Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Jaffer Khan becomes the Director of MIDAS Chennai-India
Shri.Jaffer AA Khan RIBA is the Director of Marg Institute of Design and Architecture Swarnabhoomi (MIDAS)Chennai, affiliated to Anna University of Technology. MIDAS is promoted by MARG GROUP in Chennai, an infrastructure company with projects more than 5000Crs.
Prof.Khan brings in 25 years of rich international experience to the education of architecture through MIDAS. The philosophy of the school is to establish a strong symbiotic relationship between education,research, theory and practice.
Prof. Khan is the gold medalist in Architecture from the University of Madras in 1983. He was awarded the most prestigious Aga Khan Scholarship Geneva to do his graduation at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, UCL,University of London in 1985. Back home he started his practice in 1985 and has designed nearly 500 buildings many of them award winning at national and international level. His projects are widely published and nominated to The Aga Khan Award during 1995 cycle (ErodeMosque-Periagraharam Erode-MIT Digital Archives).
He maintains studios in Bangalore and Chennai and recently executed large residential projects in Bangalore. He has been a writer,critic and an academician apart from professional practice for quarter century and has written some hard hitting articles on Environment,Heritage and Sustainable Development.Presently he is in the process of writing a book on "Mosque Forms of India" and is the founder Director General of The Museum of Muslim Art, India establishing a Museum for Muslim Heritage. He is a member of some of the world's most prestigious professional bodies including The Royal Institute of British Architects(RIBA),UK and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts(RSA),London.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Educating Architecture
Architecture is the noblest of all professions. The architects of bygone era were considered closer to God, because they built and sculpted the places of worships like temples and palaces for the kings. They had the direct influence on the State treasury and the ruler of the time. But today architects and their role has drastically changed to suit the needs of the contemporary society.
Evolution of modern architecture as a profession is a relatively new phenomenon particularly in India, demanding a different educational approach and pedagogy. Today the profession is pro-western in approach because our education system lays less importance to the cultural identity. Hence the underlying tension between modern and tradition remains to be resolved through aspirations integrally woven into the education philosophy. Most schools in India have not come to grips with this problem and the pedagogical structure that arrived here from the West, more or less continues to dominate architectural education.
A few decades back there were hardly a few institutions imparting education in architecture. These institutions were mostly committed and a selected few interested candidates would join the profession. The primary criteria would be to possess an ability to sketch and draw. Drawing as the language of the architect was essential to express ideas and visions. If one sees the original drawings of Frank Lloyd Wright who was referred as the father of Modern architecture one would be amazed to see the detailing in a simple pencil sketch.
It so happened that Wright got a commission from his favorite client Edgar J Kaufmann Sr. in Pennsylvania, 50 miles south of Pittsburgh. Kaufmann had commissioned the work to Wright and almost forgot about it, and so did Wright. One fine day Kaufmann called Wright and enquired about his project and Wright promptly replied that the designs are ready. Mr. Kaufmann said he would be there in 30 minutes and Wright agreed;the sketches and drawings that Wright made in that 30 minutes became history in the creation of what was called the “Falling Water”, the Kaufmann House. Architects like Wright were not just architects but creative genius ; they had hands-on experience in art, painting, sculpture, music and literature. Le Corbusier another eminent French architect who was responsible in designing modern Chandigarh is well known for creating one building and writing ten books on projects whether built or unbuilt.
"I call architecture frozen music." said Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.
His description of architecture has been one of the most lasting. It is a quote with many interpretations, most directly reflecting the predominant style of Goethe’s time-Baroque style of architecture.
Today, the advent of a variety of software have changed the world we see and live today. We can’t live without them but one must know that even human beings have limitations of innovation. Frank O Gehry a well known contemporary iconic architect draws inspirations from his nightmares and translates his nightmares into iconic designs taking advantage of the softwares which support his ideas and visions.
When I started my profession as a teacher in the School of Architecture and Planning in the year 1983 and especially took interest to teach the 1st year B.Arch students on the subjects like Basic Design and Theory of Architecture. That year I can recall was the most exciting year in my life. I was not just a teacher but a student among student. Every day was an innovation and the quest and hunger to do something different and interesting. I taught also geometry and the extrapolation and interpolation of geometry based on the principles and theories by Prof. Arthur Loeb of MIT Harvard. With no internet I used the American Consulate and the British Council Libraries very extensively to source information to build experimental projects for students. It was “hard work” and the final result was amazing. I had the finest of the students in my class and they still remember the one year they spent in the school with me. From then on there was no looking back, I have lectured on invitation in some of the best schools around the world. Hence the basics matter the most and the first two years are crucial in the education process.
The architectural education in India is monitored and controlled by the Council of Architecture (COA) under the purview of The Architects Act of India 1972. There are about 180 schools as independent institutions and as departments in engineering colleges all over India. Due to the surge in real estate market from the early 90s’ the architecture schools have mushroomed all over the country. It has become a difficult task for the institutions to find a suitable faculty. The faculty in any architecture school play a significant role in building a strong base and platform of learning architecture. The faulty should possess ability to understand, develop and execute good teaching practice, to continuously learn; and to continuously renew one’s professional knowledge. Together with the ability to share and communicate such learning, the faculty can construct and implement an inspirational vision of architectural education, which will encourage, support and nurture talent. Thus this ability to harness talent will make the school a place of innovation in architecture.
