Book Cover of “A Queer Reading of Nawabi Architecture and the Colonial Archive - Lucknow Queerscapes.” By Sonal Mithal and Arul Paul (1)

Book Announcement | A Queer Reading of Nawabi Architecture and the Colonial Archive: Lucknow Queerscapes, by Sonal Mithal, and Arul Paul

ALive! Content

A Queer Reading of Nawabi Architecture and the Colonial Archive, by Sonal Mithal and Arul Paul, explores the architectural production of nawabs Asaf-ud-Daula and Wajid Ali Shah and reveals the colonial bias against queer expression. It offers methods of using queer strategies to read archival evidence against the grain and rewrite erased, overlooked, and suppressed histories.

Book Announcement | Happiness City, by Bhawna Jaimini and Deepa Balsavar

ALive! Content

Written by Bhawna Jaimini and illustrated by Deepa Balsavar, the book “Happiness City” is a manifesto disguised as a poem to create gentle cities that belong to all. It is an invitation to examine the state of our cities and collectively dream and design for a better tomorrow.

“…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

Sheikh Intekhab Alam reviews the book “Sheltering Angle” by Asha and Prabhakar Baste that is a four-decade legacy in Indian architecture, featuring their distinctive approach to housing design and regional influences.

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

The essay is the second of a three-part series of preview essays for Jaimini Mehta’s forthcoming book, Sense of Itihasa; Architecture and History in Modern India. He explores how colonial perspectives distorted Indian architectural history, arguing that indigenous architectural theories existed beyond Eurocentric interpretations, with the mandala symbolizing a deeper conceptual understanding of cosmic and spatial design.

“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

The essay is the first of a three-part series of preview essays for Jaimini Mehta’s forthcoming 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 revitalized traditional architectural elements and techniques, drawing inspiration from India’s itihasa.

Book Announcement | Great Expectations: Notes to an Architect, by Christopher Charles Benninger

ALive! Content

Christopher Benninger’s new book—Great Expectations: Notes to an Architect—reflects on contemporary architectural practice and its role in improving the human condition. It gives direction to students and practitioners alike as Prof. Benninger notes his encounters with his gurus and the manner in which their personal passion for humanity shaped the lives of others.

Book Review feature image - A Call To Return by Lakshmi Swaminathan

“The book is as much Didi’s voice as it is of Swaminathan’s, at times, even more so.” – Geethu Gangadhar reviews A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor, by Lakshmi Swaminathan

Geethu Gangadhar

Geethu Gangadhar reviews the book ‘A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor’, compiled and edited by Lakshmi Swaminathan.

Cover Page, 1700 in 70: A Walk for a Cause, by Gita Balakrishnan

Book Announcement | 1700 in 70: A Walk for a Cause, by Gita Balakrishnan

Rajesh Advani

‘1700 in 70: A Walk for a Cause’ documents Gita Balakrishnan’s inspiring story of determination, resilience, physical endurance and spiritual growth against the backdrop of India’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and architectural heritage.

Book Announcement | A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor, by Lakshmi Swaminathan

ALive! Content

‘A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor’ chronicles the life of Didi Contractor, a self-taught architect born in 1929, who was renowned for her eco-friendly adobe buildings in Himachal Pradesh. Celebrated globally, Didi’s legacy includes numerous articles, books, documentaries, and prestigious awards.

NEW RELEASE | Concrete Architecture, by PHAIDON, with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin

Rajesh Advani

Concrete Architecture, by PHAIDON, with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, is a volume featuring 300 examples of the most incredible and inspiring concrete architecture from the early twentieth century to the present day.

NEW RELEASE by PHAIDON | Atlas of Never Built Architecture, by Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin

Rajesh Advani

Atlas of Never Built Architecture, published by Phaidon, is a compilation of the most spectacular unbuilt projects from the 20th and 21st centuries, by Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin.

“To understand the pluralism of modes of practices requires much greater interchange than we see at present.”– Rahul Mehrotra, Architectures of Transition”

Rahul Mehrotra

The Architectures of Transition: Emergent Practices in South Asia is a three-year project that will examine the state of architecture in South Asia. This project

Book Announcement | Architectures of Transition, by Rahul Mehrotra, Devashree Shah and Pranav Thole

Rajesh Advani

The Architecture(s) of Transition, a collaborative initiative by the Graduate School of Design, Laxmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, South Asia GSD Student Group,

Book Announcement | Vernacular Architecture of India, by Tejinder S. Randhawa

Rajesh Advani

The book covers a vast range of traditional residential architecture of India, illustrated with nearly 1600 full-colored illustrations covering the great building and craft skills

“Mehta’s discourse exemplifies authorship and individuation… ” Rajat Ray reviews Jaimini Mehta’s book titled ‘Non-Aesthetic Modernity: Metaphysics of Modern Architecture’

Rajat Ray

Rajat Ray reviews the book ‘Non-Aesthetic Modernity: Metaphysics of Modern Architecture’, authored by Jaimini Mehta. In the book, Mehta argues that modernity is not limited to the radical modernist movement and the ideology of “modernism” that emerged in Europe during the 18th century.

Architecture Books

Book Announcement | A Queer Reading of Nawabi Architecture and the Colonial Archive: Lucknow Queerscapes, by Sonal Mithal, and Arul Paul

Book Announcement | Happiness City, by Bhawna Jaimini and Deepa Balsavar

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

“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

Book Announcement | Great Expectations: Notes to an Architect, by Christopher Charles Benninger

“The book is as much Didi’s voice as it is of Swaminathan’s, at times, even more so.” – Geethu Gangadhar reviews A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor, by Lakshmi Swaminathan

Book Announcement | 1700 in 70: A Walk for a Cause, by Gita Balakrishnan

Book Announcement | A Call to Return: A Journey with Didi Contractor, by Lakshmi Swaminathan

NEW RELEASE | Concrete Architecture, by PHAIDON, with Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin

NEW RELEASE by PHAIDON | Atlas of Never Built Architecture, by Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin

“To understand the pluralism of modes of practices requires much greater interchange than we see at present.”– Rahul Mehrotra, Architectures of Transition”

Book Announcement | Architectures of Transition, by Rahul Mehrotra, Devashree Shah and Pranav Thole

Book Announcement | Vernacular Architecture of India, by Tejinder S. Randhawa

“Mehta’s discourse exemplifies authorship and individuation… ” Rajat Ray reviews Jaimini Mehta’s book titled ‘Non-Aesthetic Modernity: Metaphysics of Modern Architecture’

Ideas in your inbox

ALive! Perspectives