ANANT RAJE

anant raje, architect, indian architect, design, philosophy, concept, works, projects, educational purpose, buildings, pictures, iifm, bda, louis i kahn of india, life, carrer, death, photos

1. ANANT RAJE (1929-2009 )

2. LET’S DISCOVER ABOUT MR. RAJE HE WAS A REVERED ARCHITECT, TEACHER, INTELLECTUAL AND PERFECTIONIST.  ANANT RAJE WAS INVITED BY LOUIS KAHN PERSONALLY TO WORK IN HIS OFFICE IN PHILADELPHIA. BORN ON SEPTEMBER 1929 IN BOMBAY. HE GRADUATED FROM SIR J.J. SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS. RAJE IMBIBED IN HIM KAHN'S PHILOSOPHY OF ARCHITECTURE, SENSE OF ORDER, APPRECIATION OF LIGHT, HANDLING OF MATERIALS ESPECIALLY BRICK AND CONCRETE, CLIMATE CONTROL, ETC.  HONORARY DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, AHMEDABAD.

3. PRINCIPLES AND DESIGN COCEPTS RAJE'S WORK EXHIBITS INTEGRITY BETWEEN PURPOSE AND EXPRESSION, BUILDING AND LANDSCAPE, PART AND WHOLE, AND THE ULTIMATE QUALITY OF ALL GOOD ARCHITECTURE THROUGH TIME - A SENSE OF REPOSE. USE OF BOLD MATERIALS AND VERY CLEAN GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND FORMS. AN EXPERIENCE USING THE PLAY OF TEXTURES ON THE EXTERNAL FACADES. HIS EXCELLENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE ELEMENTS OF BUILDING, AND THE LAWS OF CONSTRUCT, THAT GIVE IT THE SENSE OF ORDERED PRESENCE. HIS WORKS ALWAYS AIMED AT SIMPLICITY AND HONESTY. HE ALWAYS STRESSED ON INTEGRATION OF CULTURE AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING. RAJE KNOWS BETTER THAN MOST, THE ESSENCE OF HISTORY AND ITS CONTINUED PRESENCE. ANANT RAJE WAS A MAN OF FEW WORDS - AS MOST OF HIS STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES KNOW IT. HE WAS NOT IN THE HABIT OF WRITING AND SPEAKING TOO MUCH.

4. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT, BHOPAL IIFM IS A INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING OF MODERN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE WHICH WAS INSPIRED BY THE CONCEPT OF CONTINUITY. IT IS SITUATED ON A HILL AND GIVING IT A SCENIC LOCATION SURROUNDED BY WATER ON THREE SIDES DURING GOOD MONSOONS. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PROJECT CAME FROM THE HISTORICAL TOWN OF MANDU. THE NATURAL VEGETATION IS WILD GRASS, WHICH HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GROW, AUGMENTED BY ROWS AND CLUMPS OF TREES. WALL CLADDED WITH STONE IN SHADES OF GREEN AND YELLOW GREY. THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE CLEAR SKY IS BRILLIANTLY FRAMED THROUGH THE CIRCULAR RINGS SUPPORTED ON THE ARCHES.

5. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREST MANAGEMENT, BHOPAL BUILT IN CONCRETE, AND ITS INTERIOR INTERACT WITH THE EXTERIOR THROUGH A MEDIUM OF CONCRETE ARCHED SKIN THAT SEEMS TO WRAP AROUND, STANDING LIGHTLY ALONG THE PERIPHERY GIVING OVERALL BUILDING A CERTAIN LIGHTNESS OF FORM. THE AMPHITHEATRE, WITH A CAPACITY OF 750, IS PLANNED FOE MULTIPURPOSE ACTIVITIES- SPEECH, MUSIC OR FILM. INSTEAD OF CONCRETE BEING RENDERED INTO A MONOLITH, THE FAÇADE DISPLAYS A VARIETY OF TEXTURES IN CONCRETE AND STONE. THE BUILDING SEEMS TO BE TRULY AHEAD OF ITS TIME AND COMPLETELY IN COMPLIANCE WITH RAJE’S PHILOSOPHY OF ARCHITECTURE WHICH AIMED AT SIMPLICITY AND HONESTY.

6.  BHOPAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS, BHOPAL THE PROJECT SITE IS IN THE URBAN SECTION OF BHOPAL. IT IS A TYPICAL URBAN LOT OF LAND WITH A MAXIMUM FLOOR SPACE INDEX – 1.2 . THIS DEMONSTRATES THAT EVEN THOUGH THE ENTIRE PLOT IS COVERED BY THE BUILDING TO GET THE MAXIMUM LAND UTILIZATION. IT HAS ENOUGH OPEN SPACE FOR TERRACES BUILT AND INTEGRATED IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE LAYOUT. THE ELEVATED TERRACE LEVELS KEEP THE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT ISOLATED FROM THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. IT WAS INTENDED THAT THIS MODEL WOULD BECOME A PROTOTYPE FOR OTHER OFFICE BUILDINGS.

7.  BHOPAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS, BHOPAL IT ESTABLISH A ROUTE FOR ELEVATED WALKWAYS AROUND THE FUTURE OFFICE BLOCKS IN THE SAME BUSINESS DISTRICT. ALL OPENINGS ARE INTEGRATED WITH THE STRUCTURE TO CREATE A POCKET OF SHADOW WITHIN WHICH THE WINDOWS FALL OFFERING A COMPLETE FREEDOM TO THE DESIGN AND FORM OF THE WINDOWS. THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN HAS REALISED A DEGREE OF STANDARDIZATION TO FORM THE DESIGN ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING. THE BUILDING WORKS WITH THE CLIMATE SHADING THE INTERNAL SPACES FROM THE HOT SUMMER SUN.