, transcends its physical form, becoming a living entity that adapts to shifting cultural needs as well as, integrates, and mitigates climate emergencies.
Film by Sudarshan Sawant & Dhanesh Gopal Mentored by Pankaj Rishi Kumar
Jury Citation:
Sundari is poetic, moving, and touching. It beautifully intertwines everyday life with local mythologies. Through its evocative visuals and compelling soundscapes, it addresses larger questions about what happens to the natural beauty of a place that becomes the detritus of urbanization. The film looks at an important issue for the communities living in close tandem with such environmental systems. Through the use of creative narrative devices, the film evokes a sense of longing and lament while asking pertinent questions about the city’s exploding infrastructure, its relationship with nature and how we think about climate change.
Film by Sabika Syed & Nikhil Mehrotra Mentored by Pankaj Rishi Kumar
Jury Citation:
Shab-Parak’s power lies in its cinema verite form. It constructs a compelling narrative using real people’s voices and beautiful images shot live on location; instead of relying on an external storyteller’s voice. The film draws attention to a major issue, accessing the city at night, that relates not only to Delhi where this story is set, but to all urban centres. It gives us a glimpse into one of the many unnoticed worlds that exist within a city, and shows how strangers form a community through the simple act of travelling together on a late night bus.
Film by Bhargav Prasad, Archanaa Seker & Pavithra Sriram Mentored by Bina Paul
Jury Citation:
Level Up highlights a very crucial and pertinent issue that cities today need to address, that of inclusivity and accessibility. It raises important questions about urban accessibility for people with disabilities, focusing on both the physical and social discomfort faced by individuals trying to navigate the city.
The film presents its differently abled protagonists as heroes, but it does not shy away from showing their raw struggles with simple, everyday acts. The viewer is led to an understanding of the gravity of the issues they face, and the urgent need to bring about change.
Film by Arundhathi& Sarah Zia Mentored by Bina Paul
In the bustling metropolis of Delhi, lies an unused suburban rail transit network. As the city continues to deal with problems such as traffic congestion, deteriorating air quality and the lack of an integrated, multi-modal public transit system, the film talks explores the potential of the Delhi Ring Railway system as a viable public transit system. The film tells the tale of an erstwhile rail network that offered an effective and affordable alternative to travel across the city but has now gone into oblivion due to the lack of planning and support by the government.
Fathima as she waits to climb the bus | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It has taken 20 years to implement the law seeking the introduction of low-floor buses in Tamil Nadu. On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, these Chennai filmmakers speak about capturing this wait for the Nagari Short Film Competition.
Level Up! begins with a cacophony of horns from buses in Chennai’s traffic-ridden roads. The screen announces that about three million people board this form of public transport every day. In quick succession though, the camera takes Fathima’s perspective. This person with disability can be seen hoisting herself with crutches and making the arduous climb up nearly four feet of steps on the bus to finally get to her seat. It is the only way for her to access this now free means of transportation for women in Tamil Nadu.
Designed to blend seamlessly with its predecessor, the neighboring Cancer Research Centre designed by the late Charles Correa, the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, opened in October 2023.
With a goal to improve treatment and the quality of life for those affected by the disease, the 392,700-square-foot project focuses on operational efficiencies to accelerate treatment and care, bringing together surgical services, research, and clinical trials under one roof.
Innovative architectural features—including round operating rooms with glass walls that change from transparent to opaque at the flip of a switch; infusion bays featuring contemporary pods with views of the water and built-in seating inspired by first-class airline seats; and natural elements such as water features, courtyards, and views of nature—reinforce this strategy while delivering a peaceful environment designed to inspire hope.
The chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group was turned down many times, before building award-winning properties and star hotels with iconic architects B.V. Doshi, Charles Correa and Channa Daswatte.
Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, with Charles Correa at City Centre Salt Lake Kund area. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Another collaboration that led to one of Kolkata’s earliest and most unique malls was with Charles Correa. He too had initially turned Neotia down when the group went to him with the offer of building a mall. Neotia recollected the incident at the 7th edition of the Charles Correa Memorial Lecture. “I’ve never done a mall, I do not believe in malls and do not want to design one.”
