Revisiting Stein's architectural works in Delhi

Revisiting Stein’s architecture

-By Avni Vishnoi

“Regional without modern is reactionary, and modern without regional is insensitive, inappropriate.”

- Joseph Allen Stein In ''Building in the Garden,'' a study of his work, Stephen White, dean of the School of Architecture at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island wrote that Mr. Stein ''developed a vocabulary of carefully crafted building forms responsive to the subtleties of place and culture,'' and combined it with ''a sense of responsibility for the total, both designed and natural.'' (Lewis, 2001)

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Joseph Allen Stein was an American architect who served the regional modern architecture of San Francisco. In 1952 he moved to India and became head of the architecture department at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta.

Stein's philosophy Stein’s approach towards architecture can be identified as responsible - A person who is well informed and sensitive shall respond to the site and its conditions. Stein made his contribution to modern architecture.

Stein works with integrating elements from different backgrounds that respond to specific areas and its conditions. Stein’s analogy of getting together two elements that had different beginnings and making one truth out of them that would exist.

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Stein on Indian architecture Stein believes himself to be an Earthian and says it does not matter for him to live in San Francisco or any specific city.

According to Stein, the approach to designing in India is a complex approach, not structurally based but aesthetically responding. He speaks of Khajurao as an example and says, "it deals with the life of the jungle, it deals with life in every aspect, an audacious echoing of the mountains in stone and has little to do with the economy of structure." His understanding of Indian architecture is sculptural and not structural logic like Gothic or Japanese architecture.

Stein understood Nehru's idea of a growth towards a modern India. He designed most remarkable modern buildings in Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. Joseph Stein lane is the only road named after an architect in Delhi. His works include headquarters of the Ford Foundation, UNICEF and the World Wide Fund for Nature, India International Centre, the India Habitat Centre and Triveni Kala Sangam.

Subsequently, he moved to northern India to work for the deteriorating mountain environment. He worked in parts of Kashmir and Bhutan. Joseph Allen Stein was awarded Padma Shri in 1992 for his contribution to Indian modern architecture.

Two renowned works of Stein are discussed in the following paragraphs - Triveni Kala Sangam and India Habitat Centre. Triveni Kala Sangam was one of the early projects of Stein that made a contribution to the cultural section of the society. It was founded in 1950. After Triveni, Stein designed IIC(1959-62), IHC in 1988.

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Triveni Kala Sangam Tansen Marg, Mandi House Cultural Area, New Delhi

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Stylistic Vocabulary In this art centre, Stein has maintained visual connections and the initial idea for building this centre which was to be able to integrate multiple functions. Being regional and responding aesthetically. Stein believed in being regional while designing; regional here means local and not country-specific. He has been regional in choosing materials, textures and elements like that of a jali. He has merged the traditions of materials with modern aesthetics like that of a curve facade, with a wall grit finish. Vertical gardens can also be seen in internal elevations. The concept of vertical gardens was also emerging in India at that time.

Integrated spatial planning of this small site brings together all elements- the amphitheatre, open cafe and even classrooms. Stein has differentiated spaces with the material. The classroom building has a complete jali facade and is concrete built with off-white plaster.

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Functional zoning

Accessibility in the complex

Prakriti Prakriti is a bamboo and clay section. Here, there are clay sculptures by Mr Rengasamy, who has also held workshops for students. Here, there are sculptures for selling and exhibition purposes. The bamboo construction is low height, open and semi-open roof designs that are interesting to walk in.

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Construction RCC framed structure is the basic building structure used. Exposed concrete and plaster with grit finishes are done on facades. The entry elevation is a concave curved wall with a grit finish. Jali with different patterns are used in elevation. The open cafe has interesting exposed beam work, which is aesthetic and a modern construction technique. No concrete slab makes it more interesting as light moves from the green tirpal and bamboo rods.

The classroom building has a complete jali facade with off-white plaster. A steel staircase is made in the auditorium area. Prakriti section is made in clay, bamboo and wood log structure, the open, semi-open and closed spaces compliment the purpose of exhibition and workshops.

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India Habitat Centre A convention centre Lodhi road, New Delhi

The India Habitat Centre, campus spread over nine acres, has been designed and built by Joseph Stein, Doshi and Bhalla. The campus is an island of architectural excellence in the busy metropolis of India's capital. The symbol of IHC is the three elements in the triangle that points down in the man's chest. (source: official website of Indian Habitat Centre)

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Socio-political context IHC was designed in 1988. By this time, the urban fabric of India had incorporated multi-storeyed buildings. IHC started building in the year 1993. IHC was designed to bespeak the same humanist values in IIC, which was built 25 before. The idea was to provide a multi-storeyed space for higher densities.

