Wall As a Public Space
“To read public space only as a spatial condition, as a matter of square footage, zoning, or physical access, is to miss half the picture.”
—Reshma Esther Thomas

Reshma Esther Thomas examines how Hyderabad’s flyover pillars, painted with Cheriyal-style murals under the GHMC’s ‘City Art Scape’ initiative, reveal the paradox of managed public space. What appears to be beautification is actually cultural assertion in the wake of the 2014 bifurcation, bureaucratising a surface that once belonged to those without institutional power.

Wall As a Public Space
“To read public space only as a spatial condition, as a matter of square footage, zoning, or physical access, is to miss half the picture.”
—Reshma Esther Thomas

Khazans in Slavador du Mundo, Bardez, Goa. © Kusum Priya (1)

The Map That Was Never Yours
“If publicness is reduced to what is legally accessible, then these landscapes were never public to begin with.”
—V.V. Kusum Priya

V.V. Kusum Priya

Life on the public spaces in downtown Calcutta. Source - Wikimedia

“Appropriation of public spaces is the genesis of political movements, of ideological apparatus, and of endangering the city’s multi-dimensional fabric.”
—Dr. Seema Khanwalkar

Dr. Seema Khanwalkar

“… people like Sen [Kapadia] don’t really leave. They become the questions we continue to ask.”
—A Tribute by Nuru Karim

Nuru Karim

Nirbhaya Nirgun
“Sen [Kapadia] found his own light early. He followed it without apology and without detour, and never let anyone dim it.”
—A Tribute by Pinkish Shah

Pinkish Shah

“Professor Shireesh Deshpande chose the far more difficult task: to mould young minds into thoughtful, responsible, and rooted architects.”—A Tribute by Sarbjit Singh Bagha

Sarbjit Singh Bahga

Cidade de Goa, India. Designed by Charles Correa. Source - Elle Decor

“For India’s hospitality industry, contextual design is both an ethical and economic bridge…”—Vandana Dhawan Saxena

Vandana Dhawan Saxena

Reviews

“The quiet elegance of the renovation has adequately paid homage to Sabha’s historicity.” —Suchitra Deep reviews Sabha’s restoration by Hundredhands

Suchitra Deep

ArchitectureLive! - Art Architecture and Urbanism Magazine 12

“As much as this book may help young students to become good architects… it seeks to restore the idealism that was once the hallmark of the profession.”—Praveen Bavadekar reviews Five Architectural Fables

Praveen Bavadekar

“…this book can also be considered as the Bible for housing—especially for the Konkan region.”—Sheikh Intekhab Alam reviews Sheltering Angle

Sheikh Intekhab Alam

“There was a need to bring outside voices to contaminate and corrupt the idealism of the academy and vice-versa.”—Pinkish Shah reviews SPADE India Foundation event by SRDA

Pinkish Shah

Book Cover. MN Ashish Ganju - Thinker and Architect

Portraits of a Departure | Sriganesh Rajendran reviews M.N. Ashish Ganju – Thinker and Architect

Sriganesh Rajendran

Apple Store Kuala Lumpur by Norman Foster + Partners

Of Glass Boxes and Domes – Praveen Bavadekar reviews The Apple Store at Kuala Lumpur, designed by Foster and Partners

Praveen Bavadekar

“Heritage without people or cultures has no meaning.” – Gurmeet Sangha Rai

Rajesh Advani

“There are no experts who can define conservation and how things should be done because heritage has very much to do with society.” – A.G.K. Menon

Rajesh Advani

Sonal Mithal - Architectural Heritage in India

“Our role begins when people approach us, identifying something as their heritage and wanting help to preserve it, promote it, or extend its life.” – Sonal Mithal

Rajesh Advani

“I believe that in conservation, 70% of the effort is research and engaging with stakeholders…” -Shikha Jain

Rajesh Advani

Sense of Itihasa; Architecture and History in Modern India

Jaimini Mehta shares a three-part series essay previewing his book “Sense of Itihasa; Architecture and History in Modern India”. The book analyses the works of several contemporary, post-independence Indian architects to demonstrate that since independence, they have revitalised traditional architectural elements and techniques, drawing inspiration from India’s itihasa.

