Did you know about the India Pavilion at Osaka (Project) by Charles Correa? While many are familiar with his works, such as Kanchanjunga Apartments, Incremental Housing, and Kovalam Beach Resort, some of Charles Correa’s purest forms and ideologies remain unrealized and unbuilt. On September 1st, the 94th birthday anniversary of one of India’s greatest architects, whose stamp on the built environment extends beyond the nation’s borders. Charles Correa has received numerous awards for his work, including the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1984, the Praemium Imperiale in 1994, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006.

Honoring the 94th Birth Anniversary of Charles Correa

Charles Correa’s work has a universal appeal, combining modern with vernacular components to create spaces. His buildings showcase the beauty of light, shade, materials, color, and narratives in space. His belief in architecture’s role in shaping society remains relevant. Correa’s project establishes what it means to be ‘Indian’ and also complements the client’s brief.

Correa’s initial and possibly best-known project, the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, illustrates his lateral thinking. Some of his projects embody structuralism and offer a contemporary interpretation of the typical Indian village atmosphere. Charles Correa’s genius lies in his prophetic foresight of modern problems and his innovative yet simple solutions.

10 Unbuilt Projects of Charles Correa:

1. CABLENAGAR TOWNSHIP

Location: Kota, Rajasthan
Year of Proposal: 1967

Thick roofs radiate heat back into homes at night, so a light porous membrane, such as a pergola, can reduce sunlight exposure and create a shaded terrace. Internal volumes can be altered to produce convection currents, as seen in Tube and Ramkrishna houses. The community built units out of local sandstone, including 3-meter-long slabs for floors, rectangular blocks for walls, and strips for pergolas.

2. HUDCO COURTYARD HOUSING

Location: Jodhpur
Year of Proposal: 1986

Inspired by Belapur’s basic design principles and units, the arrangement of the clusters follows a hierarchy of open spaces. The houses appeal to four income levels, ranging from low to middle-class. A total of only two basic plot sizes. Each apartment is independent of its neighbors, allowing for incrementality and upgrading as families progress upward. The construction materials are easily accessible. Local stone is utilized in a centuries-old tradition.

3. BUKIT CAHAYA

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Year of Proposal: 1986

Luxury houses are located on a 500-acre golf course with stunning views. Twelve architects from around the world designed two houses for uphill and downhill sites. This house is on a sloping downhill site, featuring a series of layers from the entrance to the lanai. The spatial organization is simple, but the architectonic forms are free-articulated. Moreover, allowing for adjustments and rearranging when repeated on another site to take advantage of the new location’s views and breezes.

4. COCHIN WATERFRONT

Location: Kerala
Year of Proposal: 1974

The competition idea for Cochin Harbor’s waterfront aimed to create a consistent urban image as a city symbol. The proposal included a master plan and urban control plans for office, commercial, and residential spaces. It highlighted public promenades along the water’s edge, resulting in natural amphitheaters.

5. ULWE: NEW BOMBAY CITY CENTRE

Location: Navi Mumbai
Year of Proposal: 1991

The Central Business District of New Bombay, based around Waghavli Lake, is organized into three interconnected nodes. Ulwe, the southern node, covers 1580 hectares and is designed to house around 350,000 people. The initiative prioritizes affordability and equity, with a focus on mass transportation, urban design, and space-efficient dwelling patterns. The task entailed developing the master plan, urban design rules, and demonstration housing for 1000 families.

6. MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ARTS

Location: Doha, Qatar
Year of Proposal: 1997

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha was the winner of a competition involving eight international architects and a jury led by Ricardo Legoretta, Fumihiko Maki, and Luis Monreal. The polished red granite wall and the courtyard represent the design’s focal points. The wall mirrors the sea and sky, varying in thickness and height to suit various service spaces. The galleries are adaptable, and the courtyard with the inlaid char bagh offers tourists multiple routes. The wall commemorates Islam’s achievements in science and astronomy.

7. MUSEUM OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Year of Proposal: 2004

The 1961 architectural marvel, the Hindustan Lever Pavilion, inspired the museum, which entered an international competition. Visitors can explore the museum’s four theme pavilions, arranged around the Garden of Contemplation, in any order they choose. The rising floor levels of the pavilions signify generations of human progress. Daylight gleams through the glass ceiling of the Garden of Contemplation, adding hope and a sense of optimism to the journey. The exhibitions demonstrate the evolution of civilization throughout history.

8. INDIA PAVILION

Location: Osaka, Japan
Year of Proposal: 1969

The concept expands on the ideas of the Handloom and Hindustan Lever Pavilions. Extending the maze to encompass the roof and surfaces results in a giant puzzle-box-like structure. The architectural form is subtle, with stairs evoking Indian bathing ghats. Additionally, the representation of the mythological monster Ravana evokes river-bathing ghats.

9. ALAMEDA PARK PROJECT

Location: Mexico
Year of Proposal: 1994

Reichmann International developed the office building in Mexico City as part of a new construction on land devastated by the 1985 earthquake. This low-rise building project faces historic Alameda Park and is designed in the shape of a cube. The lower floors contain shops, and the upper floors comprise offices. The Executive Suites on the top three floors feature city views from their terraces. The building has a multi-faceted mural painted in the Mexican public art style, as well as exterior walls made of black volcanic rock. The square windows’ mullions are shiny reddish-brown metallic.

10. MANDWA BEACH HOUSES

Location: Mandwa
Year of Proposal: 1981

Descending to Mandwa Beach, across the harbor from Bombay, ten-weekend cottages on a slope for Mr. G. Khandwala. These houses, like community resilience shelters, separate protected areas from breezy, open sections to enhance functionality and comfort. Huge roofs shelter the major living areas, with no barriers to hinder the sea breezes. A basic set of rooms forms a safe block, while a mezzanine balcony above provides space for extra guests. During the long summer months, the balcony also offers a cozy spot for reading a book.

Today, while we commemorate Charles Correa’s great accomplishments, we also recall the unbuilt projects that embody the spirit of his architectural philosophy. Many of Charles Correa’s most significant ideas and designs, spanning museums, leisure, offices, housing, and urban interventions, remain unrealized. You can observe something significant from this list of unbuilt projects. Charles Correa avoided high-rise solutions instead focusing on low-rise that integrates community.

Content Writing And Research By: Ar. Baarat Krishna