THE ARCHITECT OF INDEPENDENT INDIA
Habib Rahman (1915-1995)
-Bengal Engineering College, India Degree: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering-1939
-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA: Bachelor of Architecture-1943
Master in Architecture - 1944
Career
Worked in Boston & New York for 2 years with Professor Lawrence
Anderson, Walter Gropius, Konrad Naschman and Ely Khan 1944-1946
Government of West Bengal, Kolkata, Senior Architect (Chief of Architecture Wing) 1947-1953
Central Public Works Dept Government of india, New Delhi Senior Architect, 1959-1970
Chief Architect, 1970-1974
Secretary, Delhi Urban Art Commission, 1974-1977
Advisor to the National Thermal Power Corporation, New Delhi, India. 1977-1980
“Padma Shree” - 1955
“Padma Bhusan” - 1974
“J.K. Cement Architect of the year” - 1995
-Architect Habib Rahman’s design principles were composed of a philosophy that resonated with the Bauhaus style of architecture. With an emphasis on modernism.
-Building design saw its transformation with the introduction of flat roofs, smooth facades, cubic shapes that favored right angles, and exceptional grid structural design.
-The color palette used white, grey, black, and beige as primary colors and construction techniques and materials using steel frames, flat slabs and concrete saw a first in this new age era of modernism in India.
-Though the philosophy dominated the inclusion of the Bauhaus style, Rahman also worked on a merger between the western world techniques with the traditional historical roots that India had to offer. With open floor plans that had interiors that focused on the functionality of the structure, the principles of design by Architect Habib Rahman also included Indian Architectural elements like jalis, chhajjas, domes, horizaltal and vertical louvers and overhanging roofs.
Habib Rahman 1915 - 1995
Improvise Innovate Transform
Rabindra Bhavan (1961)
Designed by Ar.
Indian culture by word, form & spirit.
CONCEPT
Design of buiding inspired from simplicity of Rabindra Nath Tagore. The building design was a shift from Bauhaus design which was initially rejected by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru to simple, elegent structure with Indian elements to respect National academies.
PROGRAM
-Administrative offices of all 3 acadimies
-Exhibition gallery for paintings and sculpture
-Moderate size theatre
-Canteen
-Storage
-Shops
-Utilities
13 (1965)
The govt. wanted to develop a residential area for their employees that would not only be in high in density but it would also have the appropriate environment for the people for quality living.
CONCEPT
-Since the designing of the Rabindra Bhavan, Rahman had significant changes in his way of designing.
-The rectangular box form of each wing still depicts his love for pure geometry in the building form.
-He always tried to break this singular form by providing wing systems and varied facades and corner conditiond that would create the play of mass and void unlike the flat facade of the Bauhaus building.
-Generally Rahman tried to orient the building wings or block prallel to the plot boundry to place it appropriate on site. But here rather than following the same principal, he tilted each of the appartments in relation to the existing road.
-The idea behind such orientation was most importantly climate and also to give best possible non obstructive view to the maximum number of rooms in each block.
-Also with providing the large open spaces between the blocks, a feeling of openness with good air and light and considerable privacy for each flat is established.
“A building becomes architecture when it not only works effectively but also touches human soul.” - Habib RahmanHabib Rahman, Rabindra bhavan was created to house the offices of 3 national academies - The Lalit Kala Academy (Plastic Art), The Sahitya Academy (Literature and philosophy) and The Sangeet Natak Academy (Performing Arts) which represented The building is located at Mandi House circle along the intersection of Feroz Shah road & Copernicus road in New Delhi. A visionary who brought modernism to India with an ideology that was embedded in every one of the structures.