JOIN US'India will be a dominant nation'
Graham Morrison, an English architect who lives and works in London, recently visited the City. He was surprised and shocked when he was told about the state of heritage buildings in Bangalore.
“It’s a shame that the heritage structures are being razed in Bangalore. I have always felt very strongly that every culture is dependent on what it inherits and the values that are handed on from one generation to the next. In some cases, they come in the form of buildings. Back home, I am part of a committee that exclusively looks after the preservation of old buildings,” Graham tells Metrolife.
But after spending quality time interacting with some of the youngsters in the City, Graham is happy that they are devising ways and means to integrate the new with the old, rather than completely doing away with the old.
During his trip to this country, Graham has spent a lot of time travelling
inside it.
He has visited Mumbai and Baroda and spent some time at the Nalanda University.
Talking about what he finds most contrasting between the two countries (India and the UK), Graham says, “It would be naive of me to impose the values that I have from the West on Indian culture. I feel Indians greatly value their culture. Historical buildings in India ought to be preserved and integrated into an urban pattern.”
He also points out that he found a couple of buildings in Ahmedabad had developed cracks.
“If something similar had happened in our country, we would take all measures to
fix it. I wonder why a lot of buildings in India stand neglected?” he asks.
Graham feels that developers here try to incorporate a lot of western concepts into buildings.
“Nevertheless, there are a lot of ideas and a certain infectious enthusiasm about the young breed of architects. They are willing to innovate and invent,” he adds.
Graham predicts a very bright future for India.
“India will undeniably be one of the dominant nations of the world. This will be reflected in the architecture, which will be developed in a style of its own, without aping anyone,” he concludes.