It was a simple Hornby model train set, and the track formations he could make with it, that sparked Charles Correa’s interest in architecture as a child. This is one of the first things we discover at ‘Conversations with Charles Correa: A Critical Review on Six Decades of Practice’, held last month in Mumbai, when author Mustansir Dalvi launched the first biography on the visionary modernist architect. The two-day conference, in its third edition, had scholars and professionals discussing different facets of his work, ranging from his ideas on urbanism to his writings on cities. And, of course, his buildings — from Correa’s Gandhi Ashram, which visual artist Kaiwan Shaban once referred to as “one of the finest examples of humility in architecture”, to the multiplicity of Jawahar Kala Kendra.

Architect Charles Correa

Correa didn’t see architecture as just designing modern buildings. He wanted his work to bring about positive change. “He was very much a modernist, not just stylistically, but because he believed modernism helped one uncover what was actually required,” recalls his daughter, architect Nondita Correa Mehrotra. “So, there was no style attached to it, but it allowed everyone to have a place in society; unlike traditionalism which is guided by a series of unknown rules and regulations.”

Rural folk migrating to metropolises, for instance, was a focus for Correa. “He always stressed how we can’t turn them back, and one of his favourite examples was the BEST buses in Bombay being an equaliser — it brings together everyone from the upper castes to the Dalits under the same roof. This mode of public transport can very quickly undo centuries of caste thinking,” says Mehrotra.

Boyce House
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Charles Correa Foundation

Hudco housing
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Charles Correa Foundation

The Magazine asked a few experts who spoke at the event, or have been admirers of his work, to share why the architect is relevant today, and what Generation Now can learn from him.

Ranjit Hoskote

Poet and cultural theorist

“Charles, for me, was many things beyond an architect — a thinker, a curator, an urban designer — someone who had a much larger social vision and commitment, bringing in a new spirit of congregation. He continues to be relevant for architects today. He saw an architect as a part of the larger plan to build a new nation. It’s important for young architects to not see themselves as specialists, who simply do what corporate clients ask of them,” Hoskote emphasises. “‘What’s the common good, what kind of future is optimal?’ These are the questions they should ask, especially between the current climate crises and runaway urbanisation. Charles always stressed how a building is part of a precinct, which is part of a neighbourhood, which is part of a city, and those relationships need to be maintained through the detailing and scale. The lack of planning, attention to individuals and community space due to the rapid pace of urbanisation saddened him.”

Ranjit Hoskote
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Of note: “The Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur is responsive to the nature of the site, and becomes a labyrinth of surprises through a series of deflections. The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune brings together things that were important to him as a student [erasing the distinction between the arts and the sciences]. He embodies that in his choices of materials and motifs.”

Jawahar Kala Kendra
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Charles Correa Foundation

Rajnish Wattas

Former principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture

Wattas, who has penned a large number of writings on Correa, recalls inviting him for lectures at the university. “He was a star speaker, and we’d have a rush of students who’d come to hear him talk,” he reminisces. “He triggered new ways of architectural thinking in the context of India, many parts of which were shaped after Independence by architects from overseas such as Le Corbusier for Chandigarh and Louis Kahn in Ahmedabad. Charles imbibed a lot from Corbusier, but not with blinkers — instead inventing and contextualising modernity to the India sensibility and climatic conditions. He emphasised on courtyards and open-to-sky dwellings instead of towering blocks. Even in Kanchanjunga, you’ll find large terraces within a high rise.”

Rajnish Wattas
| Photo Credit:
Akhilesh Kumar

Wattas bemoans the urban skyline in the country now, mere “C-grade versions of Hong Kong or the Middle East. There is no echo of our art and culture, or relevance to the topography. It’s not that Charles was against modern materials like glass — he thought it beautiful, bringing in light and helping blend the inside with the outdoors. The issue was the creativity of its usage”.

Of note: “Jeevan Bharti, a two-wing, 98-metre-long pergola in Connaught Place in New Delhi has a dizzying complex network of glass grids with an earthy Indian exposed brick form alongside it.”

Jeevan Bharti
| Photo Credit:
Sandeep Saxena

Ashiesh Shah

Architect

There’s always something to take away from Correa’s designs, believes Shah, whose first memory of the late architect was the awe he felt seeing the high-rise Kanchanjunga being built. “We’d never seen such a sculptural structure come up so quickly in South Bombay,” he recalls. “Growing up in the ’90s, we all studied his work. But that was a very different era; architecture was not the glamorous entity that it’s become today. India was also in a different position: we were reeling from a recession. If you were building anything, it needed to have a strong purpose, and Charles had very strong thoughts on urban planning.”

Ashiesh Shah
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Of note: “Buildings like Kanchanjunga are a lesson in energy conservation today. There was no air conditioning back then, and Correa was building for the environment [with double-height spaces, terraces, and plenty of cross-ventilation]. So there’s a lesson we can carry with us today.”

