Course on Modern Architecture Conservation in India

In India and throughout the Indian subcontinent, the post-Independence period from the 1950s to 1980s was an era of finding an identity for new nations. Liberated from the constraints of the colonial period, new nations started to investigate their traditional roots alongside modernity as the architectural expression of the new era.

Architects such as Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Achyut Kanvinde, Joseph Allen Stein, Charles Correa, Ranjit Sabikhi, Anant Raje, Raj Rewal and BV Doshi, were instrumental in this process as they searched a new identity in India. This phenomenon is evident in other parts of South Asia as well, extending the scope of the discourse around Modern Architecture well beyond India.

In the decades between the post-Independence period and the present day, appreciation for the legacy of this period has grown, but many of the buildings are still threatened by demolition, insensitive alterations, or neglect. These places have aged, and some exhibit signs of deterioration and functional obsolescence. Maintaining and upgrading them requires specialized skills and technical knowledge.

Over the last few decades, an extensive body of knowledge has been developed and successful conservation projects that can serve as models have been carried out. However, the conservation of Modern Architecture remains an area of practice that is unfamiliar to many practitioners. To bridge this gap, Getty and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have partnered to develop a training course in India to meet the region’s growing needs.

Getty has been consistently working on this area through its Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative, which works internationally to advance the practice of identifying, conserving, and sustaining the built environment that characterize this era through research, publications, field projects, and training programs.

INTACH is India’s largest non-profit membership organization dedicated to conservation and preservation of India’s natural, cultural, living, tangible and intangible heritage. The training, research and capacity building programs of INTACH are conducted through the INTACH Heritage Academy.

This hybrid course introduced participants to a broad range of issues related to the conservation of Modern Architecture, with an emphasis on case studies to offer practical and technical skills. The course is addressed to mid-career professionals in the field of architecture, design, engineering, architectural conservation, and site management.

The course fosters an appreciation for the significance of Modern Architecture both in India and the broader region. It develops an understanding of the wide range of challenges in protecting and conserving Modern Architecture within the framework of conservation practice and philosophy.

During the course, participants focus on technical challenges and conservation approaches related to Modern Architecture and Modern materials such as reinforced concrete. By facilitating access to relevant and reliable resources, the course aims to support ongoing learning on Modern Architecture conservation principles and practices. Additionally, it endeavors to enrich professional networks by encouraging active engagement with colleagues from various parts of the country and the region, thereby fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

By the end of the course, participants are able to:

• Articulate and identify the broad range of challenges in protecting and conserving Modern Architecture within the framework of heritage conservation practice and philosophy
• Use a value-based approach for the conservation of Modern Architecture
• Address the technical aspects of conserving modern architecture and Modern Materials such as reinforced concrete
• Identify the role of advocacy, its strategic objectives, and its application to conserving Modern Architecture in India and the subcontinent

Registration and administrative inquiries should be sent to all three addresses: cp2.iha@gmail.com, cmaitraining@getty.edu, admn.iha@gmail.com