All posts by Matter

Architecture, Essays, Places, Visual Culture

Dharmapuri

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Remnants of a Fast Disappearing Way of Life

A photo-narrative by Sneha Parthasarathy of the quintessential Indian village culture, lifestyle and architecture, against the backdrop of the Godavari River Festival. 

The Pushkaras, occurring annually, are river festivals celebrating in a cyclic manner each of the 12 important holy rivers of India. This year was that of the river Godavari and was said to be a ‘Maha Pushkara’ – occurring once every 144 years. The 12 day festival saw over 11 crore devotees, from Telangana-Andhra region rush to the river banks of Godavari to take the emancipating dip and pray for departed souls of their loved ones. There is something very powerful and beautiful about belief but mass hysteria and hype is worrying. Worrying because it leads to herd mentality; when you do something not because you deeply believe in it but because you do not want to be left out. Continue reading Dharmapuri →

Architecture, Contemporary Practice, Furniture Design, Projects, Studio

Young Weavers’ Training Centre: Young Citizens

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Melbourne and Mumbai-based practice Young Citizens curates the transition of a derelict bus shelter into a training centre for WomenWeave with a hands-on engagement with the process, context and the users. Sian Pascale, Founder of Young Citizens elaborates on her ideas and experiences with the project in an interview accompanying the feature.

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A simple space furbished with locally-sourced materials and textures conducive to the needs of the users.

Continue reading Young Weavers’ Training Centre: Young Citizens →

Architecture, Design Thinking, Drawing to Find Out, Interviews, Studio, Visual Culture

KSA Architects: Nemish Shah

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Drawing to Find Out [02]

In an attempt to understand patterns of work at KSA Architects, we examine their drawings to find nuances of a process that permeates between sketchbooks and computers – a process of structuring an argument through drawing – drawing that represents design thinking.

Sketch for the Shergadh House.
Sketch for the Shergadh House.

Continue reading KSA Architects: Nemish Shah →

Architecture, Contemporary Practice, Projects, Studio

Office & Laboratory Block, Goa: Sachin Agshikar

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Away from the urban context, a conspicuous red office and laboratory block designed by Sachin Agshikar injects substance and presence into the banalities of an unconscious, utilitarian aesthetic of a cement factory. 

While the architectural discourse of the day is focused on diffusion and the unease of influence and inspiration of globalisation, there exists a set of environments far more informed and standardised by thoughts and needs, an identifiable cyclical progression untouched by visually referenced design, located often in the fringes of our cities. Continue reading Office & Laboratory Block, Goa: Sachin Agshikar →

Architecture, Contemporary Practice, Discourse, Essays

A Tribute to Charles Correa by Rafael Moneo

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Prof. Rafael Moneo pens a letter in tribute to Ar. Charles Correa. The gentlemen, both icons in their respective nations and across the globe, share a long friendship and mutual admiration.

June 30, 2015

It was with great sadness and surprise that I heard last week of Charles Correa’s passing away. I had seen him recently in Goa and although indeed he did seem fragile, I never thought he would leave us so rapidly. Continue reading A Tribute to Charles Correa by Rafael Moneo →