How ironic perhaps that Correa’s design created not just the City Centre Mall in Kolkata but also in Patna, Raipur, Siliguri and Haldia. Unlike most malls across the country, City Centre stood out for its organic blending of community spaces and open air areas with air-conditioned stores. When Correa finally agreed to design the mall for the Neotia group he threw down quite the gauntlet.
“He (Correa) said we are not going to make a mall like everyone else does. I was very happy because I thought maybe he would do something new in terms of design. I did not know what I was getting into (laughs). That he would persuade me to do a bazaar crossover with a mall with community spaces within the mall was beyond my imagination. When we built the City Centre, Kolkata already had certain expectations of what a mall would look like. Ansal Plaza in Delhi and Crossroads in Mumbai had already opened so people had a sort of a set idea.” Even now nearly 20 years after the mall first opened there is something inherently organic about City Centre where the “Kund area” has an outdoor amphitheatre surrounded by stores and restaurants and one can choose between air-conditioned comfort or basking in the sun. Neotia describes Correa’s aesthetic “as one characterised by fluid spaces and a deep understanding of urban context. In City Centre, this is evident in the seamless flow between indoor and outdoor areas.”“He (Correa) said we are not going to make a mall like everyone else does. I was very happy because I thought maybe he would do something new in terms of design. I did not know what I was getting into (laughs). That he would persuade me to do a bazaar crossover with a mall with community spaces within the mall was beyond my imagination. When we built the City Centre, Kolkata already had certain expectations of what a mall would look like. Ansal Plaza in Delhi and Crossroads in Mumbai had already opened so people had a sort of a set idea.”
Even now nearly 20 years after the mall first opened there is something inherently organic about City Centre where the ‘Kund area’ has an outdoor amphitheatre surrounded by stores and restaurants and one can choose between air-conditioned comfort or basking in the sun. Neotia describes Correa’s aesthetic “as one characterised by fluid spaces and a deep understanding of urban context. In City Centre, this is evident in the seamless flow between indoor and outdoor areas.”
The short film, Avnati, tells the story of the degradation of the St. Inez Creek that flows through Panaji through the lives and memories of people around it. From an idyllic place where people recall floating paper boats, the water body is replete with sedimentation, untreated sewage and effluents, construction of hotels and so on. Its story is a microcosm of Goa’s rich network of water bodies that include the ancient khazan ecosystems and deserves to be seen and heard over and over again if the ecosystem has to be restored to its natural health.
Originating in the marshlands of Taleigao and fed by the Nagahali hills, the St Inez creek flows through the city of Panaji, tracing its geographies and drains into River Mandovi. This is not a surprise for those who are aware of Panaji’s history as a wetland before it was turned into Goa’s capital city. The creek plays a significant role in sustaining life such as draining out the water during heavy rains and bringing in the fish that sustains livelihoods.
Panaji, also known as Panjim, was possibly called Pancham Khali in which khali refers to the creeks in and around the city. The St. Inez passes through the areas of Camrabhat, Tamddi Mati Tonca, flowing behind the Military Hospital, Don Bosco School and the ESG complex. Snatches of this are seen in the documentary Avnati (Decline). which traces the decline of the creek and highlights the emotional connections of the people who live around it. Made by Kabir Naik and Kuhu Saha, the 8-minute film won the People’s Choice award in the Nagari competition last year held by the Charles Correa Foundation. Though focused on St. Inez creek, the film is a wake-up call about the wetlands across Goa.
ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਖ੍ਲੌਂਦਾ (मैं तां नहीं खलौन्दा) I don’t run down
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Bhoond is a Punjabi word, which means wasp. This wasp-coloured vehicle is still an important option of shared transportation for low-income Punjabis. But it is on the verge of extinction. This film tries to unfurl the answer. The film portrays the story of one day of a vehicle named Bhoond @ Hanseat. This vehicle from Germany became the vehicle of villages of Punjab. It is still used by children, domestic workers, and farmers for their daily life. But why is this public-loved vehicle on extinction? Will it make any difference to the common man if it vanishes? Are there other options available in this category? Is Bhoond economical for the earth and the pocket of the common man? This film talks about these questions.
