Architect, planner, activist and theoritician, Charles Correa of India has earned his place as a major figure in contemporary architecture. Trained in the West but very Asian in nature and personality, his work - at the leading edge of the profession - is receiving worldwide recognition. Although many of his projects and articles have been published both in the East and the West, this is the first publication to offer an analysis and overview of his oeuvre.

In his essay, Sherban Cantacuzino explores a major theme in Correa's work: design for a warm climate using "open-to-sky" spaces - open shaded structures as opposed to "boxes" or totally enclosed volume. He also looks at Correa's long-standing involvement in low-cost housing and ideas on creating community, using clusters of buildings and a "community spine" - a multi-functional circulation and social outdoor space. In discussing Correa's urban planning work, such as in Bombay, Cantacuzino highlights Correa's idea of "re-structuring" the city, and his attitude to change and the role of the design professional as an agent for such change.

Cantacuzino, Sherban. Charles Correa: Essay by Sherban Cantacuzino. Singapore: Concept Media Ltd., 1984

Concept Media / Aga Khan Trust for Culture

Public Domain