LECTURE AT TUNG HAI UNVERSITY

As i arrived in Taiwan; did not have enough understanding of past experiences of our exchange programe. However to my surprise i was asked to give talk on traditional cities of India. I am definitely not an expert on this subject matter but tried my best of eight hours of preparation to put to gether. I looked at the idea of Living Traditional Cities of India emphasizing the evolutionalry process based on certain principle and belief to recent readjustment that city goes through. I showed two cities: Jaipur and Madurai. Both the cities are similar in nature except the geographical location. But the most interesting thing was the nature of transformation that geography exerts on city is something to look at. Its quiet a revealing that city behaves its own was and intentions are in its own way. Perhaps it should be relooked again from academics point of veiw and take it to the studio assignment. We are very limited with our thoughts in terms of Metros and particualry Mumbai. The reasons are plenty but concerns are seems to be out of biases. I hope exchange program always looks at geographical India rather than Metros aspired and destined to be west.

SRILANKA

The trip to Srilanka came up with low expectation but ended with deep impression about the terrain/ people. Srilanka has abundand naturaly gifted situations. The east and west with coastal region while central has mix of plane and mountains. The Batticulao city was real surprise as it has been hidden all these years behing the shadow of war and now suddenly opened up as a potential for tourism and other economic opportunity of lime base industry. It is yet to be seen the transformation that Batticulao goes through over the period ten years. Within the context of its socio-cultural morphing of various regions.. the natural setting... the issue of small town destined to be a large agglormeration of various economic activity and people shall be a challannge to the governing authority. However the impression of Srilanka as what is was and what is now are two opposite sides of perception.

IUDI: THESIS SEMINAR:2010:

The IUDI seminar on thesis at Ahemdabad brings about several issues related to the discipline of Urban Design that are central to debate all the time. The very nature of design domain activity is appeared to be relegated to secondary in most of the cases. The first session on place making/imageability had two cases hinging their argument on theory which were manufactured in 1966 and discarded during my day's of post-graduation studies. However George's thesis stands out on the ground that it scans the daily/routine/mundane experiences which are perhaps overlooked or ignored as and experiences embedded with ecstacy as momentary laspe of memory. its an interesting tools for analysis of urban form. It also brings out the conflicting ideology that brings about by forces that being exerted on us and responses that are manifested. Some time the responses are balancing to the stumuli or sometime they neutralizes each other by cancelling each other out. But not very rare the responses aer exhilarating in nature brings about excitment value to the urban experiences. The thesis hinges itself through the lense of phenomenology.

The second session on cities and memory examines the socialy relevent or imagine place making construction thorough memory. The first case seems to look at memory as a static or object and perhaps memory would be aesthetisised in the design process. The formulative approach that attempts to revive exp. western classical music through series of electronic keyboards give rise to the composer like yanni. How do we critique such endeavours or what are the tools that are central to critique of such effrots. Ginella' s thesis is obviously stands out on the ground that tools are extremly analytical in nature. she hinges her argument on the idea that "city is a palimsest. i:e imperfect erasure. In the process of erasing it leaves traces of past for successor. Ther also exist static and kinetic/ physical and metaphysical experiences at any given time. Hence qualifying memory as kinetic and not static as in previous case.

It also an attempt to have discourse on issue that inform urban form through the lense of conservation. i:e how new paradigm decline the predecessor and how predecessor becomes a palimsest for the successor. The metamorphic process is a collection of conflicting ideology.

MEMORY 2

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The day that perhaps embedded for years to come, as recent as just now & perhaps as not real as it can. But its reality & it may take as many years to accept & get embedded deep within psych. Still fresh memory of coming back from institute, desperately stopped by every signal on way, waiting for it to let go. How is that such pre-moment are lapsed & new reality surfaces perhaps undesirable reality that we are forced to live with. The moment of anxiety, the sigh of relief & ruthless reality within next moment. Its a moment that was feared for years but waiting not to emerge & suddenly that abbeys. It may be rather circumstances that is not pardonable or its absence that is not acceptable.. not able to reason out that... its famous Hitler quote that Use emotion for many & reserve reason for few... it is perhaps exactly reverse that fight is for emotion for few & reason for many.

AKHIL DADKAR

Perhaps the most unknown figure among architecture fraternity is Akhil Dadkar. Akhil Dadkar was a product of Bandra School of Architecture & completed planning from CEPT. in late seventies. I had my first encounter with him, back in 1986 in Group Seven Office. The few project model on display showed some modernist virtues with strange blend of Indian architectonics. I began to inquire with some innocent question, behind the frail, beard personality i received some interesting explanation, which are still fresh in my mind. I thing those explanation are my first lesson in architecture. He has always remained silent about his work & remain committed to his way of working. Its strange that today we build one project & chase world out for its visibility while Akhil remained silent & covered right through out. His first project of private house had blatant modernity of corbusier one side while distinctly exploring indigenousness & aspiration on other side. His project at Nashik also brought crucial aspect of sustainability, cultural references & history of architectural forms. It is indeed sad that Akhil Dadkar is no more with us. He had almost decided to take a bow as silently as his architecture.