Kanchanjunga
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy Charles Correa Foundation

Kanchanjunga
| Photo Credit:
Credit Charles Correa

The writer and creative consultant is based in Mumbai.

When Abhishek Parmar brought his newborn home from the hospital, the baby was welcomed in a room meticulously designed by his parents. A small but warm space that sported a modern, minimalistic theme, and pastel walls.

What the now two-year-old didn’t know is just how much work his parents put into creating the space. The Singapore-based couple went the do-it-yourself (DIY) way, which came with its fair share of challenges.

During the pandemic, a small room in their house became a home-office. This was then earmarked to be the nursery. Since it wasn’t spacious, accommodating everything was not easy. “We had to keep the furniture and décor minimalistic. So, finding the right things that would meet our needs, both functional and aesthetic, was key. With plenty of options available, it took us a while to narrow things down and a couple of iterations to get it all right.” Labour being expensive in Singapore, the 30-year-old parents “had to assemble pretty much everything ourselves — bed, changing station, shelves and storage, and artwork”.

Keeping it simple

When celebrities announce the arrival of a baby, the news is often accompanied by details of a plush baby nursery — be it Ram Charan, Karan Johar, Allu Arjun, Soha Ali Khan, Lindsay Lohan, or Anushka Sharma, to name a few. While these glimpses serve as inspiration for some parents like Parmar, others prefer to keep it simple.

The wall art designed by Sahiba Madan.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Some new parents focus time and energy on building a dedicated space for a baby’s arrival, but just a few years ago, this was not the norm.

Amrita Bose is a parent to a 10-year-old. But a nursery was nowhere on her list of concerns. “We couldn’t really afford one,” she recalls. At the time, a 35-year-old Bose was living with her husband, then 39, in a 2-BHK. “Having a baby alone is so expensive. We set up a cot in our bedroom — baby used to co-sleep and we would play on the bed.”

Unlike designers who tell you to accommodate the many initial life stages of a baby, Bose chose to make the best use of whatever was available. “When she grew up a bit, a mat on the floor of the living room was enough.”

The toddler room designed and styled by Sarah Sham.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

The media professional from Bengaluru is not the only one. Rohini Varma and her partner became parents at 25 and 28; and were more focused on their baby. “[A nursery] is not common in our circle. People [we know] don’t think that having separate themes or furniture impacts a child’s growth. We knew the child wasn’t going to remain in a single room anyway,” the Kerala native says, adding that their daughter used to sleep in their bed till she turned five.

Storage woes

Storage needs addressing even before a new member enters the house. Especially in cities such as Mumbai where space is always an issue. While parents often make do with resources they have at hand — like Varma, who says that the couple allocated a separate cupboard in the house to store their daughter’s belongings — designers urge new parents to focus on accessibility and a storage investment that will grow along with the baby.

“As a parent, my primary focus was accessibility,” says designer Sarah Sham, parent of a four-and-a-half-year-old. Having everything within easy reach was important. “Whether it was diapers, baby cream, or a comfortable spot to sit and feed my baby.” Hence, investing in a sturdy chest of drawers is a top tip she offers. “It’s an item you’ll use for years to come. I’m still using the same one we bought when she was born,” says the principal designer at Essajees Atelier and co-founder of Jea Interiors.

Storage and accessibility were top priorities for another Mumbai-based designer. Sahiba Madan, principal architect and founder at Insitu by Kalakaarihaath, designed a nursery for her firstborn herself. “Babies’ requirements evolve so quickly that one can never really keep up. I wanted to develop more storage solutions that worked in the long term.”

The wall art designed by Sahiba Madan.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Functionality trumps aesthetics

This was a concern for Parmar, too. “It’s very likely that the room will require re-designing and upgrades as he outgrows some of the stuff.” In the last two years, they have already had to make changes to the nursery — a bigger bed, swapping the changing table for toys, books and running around.

Dual purpose furniture comes in handy here — like Sham’s recommendation of cribs that can be converted into beds as the baby grows. “Another product we’ve continued to use is a sofa bed with built-in storage that was originally in the nursery when our baby was small. It has since become a regular sofa in my child’s room,” she says.

Creating a safety net

Sham wouldn’t compromise on safety when building the nursery. “I wanted to ensure that the items my baby might need were accessible, but more importantly I wanted to keep potentially harmful objects out of reach. Especially avoiding sharp edges.”

Babyproofing can be done in the simplest of ways. “Wood flooring is a great choice for nurseries, as it’s softer and warmer than tile or stone. Adding a plush rug on top is essential, as both parents and kids spend a lot of time on the floor. A quality rug adds comfort and warmth to the space.”

Building a nursery is a fun activity for new parents — balancing functionality with aesthetics to create a space that is filled with love and care, regardless of fancy furniture and plush décor.

The writer is a features journalist exploring culture, people, and urban life across Bengaluru and Mumbai.