Educating architecture is not so simple as many may think, but needs continuous innovation and experimentation in the subject. The students need to be exposed to an intellectually vibrant environment with extraordinary infrastructure where talent could be nurtured and leadership could be inculcated. Most importantly the faculty should “practice and have ability to earn a teaching position by producing innovative work and such work should be publishable works of design, theory, history or criticism”.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Govt of Karnataka rejects a brilliant scheme by JDS Architects in favour of a mediocre proposal
Goverment of Karnataka rejected a brilliant scheme presented by Jaffer AA Khan of JDS Architects to a mediocre scheme.It is unfortunate that a brilliant scheme based on Surah 2 Verse 197 of the Holy Quran, which incorporates the concept of Grand Courtayrd, Folding Umbrellas and the moving domes did not find favour with the Hajj Ministry which preferred a much more traditional scheme incorporating Domes and Arches.
Mr Khan argues that Islam is an Intelligent religion and for intelligent people. A centre representing such a people should be an intelligent centre, which has a subtle mix of Art and Mathematics. He explained how the Buzjani Squares has had a great influence on the scheme where "Geometrical patterns" play an important aesthetic elements of the scheme. It is unfortunate that our community does not recognise intelligence even in 21st century, he said.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
CHENNAI-
A LIVABLE CITY ?
Coovam
Chennai is one of the fastest growing cities in India today. With the ever-growing urbanization and the policies, which cannot check it – the state of the city’s living conditions are bad to worse. The elite civil society of the city has hardly taken any concrete initiative to put pressure on the civic authorities to improve the situation.
Chepauk Palace
The city is simply too big to handle and the wherewithal is absent with the local self-government.
Presently, the city can boast of possessing the “Seven Wonders” of pathetic modern urban living.
Chaotic Traffic
Overflowing sewers
Increasing temperature
Chocked rain water drains
Constant power cuts
Stinking river
&
A haven for mosquitoes
The government of the day and the city resembles more like the Roman Empire and the city of Rome. The Coliseum kept the citizens away from the affairs of the state , but atleast the city of Rome had a character. Chennai, which used to be the exemplar of “Indo-Saracen” style of architecture, has lost its character and the most recently added mega buildings to the cityscape contribute not to the benefit of the city but to the deterioration of the urban environment and character.
It is pathetic to note that there was no debate or discussion on such additions, which has completely destroyed the very cultural fabric of the city. One should understand that architecture and urban design plays a vital role in development of the city and the psyche of the citizen who lives there. Cultural identity through architecture has influence on generations and becomes part of life. The destruction of any cultural edifice is the feeling of a loss of a part of the human body. These are the elements, which remind us of the roots and establish the link, which provide the emotional satisfaction. Take the case of Chepauk Palace, once a residence of the Nawab of Arcot has been completely defaced and desecration of the skyline by constructing the horrible looking “Ezilagam” a few decades back.
If the buildings become an emotional content then the aspects of environment becomes equally important for a healthy living. In Chennai we see that once the “Waterways” Coovum and the Buckingham canal are eyesores now and the filth that they collect everyday is the breeding centre for mosquitoes. Take the case of Han river in Seoul. The once polluted river is now a place of public gathering with gardens and promenades with cafes and is a place of cultural activity. When can one see such a change in Chennai?.
The Chennai like most of the cities in India has overgrown and has constantly evolving like a mighty octopus when our own breed of planners and architects were dozing off, not realizing the fact that evolution has the capacity to grow faster than the very aspect of physical development. The city is a living organism and it reacts exactly like any living creature. The monuments we create, the river that flows and the flora and fauna of the city with its citizens create an ecosystem, which are mutually complimentary to each other. But it is unfortunate that the relationship hardly exists today. The morality to respect the immediate surroundings is missing. Hence the citizen is highly undisciplined and lost the moral character to question himself, his actions and the happenings around him. The result is the deterioration of the city and its environment. It is high time that the one dozen odd schools, which impart architectural education in the city, start a campaign to create a common platform to address the issues. It would be appropriate at this time to initiate a strong citizen movement to save Chennai from the brink of disaster otherwise living on stilts will become a common way of life.
Remember ….the planet earth is gift to mankind and the creator entrusted the responsibility to man to take care of it. Man as the ultimate of creation had the wherewithal to take care of it, but greed took over him to engulf the planet. Hence the mother earth has no other option but to revolt against his actions, in order to maintain the balance. So the man need not complain about the fury of the planet in the recent decades or the ones coming very soon.
Jaffer AA Khan RIBA
Feedback: Jaffer@sify.com
Buckingham Canal-One wishes that the British Empire should have continued to rule over us!!
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