Education and Research in Human Settlements
Times of India I Published on: Apr 7, 2025
Image credits: Times of India
Ahmedabad: Demolition work began on Monday at the Navrangpura bus stand, which was built in 1962-63. It was designed by the master architect Charles Correa. The civic body began this hectic work at what was intended by Correa to be “a prototype for other bus stain the country”.
Read the full article here Demolition begins at Correa’s iconic Navrangpura bus stand
by Bansari Paghdar I STIR World I Published on: Mar 5, 2025
Image credits: Nagari
Set on the convergence of architecture and filmmaking, the competition spotlighted India’s urban mobility issues, awarding the Mumbai-centric film Sundari as the winner.
The Nagari Short Film Competition, an annual initiative by the Charles Correa Foundation, invites architecture enthusiasts, filmmakers and other creatives working on these intersections to cinematically respond to issues related to a dynamic and amorphous urban India. A “bioscope for the city”, Nagari directs focus on the frail realities of urban living in the country that surround us, often neglected, forgotten or simply ignored. Since its inception in 2020, the competition has coined themes for filmmakers to explore and respond to, including housing adequacy, people and their livelihoods, interactions with water and reclaiming urban commons. For its fifth edition, Nagari spotlighted Mobility in Urban India, emphasising topics such as connectivity and growth, choices in commotion and commute (or the lack thereof), gender and social roles, environmental impact, the people behind mobility, smart mobility and associated infrastructure, among others. While the festival saw several entries from all over the country, Sundari, directed by Sudarshan Sawant—a film capturing the social and environmental impact of Mumbai’s infrastructure development through an eponymous ferry as a fantastical vessel for storytelling—was announced as the winner, receiving the Golden Bioscope Award at the award ceremony held on December 14, 2024, in Mumbai.
Read the full article here The Nagari Bioscope prompts cinematic explorations on ‘Mobility in Urban India’
by O Herald I Published on: Feb 5, 2025
Image credits: Herald Team
Charles Correa Foundation prefers audit by IIT-Madras having expertise in working with and conserving old concrete.
The Charles Correa Foundation has demanded immediate audit of the iconic Kala Academy building post renovation, preferably by IIT-Madras having the expertise in working with and conserving old concrete and to ensure the building’s structural stability but also to ensure safety for the public.
The demand from the not-for-profit public charitable trust comes in view of the recent degradation and collapse of sections of the State’s premier art and cultural institution post renovation,
Read the full article here Charles Correa Foundation Demands Urgent Structural Audit of Kala Academy for Public Safety
by Arthur Duff I Architectural Digest I Published on: Jan 31, 2025
Inclusive, culturally rooted, and climatically appropriate—The Z-Axis Conference, held recently in Mumbai and organised by Panjim-based Charles Correa Foundation, critically reviewed the late architect’s thought and practice.
The agenda of the Z-Axis Conference, held in October 2024 at the NCPA in Mumbai, was to understand the life and work of Charles Correa as a way of addressing key issues concerning the future of India’s cities that are just as critical now as they were throughout his lifetime. It was organized by the Charles Correa Foundation based in Panjim Goa, which the architect established towards the end of his life in order to create an independent institution for citizens and professionals that would act as a catalyst for the improvement of the quality of human settlement of all scales in India. To this end, the Foundation supports excellence in the work of students and graduates of architecture, through awards and competitions, and also hosts bi-annual conferences making public the challenges of settlement today, bringing together the best practitioners and thinkers in the field of architecture and design, both from India and abroad.
Read the full article here Why Charles Correa’s thoughts on architecture and urbanism remain relevant, six decades on
by Avantika Bhuyan I Mint I Published on: Jan 12, 2025
At 5 pm today, the Little Theatre at the National Centre for Performing Arts will be screening an evocative film, Lovely Villa: Architecture as Autobiography, directed by Rohan Shivkumar. It is a testament to the fact that every house is a vessel for the experiences of the people who have inhabited it in the past, and those who will dwell there in the future. The film is set in Lovely Villa, an apartment building where Shivkumar-an architect, urban designer and filmmaker-grew up. This LIC Colony was designed by Charles Correa, and the film brings together an intersection of personal history with a broader narrative of visions for a modern India. “It is a film about the relationship between architecture, everyday life, family, coming of age and the memory of ‘home’,” states the director’s note. The screening will be followed by a dialogue between Avijit Mukul Kishore and Shivkumar.
