Opinion The modern monuments of Ahmedabad

In an era of smash-and-grab real estate capitalism and ideological extremism, buildings such as Sanskar Kendra City Museum, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium and others need to be restored in a way that preserves their authenticity, allows for new uses

These outstanding modern buildings in Ahmedabad need to be restored in a way which preserves their authenticity while allowing for new uses. (Illustration by CR Sasikumar)

William J R Curtis

January 29, 2024 09:35 AM IST First published on: Jan 29, 2024 at 08:00 AM IST

Once upon a time, the city leaders in Ahmedabad constructed institutions for the public good. Today, they knock down great buildings to suit short-term interests such as land speculation and private profit. Ahmedabad is home to architecture of universal value, both ancient and modern. Not just timeless creations of the past such as the Adalaj Stepwell (Vaghela Dynasty, 1498) and the exquisite Sidi Saiyyed Mosque (1573), but also a string of modern masterpieces, such as the Millowners’ Association Building, Shodan and Sarabhai Houses, and the Sanskar Kendra City Museum (1954), all designed by Le Corbusier in the early 1950s; the Indian Institute of Management by Louis Kahn (1963); the Gandhi Ashram Museum (1962) and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Pavilion by Charles Correa (1963); or the School of Architecture (1966), and Sangath studio (1980) by Balkrishna Doshi.

One has to go to Paris, Chicago or Los Angeles to find an equivalent collection of such fine modern examples. But whereas works in India predating the 20th century enjoy the title and protection of “heritage”, the modern ones do not, and this leaves them vulnerable to demolition, especially in an era of smash-and-grab real estate capitalism and ideological extremism which tags them as undesirable leftovers from the Nehru era. In addition to their outstanding architectural quality, these works reflect the progressive social ethos and secularism of post-colonial India in the years after Independence. In effect, Ahmedabad is a living museum of remarkable modern architecture adjusted to the climatic and cultural conditions of the place; truly a fusion of the local and the universal, the traditional and the modern.

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In mid-December 2020, the director and governing board of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (IIMA) announced that they intended to tear down most of the student residences of that magisterial citadel of learning designed by Louis Kahn in the early 1960s. I issued a “red alert”, published strong objections in the Architectural Record (NY), the Architectural Review (London) and the Indian press, including The Indian Express. Others took up the cause world-wide. The IIMA board soon retracted. The complex still stands but continues to deteriorate and its future remains unclear. Raj Rewal’s magnificent Hall of Nations (1973) in New Delhi was not so lucky, being demolished six years ago in dubious legal circumstances to make way for a vulgar commercial centre. In neo-liberal India, it is the price of everything and the value of nothing.

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In September 2023, the Ahmedabad Municipal Council (AMC) announced that it intends to knock down the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cricket Stadium by Correa of 1963 and is also considering demolishing Corbusier’s Sanskar Kendra City Museum, but without giving good reasons for doing so. There is loose talk of replacing these buildings with “state of the art facilities”, of “building Ahmedabad’s brand image and transforming the city into a modern metropolis while preserving its heritage”. When you have the real thing, there is really no need for flashy projects of uncertain long-term quality and value. Buildings which fit short-term agendas soon go out of date, whereas timeless works mark a moment in history, then go on to add to the stock of collective memories.

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The Patel stadium occupies a position in the legends of cricket in India. Designed entirely in reinforced concrete by Correa and the engineer Mahendra Raj between 1959 and 1963, the building achieves a complete fusion of architectural thinking and structural expertise. Like a modern version of an ancient amphitheatre, it establishes a clear figure in the cityscape, both as a public monument and a generous open-air space. From the air, it resembles a wheel, not unlike that at the centre of the Indian national flag. A World Monuments Fund study has demonstrated that it is feasible to restore the concrete structure and activate areas around the stadium for retail. The original idea of adjacent badminton courts, a skating rink and tennis could be realised. If Ahmedabad stages the Olympics, the stadium may serve for athletic events.

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Sanskar Kendra City Museum, designed by Corbusier, is another fine public amenity that can be restored and revived at reasonable expense. When the architect first came to India in the spring of 1951 it was to plan Chandigarh as the new state capital of the Punjab. The Millowners’ Association of Ahmedabad promptly invited him to design a museum of painting, sculpture and archaeology for a site on the banks of the Sabarmati River. Le Corbusier expanded the idea to a “Museum of Knowledge” presenting archaeology, local ethnography, and science as well as art. It was to be a sort of showcase of the city’s history, geography and culture — truly a civic monument.

Corbusier envisaged a square structure lifted up on a grid of concrete pillars with the public space passing underneath. A ramp rose from the courtyard to the upper-level galleries which were open in plan and top-lit though skylights. The main façades were clad in textured red brick and the building was crowned by a cantilevered parasol to protect it from sun, heat and rain. Corbusier even imagined a water garden on top, rich in vegetation, inspired by Mughal and Rajput gardens. The plaza surrounding the building was conceived as a cultural landscape of free-form shapes, including an open-air theatre, a multi-functional miracle box, and places for transient events such as traditional dance performances and markets for handicrafts. Nothing of this was built, leaving the museum incomplete.

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When I first visited the place in 1983 it was already suffering from a lack of maintenance and from a mediocre set of displays. In recent years, the deterioration has continued, concrete has cracked in places and water has leaked in, but the damage is relatively superficial and can be fixed. The free plan grid permits updated installations without threatening the integrity of Corbusier’s overall idea. The surroundings can be transformed into a park shaded in greenery for impromptu cultural events. Temporary structures such as tents and pavilions can be used for day time and night time festivities.

These outstanding modern buildings in Ahmedabad need to be restored in a way which preserves their authenticity while allowing for new uses. To destroy them would be the height of folly, a form of cultural vandalism. In the era of sustainability, re-use is more energy efficient than destruction followed by new construction. The AMC and IIMA are temporary guardians of treasures which must be handed on to future generations. Indian heritage laws urgently need changing to protect buildings constructed within the last 100 years. The modern masterpieces of Ahmedabad deserve nothing less than UNESCO World Heritage Status as universal patrimony.

The writer is an artist and a historian