1. ArchDaily
  2. Raj Rewal

Raj Rewal: The Latest Architecture and News

Materials to Build India's Identity

Materials to Build India's Identity  - Featured Image
© Andre J Fanthome

Upon becoming a sovereign country, free from British Rule, the people of India found themselves faced with questions they had never needed to answer before. Coming from different cultures and origins, the citizens began to wonder what post-independence India would stand for. The nation-builders now had the choice to carve out their own future, along with the responsibility to reclaim its identity - but what was India's identity? Was it the temples and huts of the indigenous folk, the lofty palaces of the Mughal era, or the debris of British rule? There began a search for a contemporary Indian sensibility that would carry the collective histories of citizens towards a future of hope.

Materials to Build India's Identity  - Image 1 of 4Materials to Build India's Identity  - Image 2 of 4Materials to Build India's Identity  - Image 3 of 4Materials to Build India's Identity  - Image 4 of 4Materials to Build India's Identity  - More Images+ 26

2018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats

The World Monuments Fund has announced their 2018 World Monuments Watch, highlighting 25 cultural sites from across the globe currently at risk due to economic, political or natural threats. Covering more than 30 countries and territories, these monuments represent sites of exceptional cultural value dating from prehistory to the 20th century.

2018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - Image 1 of 42018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - Image 2 of 42018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - Image 3 of 42018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - Image 4 of 42018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - More Images+ 24

The Demolition of Delhi's Hall of Nations Reveals India's Broken Attitude to Architectural Heritage

On the morning of April 24th, Delhi’s architecture community reacted in shock and disgust to the news that the city's Hall of Nations and the four Halls of Industries had been demolished. Bulldozers had worked through the previous night at the Pragati Maidan exhibition grounds in central Delhi, where the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) razed the iconic structures to the ground, ignoring pleas from several Indian and international institutions.

The Hall of Nations, the world’s first and largest-span space-frame structure built in reinforced concrete, holds special significance in India’s post-colonial history—it was inaugurated in 1972 to commemorate twenty-five years of the young country’s independence. The demolition was met with widespread condemnation by architects and historians alike, not just because of the loss of an important piece of Delhi's heritage, but also for the clandestine manner in which the demolition was conducted.

The Z Axis International Conference to Explore "Great City, Terrible Place" in India

Curated by the Charles Correa Foundation, the Z Axis is an annual conference bringing together pioneers, thought leaders, influencers, professionals, and students in the fields of architecture and urban design to create an intellectual community focused on issues related to the context of India and the developing world. Fifteen speakers will gather from across the globe to explore the theme of Great City…Terrible Place, including Charles Correa, David Adjaye, Alfredo Brillembourg of Urban Think Tank, Spain's "guerrilla architect" Santiago Cirugeda, Simone Sfriso of Studio TAM Associati and more.