Read the full article here Why you should attend this unique festival about cinema and architecture
by Sümeyye Okumuş I Parametric Architecture I Published on: Jan 06, 2025
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.
Read the full article here 6 Impressive Works of Charles Correa in India
by Chanpreet Khurana I Money Control I Published on: Jan 01, 2025
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.
Read the full article here Water buses in Goa vs air taxis & self-driving cars: Charles Correa Foundation wants you to think about the future of public transport in India
by Sanjana Ganesh I The Hindu I Published on: Dec 03, 2024
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.
Read the full article here Level Up!, a film on the wait for low floor buses for persons with disabilities in Tamil Nadu
by Anne DiNardo I Healthcare Design Magazine I Published on: Nov 26, 2024
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.
It was submitted to the Design Showcase by HDR (Omaha, Neb.), Sachin Agshikar (Mahim, Mumbai, India), and João Laranjo Arquitectos (Portimão, Algarve, Portugal).
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.
Read the full article here Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre, Lisbon, Portugal: 2024 Design Showcase Award Of Merit
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.
by Malini Banerjee I The Hindu I Published on: Nov 22, 2024
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.”
Read the full article here Harshavardhan Neotia’s lessons in persistence
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.
by Nikeita Saraf and Jashvitha Dhagey I Question of Cities I Published on: Nov 18, 2024
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.
Read the full article here From St. Inez Creek to Goa’s stories of water systems
Architect Charles Correa’s work, his larger social vision, and his commitment to a modern India with housing is always relevant
by Ela Das I The Hindu I Published on: Nov 04, 2024
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.
Read the full article here Why Generation Now must know Charles Correa
Mustansir Dalvi’s monograph offers a comprehensive biography of Charles Correa, highlighting his creative journey as a celebrated architect and urban planner who shaped modern Indian architecture with a distinctive post-Independence vision.
by MPost I Published on: Oct 27, 2024
In 1948, when Charles Correa left for the US, India, newly independent, was still reeling from the trauma of the Partition and the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. When he returned to Bombay in 1956, the country had consolidated into a republic with a new constitution, the first General Election had been held in 1951, and the new institutions of an independent state were steadily being established. The image of the nation state was, very substantially, being crafted by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. His vision for the modern nation was pitted against the baggage of the past, both colonial and precolonial, and the burdens of tradition, ritual, and belief.
Read the full article here Mark of a modernist architect
by TNN I Published on: Oct 25, 2024
Panaji: The Charles Correa Foundation has formally requested the inclusion of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to conduct a thorough structural analysis of Kala Academy following ongoing concerns regarding the integrity of the building post-repair.
In a letter to the PWD’s chief engineer- I and member secretary of govt-appointed task force committee, Santosh Mhapne, the CCF cited its role as a primary source for architectural resources related to the Kala Academy, but was being given a cold shoulder. “Despite being a primary source of information for the drawings and other resources pertaining to the Kala Academy, we were prevented from accessing the site,” the letter signed by CCF’s managing trustee, Arminio Ribeiro, stated.
Read the full article here Charles Correa Foundation calls for IIT Madras to assess structural integrity of Kala Academy
Memorials are, to put it succinctly, a form of making memories or emotions material and tangible through the creation of space
by Smruti Koppikar I The Free Press Journal I Published on: Oct 25, 2024
Correa, though, developed a relationship with Gujarat with Ahmedabad carrying many of his plans-designs from his early years of work, as one of the sessions in the conference detailed out. The one that ranks high among these was Correa’s plan for the Gandhi Smarak or memorial in the Sabarmati Ashram — the latter now under the lens of redesign. Correa was barely 28 years old when he took on the assignment to design the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi barely 15 years after the icon had been assassinated. Gandhi had lived in the Sabarmati from 1917 to 1930 but had never returned to spend long days there, as political scientist and Gandhian scholar Tridip Suhrud reminded those gathered at the NCPA.
Those of us who have been to the Gandhi Smarak — modular units that flow into each other, modest scale, local materials, open and covered spaces around a water body, all of this allowing a subtle play of light and visual porousness — have soaked it all in. It continues to draw awe from planners and architects around the world, and has stood the test of time, so far. Suhrud consciously refrained from examining Correa’s design but dwelt at length on Gandhi’s philosophy to ask the question: does the man need a memorial at all? He argued that Gandhi had gradually shed every possession of his and lived like a peripatetic ascetic; a physical memorial, therefore, militates against this.
