CHARLES
CORREA at RIBA
Our
dear friend Charles Correa is being honored by the Royal Institute of British Architects
with an exhibition, entitled "Charles Correa -
India's Greatest Architect" (14 May - 4
September, at RIBA in London), a lecture Charles is giving at
RIBA on 15 May Wednesday at 6:30-8:00, entitled "The
Gestures of Human Occupation," discussions,
symposia, and other events, as part of RIBA's "Out
of India" program--celebrating the work of Charles Correa and
exploring stories and influences from modern urban India. (For
a complete listing and descriptions, see below, or click
here for an online version.) There is a new book to accompany
the exhibition, entitled Charles Correa -
India's Greatest Architect, available at RIBA Bookshops or available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
I love Charles's work--and Nancy and I have had the pleasure
of seeing all the fabulous buildings he has done in Bombay and Delhi; but one
of my very favorites is his Champalimaud Center
in Lisbon (click
here to see images of this incredible building
and read my write up of it, or find it on my website, www.RLRubens.com, under
"Culture."
I shall be in London for the opening of the exhibition
next Tuesday and at Charles's lecture on 15 May
Wednesday at 6:30-8:00, and I hope any of you who happen to be in
London can stop in to hear it with me; and I highly recommend taking in
any of the wonderful events of the "Out
of India" program (including the screening at RIBA on 21 June
Friday at 6:30 of Arun
Khopkar's
terrific documentary, Volume
Zero: The Work of Charles Correa), if you are in London when they
are occurring. In any event, if you are going to be in London at all
during the next four months, definitely stop by to see the exhibition.
14
May - 4 September 2013
Exhibition
Charles Correa - India's
Greatest Architect
14 May - 4 September 2013
Charles Correa is an internationally recognised architect and urban designer who has played a pivotal role in the creation of an architecture
for post-Independence India. Drawing on a unique philosophy rooted in the rich
traditions of people and climate, Correa's work is informed both by a world
view and intimate understanding of place. This new landmark exhibition
showcases his signature projects from across the world and charts a career
spanning over five decades.
Display
A Visual Journey Through the
Indian Subcontinent
14 May - 4 September 2013
The great traditions and characteristics of Indian
architecture across the centuries are the focus of this display drawn
from the unique RIBA collections. Through 19th and 20th Century
photographs and drawings, it features some of the great buildings of
India, as well as lesser known structures and places. It reveals
vernacular traditions, intimate spaces and Asian influences - references to
which can be found in the work of architect Charles Correa.
Lecture
Charles Correa: 'The Gestures of
Human Occupation'
Wednesday 15 May, 6.30 - 8pm
Rooted in India but educated as an architect in the
United States and steeped in the modernist teachings of Le Corbusier, tradition
and modernity are not opposites for Charles Correa. Always contemporary,
he has subtly layered the history of the land and of ideas in his designs. In
this lecture, his first in the UK since 2008, Correa outlines his passions and highlights
of a career spanning five decades.
Evening Symposium
Architecture as Symbol -
Charles Correa, Joseph Rykwert and Richard Sennett in
conversation.
Wednesday 22 May, 6.30 - 8pm
In this special evening symposium, great thinkers
and a great practitioner of symbolism in architecture meet to discuss the
continuing relevance and value of symbols as an element of contemporary
design. How, in the architectural languages of today, can cultural
identity, history and mythology be manifested and expressed?
Discussion
Great City, Terrible Place?:
the Indian Metropolis in the 21st Century|
Tuesday 28 May, 6.30 - 8pm
India is poised for great things in the 21st
Century. The subcontinent is predicted to emerge as one of the world's great
economic powerhouses - a giant marketplace of people and ideas. Panel discussion with Saskia Sassen, Yuresh
Sinha, Vivek Nanda
and Tony Travers looking at whether the problems of India's
great urban engine rooms are in danger of crippling its rise.
Discussion
Enduring Images of India: Art, Architecture
and Metaphor
Tuesday 11 June, 6.30 - 8pm
Buildings are full of images intended to
communicate meaning and greater purpose. Indian architecture old and new draws
on a rich set of experiences unique to its own beliefs and fascinations. Dr
Irena Murray, artist Stephen Cox, architect David
Adjaye look at the enduring images of
India through Correa's work and reveal the hidden meanings of its buildings -
old and new.
Film screening
Volume
Zero: The Work of Charles Correa
Friday 21 June, 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Produced and directed by Arun
Khopkar, this film charts Correa's work through a
lifetime of influences and experiences. From childhood and education,
through to first projects, an international career and his role in addressing
issues of urbanisation, it reveals the man and
the ideas behind the architecture. Film courtesy of Arun Khopkar Productions. Hosted at the Nehru Centre, London. Free, no booking
required.
Summer Last Tuesday
Tuesday 25 June, 6 - 10pm
Home to a massive 20.5 million people - Mumbai is
the fourth-largest urban area in the world and the gateway to India. With a history
stretching back centuries, it is one of the world's great crossroads and is a
heady mix of peoples and cultures - a source of inspiration (and frustration)
for Charles Correa. The RIBA pays tribute to the dynamics of this epic
metropolis with a special evening of talks, films, workshops, tours and music.