Charles Correa, face of contemporary architecture in India passes away

June 17, 2015

India’s greatest contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away in Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 84.
He had played a pivotal role in the creation of architecture for post-Independence India. He was known for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban poor and use of traditional methods and materials for construction.

About Charles Correa

Charles Correa was born on 1 September 1930 in Secunderabad, Telangana.
His famous Works: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museum at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad (1958–1963), Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal (1967), National Crafts Museum, New Delhi (1975–1990), Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal (1982), Jawahar Kala Kendra (Jawahar Arts Centre), in Jaipur, Rajasthan (1986–1992), British Council, Delhi (1987–92), McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Boston (2000–2005), City Centre (Salt Lake City) in Kolkata, Champalimaud Centre for The Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal (2007–2010).
He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta from 1970–75.
He also had served as first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization and was appointed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.
He is founder of Mumbai’s Urban Design Research Institute (established in 1984) dedicated to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.
Awards and Honours: He had been awarded the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006) by Government of India. He was also awarded Royal Gold Medal for Architecture (1984) by the Royal Institute of British Architects, 7th Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1998), Praemium Imperiale of Japan.