Architecture: Portrait of a Nation
By: Pranjal Maheshwari
Tags: Community Architecture, National Identity, Indian Architecture, Nation Building, Architecture

Co-author — Chitralekha Thakur

A narrow lane opens up into a seemingly insignificant garden with some old trees abutted at the back with residential buildings. The garden exudes a screeching aura that doesn’t want to be felt, nor forgotten. At the center of the garden stands an oblong-shaped Memorial to the tragedy of 1919. What happened almost a hundred years ago has cleaved itself to the surrounding walls- thirty-six gaping bullet marks on the walls of the Jallianwala Bagh testify for the monstrosity of General Dyre; the Khoo (well) still seems to shout hundreds of pleas for mercy.

The place recites a painful incident that united innumerable people to stand together and emerge as a glorious nation. A nation whose dignity lies in temple-spires, cathedrals, and minarets alike; a face sculpted at the hands of various cultural and political scenarios; the nation of India.

A ‘nation’ is a group of people who feel a connection with each other over ‘shared history’- a common territory, similar culture, or identical ideals. These histories dwell in its buildings; their walls tell stories through time and people. Indigenous developments molded through the ethics of society give rise to an architectural language that describes the character of a place.

A diversity in characteristics arises due to variation in demography, which may thrive or fall; legacy is left by chance but accepted by choice. India has faced the brunt of invasions by many imperialists and colonizers, but that history has been assimilated now as an inseparable part of its national identity. Lutyen’s design of New Delhi placed the Viceroy’s residence and ceremonial avenue to have a generous view of its Mughal history- the Old Fort, the Jama Masjid, and the Safdarjung Tomb. Post-Independence, the Viceroy’s Residence itself was adapted as the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House).

Lutyen and Baker’s Central Vista © thewire.in

When, in 1913, Lutyens and Baker introduced the ‘Garden City’ concept to the historically walled Delhi in the service of their queen, did they foresee it hosting the annual independence parade of India? Or in 1632, when Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved queen, would he have known how the marvelous structure will become the face of modern India?

Sometimes a nation fails to realize the responsibility and the power that lies in architecture for driving it forward. In China, the authorities ignored its historical monasteries until a mass uprising incapacitated the country post World War-II. People believed the structures to be integral to their culture and deemed their destruction as damage to their identity. The United States and Iraq soon followed China’s example and dedicated substantial parts of their budget towards the preservation and reconstruction of structures that personified their history and culture. Walter Gropius’ university building in Baghdad stands as a testament to Iraq’s belief in modern ideals. It was this very nation that introduced young Zaha Hadid to Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, and Gropius and led her to revolutionize the face of modern architecture. While Iraq realized the need to establish its identity to the world and the crucial position held by architecture in the task, ignorance led Saudi Arabia to overlook the importance of architecture in its national progress, leaving it devoid of architecture’s active participation.

The Great Exhibition of 1851 ©historyextra.com

In 1851, London hosted the first World Expo, which was immortalized in Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace. The Universal Exposition of 1889 gave Paris, and the world, its most iconic romantic marvel- the Eiffel Tower. Be it Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion or Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67, the World Expos have repeatedly certified a nation’s progress in technology, industry, and education through its architecture as a reflection of their culture and identity to the world.

“Architecture synthesizes the traits of a nation and it expresses the nation’s genius as well as its cultural identity…the crisis affecting architecture in the developing countries is not less than an identity crisis”

-Mahadi Elmandjira, President (1977–81), World Future Studies Federation

Architecture is charged with the responsibility to give a concrete form to the aims of people, reflect the nation’s development, and express national consciousness in an active manner. The attempt to integrate the values of national consciousness with a structure is successful only if the people clearly see in its walls their own selves- as an individual, as a part of the society, as a proud citizen of their nation.

“When a building does not invoke in people a meaningful response, it is only a building; but when it does, then it is art.”

-P.R. Vasques at XIII World Congress of IUA

Nation-building is not a singular conscious effort, but a commemoration of the multitude of endeavors by individuals who constitute its integrity. Not just architects, but all citizens of the nation, conscious of the power of architecture can make a positive contribution towards nation-building.

Architecture is not merely a messenger of time. It has the power to influence the fate of nations, and even the world. In 2006, an ill-ventilated hospital in South Africa with overcrowded waiting areas led to the outbreak of an extensively drug-resistant TB epidemic. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder to the world of the importance of architecture: careful designing and suitable adoption of spaces have contributed to the prevention, containment, and treatment of infectious disease.

Architecture is influenced by the customs, climate, topography, and landscape of a nation. It indulges with harmony, quality, and functionality to provide beyond what is obvious to be in the vanguard of national development. This requires a heavy investment of resources such as land, energy, forests, and water which are depleting at an alarming rate. Innovations in space solutions and technology to minimize the negative impacts of buildings on the environment while enhancing efficiency are vital for the sustenance and welfare of a nation. Building structures with decreased consumption without the sacrifice of comfort and safety also contributes to the stability of the national economy.

Architects need to assume their role in the process of nation-building and thrive continuously towards expressing in their design the aspirations and beliefs of their national culture, to contribute positively to the national economy, and to seek ways to minimize the negative impact of the built on the natural environment. This needs to begin at the stage of imparting architectural education. Even in India, a nation with its fame and identity rooted in its architectural marvels, architecture is viewed as a ‘fallback option’ and the institutes still follow the outdated ‘chalk and talk’ means of imparting education.

Nation-building is a process without an end and architecture is an indispensable resource, crucial for its sustenance. A substantial contribution from architects requires them to analyze, preserve, and represent their own cultural identity in their designs. The people should also realize their responsibility and be critical of their built environment from a national perspective through the aid of new means of visualization and the ever-growing volume of articles, covering all designs ever conceived. It has become crucial for a nation to fathom that the brick for its buildings is baked from the same soil which bears the weight of its existence, its identity, its legacy.