दिल्ली की आखिरी लोकल (The Last Local of Delhi)
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In the bustling metropolis of Delhi, lies an unused suburban rail transit network. As the city continues to deal with problems such as traffic congestion, deteriorating air quality and the lack of an integrated, multi-modal public transit system, the film talks explores the potential of the Delhi Ring Railway system as a viable public transit system. The film tells the tale of an erstwhile rail network that offered an effective and affordable alternative to travel across the city but has now gone into oblivion due to the lack of planning and support by the government.
LEVEL UP!
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It has taken 20 years for Tamil Nadu to include 58 low-floor buses in its fleet – the time it takes for a country to make all public transport accessible. ‘Level Up!’ is about the lives lost to these years and the long legal battle for one demand: Implement the Law.
CYCLE OF LIFE
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Cycle, which is often dismissed as a relic of the past; has been an important means of mobility and livelihood for over a century. Cycle of Life is an intimate exploration of change witnessed through the life of Umesh Sarate, an age-old cycle customer of Shinde Cycle Store, in Nagpur. He travels to the city to buy wholesale goods from the local market, as he rents a cycle from the store. The film traverses through rural-urban-industrial landscape, as it traces Umesh’s journey from the city markets to the village, where he re-sells the goods. We see him sell the goods to the women customers, while engaging in mundane conversations. As he journey’s back; he talks about buying a motorcycle, to make his travel more convenient. City lights, traffic and multi layered infrastructure of the city. Yogesh Shinde closing the cycle store at night, reflects on how the once flourishing business is now seeing a decline with time.
TOWN ON WATER
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Set against the striking backdrop of Kashmir’s Dal Lake, Town on Water dives into the pulse of movement on the water. Shikaras—more than just boats—are timeless lifelines, powering daily life and symbolizing resilience. The documentary showcases men piloting larger shikaras to support their families, while women and children steer smaller boats for chores and school trips. It explores the emerging bridges that link the lake’s mohallas, creating new paths and hinting at the shift toward modern roads initiated by the younger generation. This story highlights the tension between tradition and change, the push and pull of progress. Yet, through all the upheaval, the shikara remains, proving itself as a sustainable and unyielding force. The film invites viewers to witness a community adapting to modern twists while holding tight to a legacy that flows through the heart of Dal Lake.
Shab-Parak | The Night-Flyers
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Shab Parak explores the often unseen world of Delhi’s night travel, told through the journey of the DTC bus 0543A. The bus runs from Anand Vihar to Kapashera Border, connecting the city’s farthest corners as the rest of Delhi sleeps. The film engages with the quiet solitude of the night commute, capturing the passengers’ experiences—from the anticipation of the bus to the long, soothing journey that lulls them to sleep, and the final arrival that brings them closer to home. Amidst the quiet of the city, passengers express their unease about other nighttime transport, and Shabbir, the bus driver, speaks of his sense of responsibility and care toward the travellers. Shab Parak offers a glimpse into the night bus service as an essential lifeline for a city that never truly sleeps—sustaining both its people and its heartbeat through the darkest hours.
SUNDARI
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In Mumbai, once an island city connected by the sea, modern bridges and land reclamation have reshaped its landscape, disrupting the lives of its original communities. Sundari follows the myth of a legendary ferryboat, once the heart of connectivity, who guided people across creeks long before bridges existed. Now, Sundari lives on only in songs and stories, her memory overshadowed by urbanisation. Through the perspectives of a woman recounting Sundari’s tale, an ageing ferry operator who runs the Versova-Madh ferry, and a young child witnessing the changes, the film explores how progress, while practical, has disconnected a community bound by tradition and the sea.
साखळ्या आणि चाकं- Sakhlya Ani Chaaka (Chains & Wheels)
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The bicycles of Pune City talk.
They talk about their existence and their purpose.
The city, its chaotic traffic and its lackluster infrastructure looms over them. In the motor-centric city plans; the working-class people of Pune and their bicycles look to reclaim their place on the roads. The people who seem to be a part of the urban transportation plans- but only on paper.
The bicycles of Pune City talk.
They talk of the labour class and revolutions.
