Narratives in Architecture: Understanding Charles Correa through his Institutions of Culture

Abstract

This research thesis aims at understanding built forms as a medium of narrating stories and providing linkage to the cultural roots. Culture is one of the larger reservoirs where Indian values are embedded. And architecture becomes one such medium to depict these cultural values. Sometimes these connections could be made when the building is looked at a glance, whereas sometimes they attain a deeper structure. The initial part of research aims at understanding the conceptual development of architectural narratives in history, based on theories of literature and other arts. Global as well as Indian scenarios of narratives in the history of architecture are presented to understand the various ways of embedding and observing narratives. Further, the research explores different ways to decode the narratives embedded within architecture based on various theories. This decoding of narratives is dependent on the dynamics of conception (of the architect) and perception (of the observer). A framework consisting of architectural elements and notions is then adopted to understand the formation of spatial narratives. Cultural institutions become the locus for celebrating cultural values of a particular place, and it becomes the responsibility of an architect to make the building also speak about its place. Three cultural institutions at 3 different locations designed by Charles Correa have been selected for the study. The research will aim at explaining how Correa makes use of spatial narratives to give cultural significance to his cultural institutions. Comparative study of 3 cultural institutions explains how Correa’s buildings become storytellers of the place they take their shape, and how do these tools of telling stories change with the change in contexts. The application of theory of architectural narratives is useful for designers tounderstand how built environments could engage the users in experiencing the richness of culture in various contexts.