The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985

Name: The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985
Brand: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd
SKU: 9781633451247
Price: 115.0 NZD
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Summary

The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985 explores how architects in postcolonial South Asia broke from colonial traditions to create modern designs that reflect local materials, climate, and social contexts. Covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the book showcases how architecture became an instrument of nation-building, social progress, and political representation. Featuring essays by leading scholars and a rich portfolio of photographs by Randhir Singh, it presents 17 key projects and discusses themes from institution-building to housing and infrastructure in the era following independence.
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Format: Hardback

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Ideal for readers interested in architecture, modernism, postcolonial studies, and South Asian history. Architects, historians, scholars, and urban planners will find this work particularly insightful, as well as anyone fascinated by the intersection of design and social transformation in newly independent nations.

Description

How South Asian architects broke with the colonial past and found ingenious ways to negotiate modernism's universalist claims with the material and labour conditions on the ground.

South Asia holds a unique place among the many regions of the world where modern architecture was understood as both a tool for social progress and a global lingua franca in the second half of the 20th century. Following the end of British rule in 1947-48, architects in the newly formed nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh (East Pakistan until 1971), and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) proposed a novel understanding of modernity, disrupting the colonial hierarchy of centre and periphery by challenging modernism's universalist claims.

Architecture offered multiple ways to break with the colonial past. Through the establishment of institutions that embodied the societal aspirations of the period and the creation of new cities and spaces for political representation, South Asian architects produced a distinct body of work in dialogue with global developments while advancing the theory and practice of low-cost, climatically and socially responsive design.

Anchored by a newly commissioned portfolio of images from architectural photographer Randhir Singh, this richly illustrated and meticulously researched catalogue features essays by the curators and leading scholars in the field. Subjects covered include the politics of concrete, institution-building, higher education, housing, infrastructure and industry, landscape, and design. Additionally, it presents 17 transformative projects from around the subcontinent.

While several of the architects appearing in these pages have in recent years received monographic exhibitions, The Project of Independence marks the first attempt to consider their work within the ideological frameworks of its creation and the political context of the region as a whole.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A rigorous and revisionist examination of South Asian modernist architecture, praised for its in-depth analysis of the region's architectural responses to postcolonial challenges. Critics highlight its hopeful perspective on mid-century architects collaborating with nation-states and its significance as a major contribution to understanding architectural identity in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Described as a valuable reference for both architectural historians and urban planners, it offers fresh insights into unsung triumphs and overlooked discoveries.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781633451247

Publisher: Museum of Modern Art

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 February 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Museum of Modern Art

Illustration: 400 Illustrations

Contributors:

Edited by Martino Stierli
Edited by Anoma Pieris
Edited by Sean Anderson
Contributions by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf
Contributions by Nonica Datta
Contributions by Prajna Desai
Contributions by Da Hyung Jeong
Contributions by Farhan Karim
Contributions by Evangelos Kotsioris

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 240.0mm

Height: 300.0mm

Weight: 1660g

Pages: 232

Collections

Arts & Culture Non-Fiction

About the Author

Martino Stierli is The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Sean Anderson, Associate Curator, The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, Director-General, Bengal Institute

Da Hyung Jeong

Evangelos Kotsioris, Curatorial Assistant, The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Nonica Datta

Prajna Desai, C-MAP Fellow for Asia, The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Farhan Karim, Assistant Professor of Architectural History, Architecture Department, School of Architecture & Design, The University of Kansas

Saloni Mathur

Rahul Mehrotra, Professor of Urban Design and Planning, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University

Anoma Pieris, Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne

Mrnalini Rajagopalan

Peter Scriver, Associate Professor, and Amit Srivastava, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Adelaide

Devika Singh, Affiliated Scholar, Centre of South Asian Studies of the University of Cambridge; Member of Global Art Prospective, Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art (INHA), Paris

Amit Srivastava