Cowboys of the West (UP)
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The film ‘cowboys of the west (UP)’ explores the everydayness of travel for informal milk suppliers (locally called Doodhiyas) from small towns and villages that surround Delhi. As Delhi’s urban spaces continue to saturate with people and things, the demand for essential commodities such as milk keep on increasing. Doodhiyas play a crucial role in forming a link between immediate rural and the urban through the supply of milk. Moreover the film primarily focuses on the train journeys undertaken by a group of Doodhiyas, and sheds light on how travelling together everyday produces a sense of mobility which is intertwined with the sense of home, affective relationships with co-passengers and the work that demands bodily labour. As the sense of everyday envelopes these lives in shuttling migration, this film is intended as a pause to observe how Doodhiyas from peripheries of Delhi make meaning of their travel.
Iss shahar mein chalte hue (While walking through the city)
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Through the dug up streets of suburban Mumbai, a migrant salesman, Taufique walks everyday with a bicycle filled with bread, eggs and snacks. This film journeys with him and his colleagues as they walk through chawls and gated societies, beneath metro constructions and through unyielding traffic, revealing a glimpse of a Mumbai where walking is not a choice but a necessity.
The film expands into a quiet reflection on urban design and social division, questioning who our cities are truly built for. We see others like Taufique walking on Mumbai’s streets, on journeys marked by labour, resilience and quiet strength.
The film tries to notice the presence of those forced to move on foot as they reclaim agency, in a city that often makes them invisible.
Homes on the Line
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Rohtak, a busy city, now has a new 4.5-kilometer elevated railway track. It’s an impressive structure that promises faster travel and economic growth. But beneath the joy, there’s a sad truth: this track was built on land where homes once stood, forcing families, who have lived here for generations, to leave. While life moves on above the bridge, the pain and struggles of those who lost their homes are often ignored. Through personal stories and images, this story reveals the hidden cost of progress, asking if true development is possible when so many people are left behind.
The film ‘Cut the Cord’ explores the fate of Bhoond/tempo, the option of shared transport. A crucial transportation mode for many low-income Punjabis, the tempo faces a potential decline due to lack of supportive policies
थानै कठै जाणो?
Where do you want to go?
The film ‘थानै कठै जाणो?’ explores the challenges and resilience of female bus conductors in Rajasthan roadways, navigating between demanding duties, societal constraints and future hopes.
The Delhi Local
The film ‘The Delhi Local’ is an oral history of the now defunct ring railway system presented through the eyes of its erstwhile users and operators. Infrastructural neglect and decay being the key themes.
Level Up!
Rajiv Rajan’s dream to commute independently on his wheelchair and the long legal battle for low-floor buses is the core of the film ‘Level up’. The film features Rajiv and his loved ones and explores themes of universal design and barrier-free public transport.
The Cycle of Life
The film ‘The Cycle of Life’ traverses rural-urban landscape with Umesh, who travels to Nagpur in ST bus, as he rents a cycle to buy goods from the local market. And his journey, back to his village to sell the goods.
Town on Water
Beyond the tourist gaze, “Town on Water” unveils the hidden stories of Kashmir’s Hanji community, water dwellers whose lives are intertwined with the lake’s changing tides, battling rapid urbanisation and its impact.
A City Waiting
How do people move at night? The film ‘A City Waiting’ explores how essential the night bus system is to the national capital, a city that never sleeps through the lens of the passenger, the bus driver, and those who wait only to leave.
Sundari
The film Sundari follows the story of a ferry riding family in Madh Koliwada facing disruption from a new bridge construction. The legend of Sundari, a fabled boatwoman, echoes their struggle for survival.
साखळ्या आणि चाके
Sakhlya Ani Chaake (Chains & Wheels)
The roads of Pune don’t support the working-class people, for whom a bicycle is the only mode of commute. The film ‘साखळ्या आणि चाके’ looks at the lives of these people who are not a part of the urban transportation plans.
Cowboys of the West (UP)
The film ‘Cowboys of the West (Up)’ aims to document the everyday lives of informal milk suppliers to Delhi. Through their journey the film hopes to explore notions of mobility, networks and space.
Walking with Abdul
Through Abdul, a migrant salesman walking across the suburbs of Western Mumbai selling eggs, bread and snacks stacked upon a bicycle, the film ‘Walking with Abdul’ explores walking as a forced mobility inside a city.