India Habitat Centre (IHC) was conceived to provide a physical environment, which would serve as a catalyst for a synergistic relationship between individuals and institutions working in diverse habitat related areas and therefore maximize their total effectiveness. IHC organizes cultural events and exhibitions along with proper housing and office facilities. IHC also serves the purpose of a central administration, where many different organizations come together. By this time, terms like sustainable architecture and energy efficiency were also well established. Certain institutions like TERI and HUDCO were founded in the 1970s. Indian Habitat Centre is home to such 37 important institutions, like TERI, HUDCO, COA, NID etc.

Representative of ecology by design, India Habitat Centre was Stein's most extensive project. It is perhaps most successful as a work of urban design. This place handles transportation and an enormous variety of public and private activities, from housing to banking to entertainment to food. (An Innocent Abroad: Joseph Stein in India, by Professor Jeffrey M Chusid. Occasional Publication 18, India International Centre).

The intention of this project was to bring a holistic approach to problem-solving in environmental and regional planning, energy efficiency, appropriate technology options, transport and communication, lifestyle choices, socio-cultural linkages and information technology.

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Stylistic Vocabulary All materials used are regional, of what we may say. There is a beautiful blend of modern techniques and traditional forms.

Circulation: Pedestrian and vehicular circulations are segregated in the complex. The inward central complex provides free pedestrian movement.

Aesthetic contributions Scale: The building has a monumental scale. IHC is built with more straight lines and squares. The building inside is 30m tall, with wide-open spaces; this aspect ratio of open and built brings the complex to human scale.

Landscape: Courtyards are designed to impart a distinct identity to spaces; this is achieved by using a different material for pavers that make different flooring patterns. These flooring patterns guide one from one place to another. Spaces are smartly segregated with the use levels.

Colour Balance: Colour balance is seen throughout the complex. Very decisive use of the material is done; the built is red- walls with brick cladding and vertical ribbon windows that have slots for planters. The office building has a gray facade with orange and yellow horizontal strips that hold planters. Interesting ramp elevations and green patches all around the complex. Shadow play throughout the day by blue space frames.

Sculptures are placed in large courtyards, these contribute to imageability.

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Structure RCC framed structure is the main building structure. External facades have brick cladding, exposed concrete beams and glass. Use of horizontal and vertical ribbon windows. Concrete grooves for rainwater drainage collection are running from terrace level to the ground; this system is an element of the facade that also is an exhibit of learning by seeing.

Some courts have interesting roofs with concrete or glass domes that light up in the evening, beam cast in different criss-cross patterns. Each court can be identified with a kind of roof design. The connection between different building blocks through aerial walkways. Large-span space frames in the complex courts reflect 70% of the summer heat. The blue reflectors can be aligned to provide shade during summer, further allowing the winter sun. It plays with the south light.

The convention centre has the famous sloped basement parking for around 900 cars.

Designing and resolving this basement took three years. It is one of the most efficient basement designs that we refer to.

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Conclusion Both the buildings are related to art, culture and education. Stein transparently shows the approach of being regional and modern in his architecture.

Triveni was one of the first buildings made to its purpose after independence. It is limited to the purpose of cultural craft, which was the idea and the stage at which India was in, to have segregate places for the country's craft and admin. Triveni is still beholding its aura, folks come together in the evenings for events and exhibitions. Triveni has a low rise built being in context with the built fabric of those years.

IHC started in 1993; this is around 40 years after building Triveni. IHC is more towards what we understand modern architecture to be. Indian fabric of architecture started changing with skyscrapers coming up. The purpose of IHC was to combine the art and administrative section of the field. IHC speaks for ahead of its time; this is what most architects were trying to do during this time. Stein had a vision of the west and combined its element of a different beginning with the Indian context.

The use of material and colour changes in these two buildings. Triveni had more jali work, whereas large space frames were used in IHC. Triveni uses contrasting colours, and IHC uses colours of closer pallets. Both the buildings refer to the time they were built in but speak much ahead of their times and are still examples of honest architecture.

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Citation for references Documentary by Ashish Bhungla (available on YouTube) Rajiv Malhotra interview with Joseph Allen Stein (available on YouTube) On The Purity of Mud - A Report of the Visit to the Triveni Kala Sangam by Srivatsan Manivannan (2018) Dsource.in/indianhabitatcenterhttps://www.slideshare.net/shivikagulati/works-ofjoseph-allen-stein

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