Structural Aesthetics of Post- Independence Ahmedabad

Abstract

The paper intends to address the importance of structural aesthetics of Post independent buildings. The paper also addresses the strong ideologies and expression of freedom through contextual case studies along a timeline parameter. What does one mean by the structural aesthetics of a building and intends on understanding the same? As a matter of fact, the structure could be overseen in different ways. The initial one could be by perceiving it as having a primary role by doing larger spans, achieving efficiency of sizes, the efficiency of construction by following modules, grids or geometry, etc. In the latter, structure only aides the spatial organization. And lastly and most importantly, the way in which this study focuses are about the modernist way of exposing the structure and deriving aesthetics out of it. This aesthetics purely belongs to the modernist era. As far as this research is concerned, the major objective was to upraise the aesthetics of selected modernist buildings in Ahmedabad, which belonged to different architects, but in the same timeline. So for the same, one should also get into the level of understanding the way in which they have created a sense of aesthetics which was a manifestation of them perceiving modernism. For deriving the above-discussed aesthetics out of a structure, the context and the time in which these thoughts were conceived really matters. The wide spread notion of freedom was addressed through socio- cultural and political forces, wherein, men and women came together to address the Freedom Movement in India. This notion then spilt over into architecture in few Indian cities, prominently Ahmedabad. Questioning the Indian identity led to exploring the art and architecture of these cities. Hence, lies the importance of the city of Ahmedabad, due to its modern heritage and the timeline which that heritage belongs to.