Architectural Profession

A moment in time, it is said, makes men in heroes and organizations into revolutions. The first decade of the 20th cen. were like an extended moment of that climatic kind.
R Venkataramana, Former Vice President India (1985)

Architectural Profession
during 19th century

First half of 19th century engineers Second half Architects from England

For specific commissions To establish practices

First schools of architecture RIBA and TPI Indianization of major architectural firms Opportunities for practice arose

Architectural Profession
during 19th century

Mid 1930s 50 architectural practitioners Most building designers were mistris Growth in architectural profession

Development of private architectural practices Development of architectural education Formation of professional societies Indianization of firms and profession

Formation of Architectural Firms

Anglo Indian Architectural firms Increasing role of architects in PWD

James Ransome (1865-1944) John Begg (1866-1937)

PWD major architectural firm 1910 dozen private British architectural firms World war I return to Britain New generation of British architects emigrated to India

Claude Batley (1879-1956)

Affected by Political climate in Britain and India Indian architects shaped the profession

Architectural Education
Engineering schools at Madras, Roorkee and Howrah employees at PWD First architectural classes @ Bombay School of Art (Sir J.J) under advice of John Begg

1907 architectural draughtsman's certificate course 1908 George Wittet instituted 4 year course for office assistants in firms 1913 Robert W Cable five year diploma course to exempt from final examination of RIBA 1920s Sir J.J. School became first institution outside Britain to be granted recognition by the RIBA

Educational Curriculum Clash between Britain and Indian requirements

 T h e o b je c t in v ie w o f b o th m y p re d e c e s s or s in office and by myself has been rather to bring out t h e re a s o n i ng p o we r s o f i n d i v i d ua l s t u d e n t s , s o that they may understand the inner meaning of the old forms and their original function and may develop and modernize them and gradually p r o d u c e a n d a r c h i t e c t u r e , I n d i a n i n c h a r a c t e r, b u t a t th e s a m e tim e a s s u ite d to p re s e n t d a y I n d ia a s th e o ld s ty le s we re to th e ir o wn tim e s a n d e n v iro n m e nt

- Claude Batley

Architectural Schools

Batley attempted to shape Sir J.J accordingly

Late 1930s 200 students gained architectural diplomas 30 were members of RIBA

1930 1950s: proprietary schools of architecture

The Architectural Academy Bombays second school The Nagpur School Delhi Polytechnic The Bengal engineering department

Slow growth but increase in number of architects Supported by IIA

Formation of IIA
1917 Sir JJ students asked H Foster King to form a society where architectural issues could be discussed Architectural Association Advancement of architecture and promotion of social intercourse amongst past members of the profession 100 members Bombay Architectural Association, 1925 - affiliated with RIBA 1929 Formation of IIA 158 members to represent the interests of architects throughout India 1940 240 members

Nationalism and Indianization

PWD Government of India Act 1935 discouraged Indian clients to hire wholly British headed architectural firms 1920 practicing Indian architects form Sir JJ

An Indian is the Municipal Architect in Rangoon Others are acting as advising architects to the Governments of Bombay, Madras and Punjab, another is incharge of a very successful scheme on town planning for his Highness the Nizam dominions. Over a score are in private practice for themselves; a group of about a dozen are engaged under the government in connection with the rebuilding of Quetta a third group is in New Delhi serving the Central Government.

Despite all these changes, first the imperial and then the international design ideologies guded the architectural design thinking well into the 1970s

Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944)

Adapted Indian forms to his own purposes Followed basic thought processes of advocates of Indo Sarcenic classical rather than gothic base

Influence of Lutyens

National Archives, Baroda House, Hyderabad

House

Modern Classical Style adorned with Indian flourishes

Sloping, continuous overhangs encircling the entire building with domes and chatris

Plinth emphasized with a projected thickness or

slant

Colour schemes

Rashtrapathi Bhavan

Hyderabad House

Baroda House

Robert Tor Russell

Flagstaff House (teen murti house)

Henry A N Medd
Cathedral Church of Redemption, New Delhi

Municipal Corporation Office in Bangalore

Indo Deco

The city of Delhi

the old walled city of Shahjahanabad the Civil Lines where British civilians and their Indian staff had lived the administrative capital of the British empire in India New Delhi.

To this list must be added the outlying areas, the Delhi ridge and the localities around the Yamuna, which were home to numerous villages and small towns that served as the agricultural hinterland for Delhi. The citys infrastructure - in some places already taxed to its limit - was simply not prepared for a massive population increase Delhis population went from 700,000 in 1941 to nearly 2.5 million people in 1961. In the absence of sufficient housing, refugee camps sprang up all over the city. As an emergency measure, the government set up the Ministry for Relief and Rehabilitation, which had as its primary task housing the immigrants, and then absorbing them in viable occupations.

Book Review
Book Name Author name Publisher name Description Key Features Review

Delhi Post Independence Challenges

The unprecedented refugee influx from West Pakistan

it is estimated that 15 million people crossed both ways post-1947 north Indias population underwent a sudden, substantial increase

Most of them settled in and around the state of Punjab, with a smaller number fanning out to other parts of India notably the Terai region in Uttar Pradesh. most part belonging to prosperous communities in West Punjab found themselves without jobs, homes and food. the refugees rebuilt their lives from scratch