Read the full article here What Do Memorials Really Convey, And How Much Do We Need Them?
An excerpt from ‘Charles Correa: Citizen Charles’
by Mustansir Dalvi I Scroll I Published on: Oct 25, 2024
Charles’ formative years were spent in the Ballard Estate, a planned precinct in a city that grew through a series of additions. The estate had come to be less than fifteen years before Charles was born. Designed by the Bombay architect George Wittet in the Edwardian neo-Classical style, the Estate was set up grid-wise with large office blocks, which had elaborate stone facades. There was consistency and rhythm in the buildings whose facades lined leafy avenues and well-lighted open spaces. This new business district, reclaimed through the creation of the adjacent Alexandria Dock, placed the Ballard Estate between the port and the Fort precinct, the latter being the heart of Bombay at the time. Charles’ grandfather had his offices and home here. As a child, Charles would love to walk down to watch ships, big and small, come and go at the Ballard Pier. He was especially fond of the dry docks, where ships would be lifted out of the water in their entirety. He would be in awe of the massive hull, rising above him like an upside-down roof.
Back home, Charles would obsess over his train set. Here, he would learn that a drawing is a metaphor for a way of seeing the world beyond the confines of paper. Through its lanes and avenues, Charles would see how concepts and order, first visualised in two dimensions, can be realised in built form.
Read the full article here From the biography: How Bombay’s diverse architectural landscape inspired architect Charles Correa
In his biography of architect and urban planner Charles Correa, Mustansir Dalvi lets us into the life and practice of another kind of nation-builder
by Mustansir Dalvi I National Herald I Published on: Oct 20, 2024
Title Charles Correa: Citizen Charles / Author Mustansir Dalvi / Publisher Niyogi Books / Pages 204 / Price Rs 299
In 1948, when Charles Correa left for the US, India, newly independent, was still reeling from the trauma of the Partition and the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. When he returned to Bombay in 1956, the country had consolidated into a republic with a new Constitution, the first General Election had been held in 1951, and the new institutions of an independent state were steadily being established. The image of the nation state was, very substantially, being crafted by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. His vision for the modern nation was pitted against the baggage of the past, both colonial and pre-colonial, and the burdens of tradition, ritual, and belief.
Read the full article here Book Extract: Architecture of the Nation state
Held in Mumbai, India, the two-day event explored Charles Correa’s role as an architect, planner and cultural thinker in post-independence India.
by Akash Singh I STIRworld I Published on: Oct 19, 2024
Mumbai—Charles Correa’s beloved city, described by him as “a great city, but a terrible place”—set the stage for the sixth edition of the Z-axis conference, organised by the Charles Correa Foundation (CCF) on October 12 and 13, 2024. Held at the NCPA experimental theatre, the conference celebrated Correa’s multifaceted legacy and explored his projects, philosophies, writings and advocacy for urbanisation. Correa, widely acclaimed as a visionary of post-independence modernist architecture in India, demonstrated an innate curiosity in numerous disciplines which imperceptibly reflected in his expansive repertoire. Spanning six sessions, the conference brought together 21 speakers from diverse fields to reflect on Correa’s protean disposition. The overarching theme captured Correa’s contribution to India’s post-independent search for identity and his ideas on urbanisation, with one of his quotes shining through, “You cannot look at cities without wandering into architecture at one hand and politics into another.”
Read the full article here The Z-axis Conference Reflects on Charles Correas Legacy and Indias Urban Identity
As the sun sets over Charles Correa’s Jeevan Bharti in Connaught Place, the building transforms into a breathtaking spectacle of light and shadow.
By Mayank Austen Soofi | Hindustan Times
The late architect designed the capital’s many other noteworthy complexes as well–Tara Apartments, Crafts Museum, and the British Council.
Read The Full Article: Delhiwale: Rembrandt’s Dilli
In the first biography of Charles Correa, one of modern India’s greatest architects, Mustansir Dalvi showcases not just his visionary genius but also his zeal to improve the lives of the common man, particularly in Mumbai
By Fiona Fernandez | Mid-day
The average Joe. Early in Mustansir Dalvi’s engaging biography of Charles Correa, the reader is introduced to Joe, the working township protagonist in You and Your Neighbourhood, an animated film the iconic architect directed as his final Masters’ thesis at MIT. We are given a peek into the then-aspiring architect’s vision, where he backs the power of individual acts and public participation for greater civic good.
Read The Full Article: This new biography about Mumbai architect Charles Correa explores his visionary genius