Vernacular template of the three-layered threshold. © Emmanuel Guddu

“Space reflects people’s deep-rooted attitude to placemaking and is part of a civilisation’s core values.”—Jaimini Mehta

Jaimini Mehta

Diwan-i-Khas at Fatehpur Sikri. Image by Manfred Sommer

“If the received wisdom of this Western historiography is Eurocentric and subjective, how do we trace the evolution of architectural consciousness in India?”—Jaimini Mehta

Jaimini Mehta

“Unless you ask these questions, you will not realise that it is not history but the perception of history that needs to be revisited.”—Jaimini Mehta

Jaimini Mehta

History is not your Enemy | From ‘The Sense of Itihasa’ by Prof. Jaimini Mehta

Jaimini Mehta

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Featured Works

Your Project is not just a Building;

It’s a Story.

Wall As a Public Space
“To read public space only as a spatial condition, as a matter of square footage, zoning, or physical access, is to miss half the picture.”
—Reshma Esther Thomas

Wall As a Public Space
“To read public space only as a spatial condition, as a matter of square footage, zoning, or physical access, is to miss half the picture.”
—Reshma Esther Thomas

The Map That Was Never Yours
“If publicness is reduced to what is legally accessible, then these landscapes were never public to begin with.”
—V.V. Kusum Priya

“Appropriation of public spaces is the genesis of political movements, of ideological apparatus, and of endangering the city’s multi-dimensional fabric.”
—Dr. Seema Khanwalkar

“… people like Sen [Kapadia] don’t really leave. They become the questions we continue to ask.”
—A Tribute by Nuru Karim

Nirbhaya Nirgun
“Sen [Kapadia] found his own light early. He followed it without apology and without detour, and never let anyone dim it.”
—A Tribute by Pinkish Shah

“Professor Shireesh Deshpande chose the far more difficult task: to mould young minds into thoughtful, responsible, and rooted architects.”—A Tribute by Sarbjit Singh Bagha

“For India’s hospitality industry, contextual design is both an ethical and economic bridge…”—Vandana Dhawan Saxena

“The quiet elegance of the renovation has adequately paid homage to Sabha’s historicity.” —Suchitra Deep reviews Sabha’s restoration by Hundredhands

“As much as this book may help young students to become good architects… it seeks to restore the idealism that was once the hallmark of the profession.”—Praveen Bavadekar reviews Five Architectural Fables

“…this book can also be considered as the Bible for housing—especially for the Konkan region.”—Sheikh Intekhab Alam reviews Sheltering Angle

“There was a need to bring outside voices to contaminate and corrupt the idealism of the academy and vice-versa.”—Pinkish Shah reviews SPADE India Foundation event by SRDA

Portraits of a Departure | Sriganesh Rajendran reviews M.N. Ashish Ganju – Thinker and Architect

Of Glass Boxes and Domes – Praveen Bavadekar reviews The Apple Store at Kuala Lumpur, designed by Foster and Partners

Gender. Hysteria. Architecture. | What Might Care Look Like If It Were Not Afraid of Women?

Gender. Hysteria. Architecture. | “How Did a Diagnosis Learn to Draw Walls?”

Brutalist India | Asiad Tower, New Delhi

Brutalist India | Maharana Pratap Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT), New Delhi

Who really wins? — About Architectural Competitions in India, with Khushru Irani

Who Really Wins? — About Architectural Competitions in India, with Yogesh Chandrahasan

“Heritage without people or cultures has no meaning.” – Gurmeet Sangha Rai

“There are no experts who can define conservation and how things should be done because heritage has very much to do with society.” – A.G.K. Menon

“Our role begins when people approach us, identifying something as their heritage and wanting help to preserve it, promote it, or extend its life.” – Sonal Mithal

“I believe that in conservation, 70% of the effort is research and engaging with stakeholders…” -Shikha Jain

“Space reflects people’s deep-rooted attitude to placemaking and is part of a civilisation’s core values.”—Jaimini Mehta

“If the received wisdom of this Western historiography is Eurocentric and subjective, how do we trace the evolution of architectural consciousness in India?”—Jaimini Mehta

“Unless you ask these questions, you will not realise that it is not history but the perception of history that needs to be revisited.”—Jaimini Mehta

History is not your Enemy | From ‘The Sense of Itihasa’ by Prof. Jaimini Mehta

Court Fort, Nandoli, Gujarat, by Compartment S4

Rice Museum, Mandya, Karnataka, by RC Architects

Sangam, Pune, Maharashtra, by Alkesh Gangwal & Associates

Elevated Dining Deck at RMV Club, Bengaluru, Karnataka, by Funktion Design

House of Material and Character, Lonavala, Maharashtra, by SHROFFLEóN

Drishti, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by Hiren Patel Architects

Himāvasa, Chapar, Uttarakhand, by Ātman Studio

Amethyst, Ernakulam, Kerala, by Curved Dimension

The Courtyard School, Mandal, Gujarat, By Manayan Architects

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