Homes on the Line
In the film ‘Homes on the Line’ an elevated railway track celebrates progress above, while beneath it unfolds a moving tale of displacement and emotional loss.
It was a simple Hornby model train set, and the track formations he could make with it, that sparked Charles Correa’s interest in architecture as a child. This is one of the first things we discover at ‘Conversations with Charles Correa: A Critical Review on Six Decades of Practice’, held last month in Mumbai, when author Mustansir Dalvi launched the first biography on the visionary modernist architect. The two-day conference, in its third edition, had scholars and professionals discussing different facets of his work, ranging from his ideas on urbanism to his writings on cities. And, of course, his buildings — from Correa’s Gandhi Ashram, which visual artist Kaiwan Shaban once referred to as “one of the finest examples of humility in architecture”, to the multiplicity of Jawahar Kala Kendra.
Author: E Cynthia Site Location: Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Institute: CMR University School of Architecture Advisor: Prof. Renuka
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In the tapestry of our urban landscapes, waste has become an ever-growing shadow, woven from the threads of rapid urbanization and swelling populations. This thesis embarks on a journey to illuminate a path towards a harmonious coexistence between our cities and the environment. By embracing the philosophy of a second life for products, we transform refuse into resources, curbing the blight of landfills and the scars they leave upon our Earth. Through the lens of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, thesis seek to craft a climate-responsive paradigm, where waste management is crucial, empowering communities to actively reduce environmental impact. Waste management serves as a hidden thread in the fabric of climate response, weaving together efforts to reduce methane emissions from landfills and breathe new life into resources through recycling and reuse. This vision aspires to weave a new fabric of sustainability, where urban resilience and environmental stewardship intertwine, fostering a society deeply attuned to the delicate symphony of our planet’s needs
Author: Neha Dalvi Site Location: Mhada Transit Colony, Mumbai Institute: School of Environment and Architecture Advisor: Prasad Khanolkar, Milind Mahale
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In contemporary times, the highest level of sustainable and technological advancement in residential building types is often recognised through the infrastructural amenities the building can offer; most popularly in terms of water harvesting, electricity and compost gardening for waste management.
Infrastructures are portrayed as the most sustainable and efficient infrastructural systems due to their capacity for space optimization and efficient service management, resulting in time saving. Thus, efficiency and sustainability today have become the chief advertising attributes that promise a better living, thus becoming aspiration generators among people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
However, we fail to realize that these methods for achieving efficiency in residential building infrastructure are predominantly driven by the developers’ logic. This logic tends to perceive these systems as mere efficiency devices, often concealing them in smaller nooks and corners, which require separate maintenance and only caters to a particular class of people who have the economy to maintain it.
When the same infrastructural systems are installed in low-income housing societies, they not only break the existing socialities amongst the inhabitants but also tend to fail due to the lack of funds for maintenance. The thesis proposes a cooperative housing society for low-income housing that integrates both technology and sociality to create an inclusive and democratic space for living. A simple tweak that repositions these infrastructures is able to question the everyday practices of contemporary society through the lens of class, difference and caste.
Author: Charlina J. Dutta Site Location: Amchong Tea Estate, Assam Institute: GZS School of Architecture & Planning, MRSPTU Advisor: Ar. Amandeep Kaur
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The thesis project envisions a transformative tea experience hub, set within a 24-acre estate, designed to immerse visitors in the art and culture of tea. The site is thoughtfully divided into two primary sections: a built-up area that houses key facilities and a cultivation zone dedicated to tea production.
The built-up area features a variety of carefully curated spaces, including a museum, a restaurant, guest accommodations, and recreational areas. Each structure is strategically placed to enhance the visitor’s connection with the surrounding landscape while offering insights into the tea-making process. The cultivation zone allows for direct engagement with the tea fields, offering a holistic experience that blends education with leisure. Central to the design are climate-responsive features that ensure sustainability and harmony with the environment. The architecture optimizes natural ventilation, minimizes solar gain, and integrates water management systems. Local materials further ground the design in its cultural and environmental context, creating a space that is both innovative and respectful of its natural surroundings.
