Memory, Monument and Ruin

MONUMENTS, RUINS and MEMORY - Ahmedabad is a city with several monuments and ruins - medieval and modern - some standing out as objects in the fabric of the city while others are hidden within the fabric to be discovered. They share an interesting relationship not only with their physical context but also with the people around. Some of these structures are forgotten, some are used in the same manner in which they were intended while in the case of others, the way people use these spaces have completely transformed. The Studio proposes to bring these monuments and ruins into the imagination of the student by understanding aspects of place, program and people from an architectural perspective. This understanding forms the basis for generating attitudes towards these structures in the present context and provides the “starter” for the design process which will address questions of appropriateness of spatial configuration and relevance of formal expression alongside functional possibilities posed by the pluralistic values of current times. To address these aspects, the studio will involve four components : 1. Experience and Analysis 2. Drawing 3. Study of Existing Theories and Architects/Artists whose work deals with these ideas 4. Architectural Studio Project