Charles Correa (1930–2015), a name synonymous with Kala Academy in Goa, was a key figure in modern India’s architecture, introducing the concept of vernacular design which emphasised the significance of space and climate.
What inspired this renowned architect, urban planner, and filmmaker, who not only designed key institutions but also envisioned cities, including being appointed Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanisation in 1985?
Revealing such concepts and more is the book, Charles Correa – Citizen Charles (Niyogi Books) is the first biography on Charles Correa by Mumbai-based architect and writer, Mustansir Dalvi.
This book was the subject of discussion at the recently concluded 13th edition of the Goa Arts and Literature Festival, 2025, at ICG, Dona Paula. It was also recently launched at the Charles Correa Foundation, Panjim.
THE MAN BEHIND THE BOOK
Poet and writer, Ranjit Hoskote who was in conversation with Dalvi described this book as an “Intellectual biography of Correa.”
Dalvi mentioned that Correa, after studying in Bombay (now Mumbai) and furthering his education in the USA, returned to India, which had just become a republic, influenced by modernism. He further mentioned that the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted to shape a new India.
“Nehru wanted to take the country forward in a short period of time by looking at the state of the art in the world at the time, rather than be obsessively burdened by the baggage of the past. He never neglected it, but was not obsessed by it,” he explained.
"So, in this context, Correa’s practice emerges and his first work was related to Gandhi — the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Ahmedabad,” he said.
He had a deep connection with Goa, be it Moira or Divar. The motifs in his works, like openness to the sky, the central courtyard, a ritualistic pathway, staggered corners — have their basis here in the lived experiences of Goan architecture.
Ranjit Hoskote, Poet and writer
Hoskote mentioned that Correa drew inspiration from Goa as well. “He had a deep connection with Goa, be it Moira or Divar. The motifs in his works, like openness to the sky, the central courtyard, a ritualistic pathway, staggered corners — have their basis here in the lived experiences of Goan architecture,” Hoskote added.
Dalvi, who was commissioned by Niyogi Books to write this book as part of their series on ‘Pioneers of Modern India’ shared that for his research, he relied largely on Correa’s writings.
He said these writings were, in fact, complex concepts written in a jargon-free way, which was easy for a layman to comprehend.
NOTEWORTHY PROJECTS
In the book, which has roughly 200 pages, Dalvi also discusses Correa's projects that didn’t see the light of the day.
During the discussion, Dalvi spoke about Correa’s plans for Navi Mumbai, which didn’t turn out the way he had wanted.
“When he proposed it, it was called ‘the city of the sea’. There’s a harbour between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and it was intended to be a city with free ferries. But, that never happened. However, in all these years, it has developed well,” opines Dalvi, who adds that Correa worked on, and headed, the Goa Regional Plan 2021.
Dalvi, who was commissioned by Niyogi Books to write this book as part of their series on ‘Pioneers of Modern India’ shared that for his research, he relied largely on Correa’s writings.
On a concluding note, when asked what today’s young architects could learn from Correa, Dalvi suggested that students should first read Correa’s writings before admiring his buildings.
“They are the concepts and can be internalised and adapted in various ways, and we can take his legacy further, not in a sentimental way, but as a strategic way as one can imagine,” he said.
Hoskote concluded by adding that there is a need to conserve such spaces — referring to Kala Academy (the open-air auditorium remains unrepaired to this day), as they are part of our collective memory, and thus, one must resist the urge to destroy such structures.
Charles Correa – Citizen Charles, by Mustansir Dalvi, is available at Broadway Book Store, Panjim, and on Amazon.