Text: Tanushree V Bhagwat
The constraints of the pandemic led author Edgar Demello to awaken a project that had been stagnant for a long time. A personal monologue of his diverse incursions, into terrains familiar and unfamiliar, emerges in this wake.
Described aptly by its title, Architecture Travelogues: Drawing between the Lines, the book widens the scope of travel and emphasises its value. As viewed through Edgar’s perceptions and shaped by his imagination and knowledge of architectural theory, history, and politics, it is a dense weave of multilayered experiences of people, places, architecture, and life. Through the compilation of eleven essays, one traverses across the spaces of France, Vienna, Australia, Venice, Holland, Prague, Amsterdam, Portugal, and Sri Lanka.
“I have a vision of the Songlines stretching across the continents and ages; that wherever men have trodden, they have left a trail of song; and that these trails must reach back, in time and space, to an isolated pocket in the African savannah, where the first man shouted the first stanza of the World Song, ‘I am!'”
Excerpt from the chapter: Of Songlines and Leaping Sails
A visceral impact enriches the overall fabric of the book, as engaging references from songs, poetry and excerpts from books are incorporated. The author draws instances from Joseph Brodsky’s ‘Watermark’, ‘The Songlines’ by Bruce Chatwin and many more. Attention is given to significant contextual cues like climate, time of day, sounds and modes of a journey, cultivating a more complete and immersive involvement for the reader.
A tone of reminiscence and memory colours parts of the text as the author revisits different locations. Through a conjuncture of notes, sketches, and recall, the narrative blurs the boundary between fiction and reality, and the past, present, and future.
A sense is achieved of how deeply travel has affected the author’s life, both personally and professionally. He bears a natural affinity for making new friends along the way and reconnects with several older ones during his journeys.
“Before entering, I meet a second Antonio (in one day!) who is doing the Camino on horseback. He is disappointed that, with a name like Edugardo(!) Demello, I’m neither of Portuguese lineage ‘nor speak his language. Nevertheless, we have lunch together. We find that we have much in common, including the English language, and unexpectedly, an appreciation of Leonard Cohen’s poetry as well!”
Excerpt from the chapter: Finding the Way
The book is a captivating exploration of architectural wonders. Slightly heavy, it lends a sense of substance to its physical presence. The matte paper choice provides a smooth surface that complements both text and images, making them easily discernible. While its weight may limit portability, the tactile and visual appeal of the book adds to the pleasure of delving into its narratives.
Simple writing, void of architectural jargon, makes it accessible and enjoyable to read. The interface between text and imagery is consistent and well-balanced throughout the document. Photographs by Clare Arni, Haripriya Rangarajan, Mansi Rao, Suresh Raju, and Edgar, along with handwritten notes and sketches, fulfil the curiosity of this read.
Despite its simple articulation, the tactility of the text encapsulates the atmosphere of a moment beyond its mere touristic investigation. Edgar’s first encounter with the monastery at La Tourette is a pertinent example of how detail-oriented expressions can vividly influence the involvement of the reader.
“Before delirium set in, all that haze and fatigue disappeared when I reached level ground. The belfry came into view over an immense wall of raw concrete. There was an instant awakening within me. A
Excerpt from the chapter: The Master’s Voice
quickening of blood flow comes from prolonged and excitable anticipation. I realized that this ordinary concrete wall, roughly sculpted, could become extraordinary just by its presence. The feeling only intensified when the truncated light cones above the crypt appeared. Material, form, light, colour, landscape—as part of a higher order of things.”
Equipped with a background in architecture, Edgar stimulates readers to experience a nuanced and insightful journey through the intersection of design and exploration, delivering an accessible understanding of architectural ideas without becoming overly complex. His professional lens shapes the very essence of his travels, guiding him to experience destinations through a spatial filter. This approach results in a narrative that explores the beauty of diverse spaces and foregrounds the stories and inspirations behind them.
Dedicated to intrepid travellers, the book subtly opens up a sense of wonder that tends to unravel upon threading keen connections with a place. By creating moments of evocative clarity and raising profound philosophical interrogations throughout, this account imparts a lingering impression, guiding one on a slow journey of self-discovery ♦
About the Book
The Architecture Travelogues are a compilation of diverse forays into familiar as well as uncharted terrain. By train, bus, by foot and bicycle and at times with a hitchhiker’s board. They are based on notes and sketches as well as on recall. In the reconstructions, reality often meets fiction, creating a map that is partly an imprint and partly ephemeral. The accretive experiences of people, places, and cultures were akin to life’s finishing school.
About Edgar Demello
Edgar Demello the principal of EDA Bangalore is an architect, curator, author and an intrepid traveler. He has attended the schools in Delhi’s SPA and the TU at Delft, and has taught at various schools in the south, more recently as an adjunct faculty at RVCA Bangalore.
In 2000, Edgar started tAG&B (the Architecture Gallery & Bookshop), a platform to bring together practitioners, academics and students. This morphed into CoLab, an visual initiative that investigates the making of architecture through the conjuncture of various other disciplines, especially art. He has also authored Architecture Fables for Children as well as illustrated Travelogues of curated trips.
Title: Architecture Travelogues: Drawing between the Lines
Publisher: EDA – CoLab A+A
Design and Editing: Subu Palamadai, Haripriya Rangarajan, Nidhi Tekwani, Paulette, Arun Ananthasubramanian and team (Geetham and Pradeep)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-93-5777-012-5
Year of Publication: 2022
Spreads: From the book; © Edgar Demello
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