Charu Bhatia | Jaipur, March 1 | Designed in 1986 by Charles Correa, Jawahar Kala Kendra is of a great significance for the post-independence architecture of India. Imagined as a metaphysical aspect, the building represents Correa’s interest in the abstract dimensions of architecture and the power of its transformation in a civic building.
Who was Charles Correa?
Architect, planner, activist and theoretician, Charles was one of the few architects whose work dealt with issues of architecture, low-income housing and urban planning over six decades of practice.
His work covers a wide range of scales and building typologies from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, the Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur and the Legislative assembly in Madhya Pradesh, to housing projects and townships in Delhi, Mumbai etc. He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai and was appointed by Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as the first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanisation.
In and Around JKK
A Point in the Universe: Programmed and built as a National Cultural Institution, Jawahar Kala Kendra is a proof of life for people of Jaipur. Analysed from Jai Singh’s plan for the Jaipur City, Charles allowed for interpretation of the form and structure.
Figure- Ground: The tall red sandstone walls mark the edge of the building much like Jaipur City’s fort walls, creating a transition from the outside to the inside. Ambient sounds fade and whispers dissolve into space making the transition from the outer space more perceptible.
The Nine Squares: Each, section with an architecture of its own, are programmed to be nuanced absolutes. Fragmented spaces of built, unbuilt and the in-between are configured to permit the users to experience a non-linear movement throughout the premises.Walls and many segregated spaces create voids of green spaces.
Open space: Here, the architect ensured a sensorial experience for the viewer when the eyes move through the area, while the sound creates soft echoes that fade through the spaces. Correa’s Jawahar Kala Kendra finds its true completeness only in the presence of two essential elements- the sky and the people. So, go and explore the vibrant hue of an exceptional architecture in JKK and give a salute to Charles for designing it!
