Architect demystifies architecture into social art

Invest life in architecture to make it a social art: Ganju

By Kartik Lokhande 

For a person who has seen, acquired, and lived architecture, the ultimate task of architects is to invest life in architecture to make it a social art. Believing firmly in principle of urban renewal through empowerment of citizens, celebrated architect Munishwar Nath Ashish Ganju asked fellow architects and students of architecture gathered at Chitnavis Centre lawns on Tuesday evening, to make the art of architecture more significant and satisfying with energy of human relations.
Ganju was delivering 12th edition of Mavlankar Memorial Oration organised by Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) Nagpur Centre. A person who has understood the deeper bonding between the art and the science of architecture and their intrinsic relationship with humen activity, Ganju spoke on the unique theme ‘Architecture as Social Art’. Sharing his rich experience in the field and philosophical evolution, the internationally acclaimed architect warmed up the audience with hitherto unheard ‘grammar’ of architecture.
Commenting on the current scenario, Ganju said that professional architecture was being marginalised in the process of nation-building. Despite great requirement of architects in the process of urban renewal, consortia of engineers was dominating the scene. As a result, everyone including the people was a loser, as the distance between the professional practitioners and the common people was growing. ‘Inappropriate’ technology and ‘unjust’ things dominating the professions today were making it difficult to acquaint the common people with distinctive features of architecture, he felt.

Celebrated architect Munishwar Nath Ashish Ganju addressing a gathering of architects and architecture students at 12th edition of Mavlankar Memorial Oration organised by Nagpur Centre of Indian Institute of Architects, at Chitnavis Centre on Tuesday. (Pics by Anil Futane)

Munishwar Nath Ashish Ganju, who was a UNICEF consultant, has to his credit several masterpieces including a designed-yet-natural Buddha Memorial in Delhi, a nunnery arising out of the hills of Dharamshala, Press Enclave in Delhi. According to him, architecture begins at the civilisational conjunction of history, philosophy, and geography. How did he reach that stage? “Using resources of earth with wisdom, working with craftsmen who do not read drawings, and realising the importance of earth as home, led to evolution of a new geometry and construction became a handicraft,” he explained while sharing his journey full of milestones in architecture.
Learn the values of ancient society, realise the power of construction practices enlivened by devotion and discipline, Ganju appealed to fellow architects. He laid emphasis on working with local people’s participation in creating timeless architectural marvels exclusive to different geographical and historical places. “Architect should be a part of something that could break shackles of time. Develop architecture which mediates between climate and place,” he said while explaining what went into constructing a unique nunnery. Observing that the inadequacy of grammar of architecture led him to exploration of new grammar, the master architect added that new grammar emerged when the act of building became a yogic discipline which invested life in architecture.
Observing that social purpose made architecture complete, the erudite architect putforth his principle of urban renewal through people. He defined developmental methogology based on this principle into four stages -- community action, habitat design, recording the process, and raising of resources. Commenting on the current scenario of urban planning, he minced no words while saying that the system of planned development had become ‘patently dysfunctional’. “Empowered people’s Parliament and local planning board will increase citizen input and accountability of the Government. This would be ideal scenario for integration of planned and spontaneous urban development,” he added.

To make people informed, architects must be involved in the process. “Alternative framework of governance is to be rooted in participation of informed public. This is possible by introduction of planning and architectural professionals into developmental matrix,” he said. Ganju said, it required ‘radical departure’ from the present system wherein public was subjected to ‘rigid’, ‘type’ plan approach or a policy of ‘studied neglect’. Informing the audience listening to him in rapt attention that one-fourth of Delhi’s population was living in unauthorised colonies; Ganju said that these people were forced to live outside law. The ‘artist among architects’ stressed at the end of his impressive oration that distinctive quality of architecture must emerge as it was not just a technical discipline. “We are artists working with human beings,” he concluded.
Earlier, IIA Nagpur Centre Chairman Paramjit Singh Ahuja made introductory remarks and threw light on the legendary architect Shyam Mavlankar, in whose memory the oration is organised. Territory Sales Consultant of event sponsor ‘Autodesk’ Aziz Razdan, IIA Maharashtra Chapter Chairman Sunil Degwekar, and Secretary of IIA Nagpur Centre Parag Yelne also shared the dais on this occasion. Ahuja presented mementos to Ganju and Razdan.
At the outset, the gathering condoled sad demise of architect Sunil Toye.
Bhushan Jeswani threw light on the IIA’s upcoming event ‘Rachana-2014’. Ritu Chanekar conducted the proceedings of the programme and Yelne proposed a vote of thanks.
Many eminent architects and teachers including Prof S A Deshpande, Ashok Mokha, Avinash Deoskar, Pooja Pathak, late Shyam Mavlankar’s daughter Suniti Angal, Editor of ‘The Hitavada’ Vijay Phanshikar, renowned consulting psychologist Rita Aggarwal and a host of dignitaries attended the oration prominently.

(Published in The Hitavada CityLine on December 25, 2013)