RAJ REWAL

INTRODUCTION
RAJ REWAL WAS BORN IN HOSHIARPUR, PUNJAB IN 1934 AND WAS
AMONG THOSE WHO FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE APPLICATION OF
ADVANCED WESTERN THEORIES OF URBAN AND BUILDING
TECHNOLOGIES IN THEIR COUNTRY.
FROM 1939 TO 1951 HE LIVED IN DELHI AND SHIMLA AND ATTENDED
HARCOURT BUTTER HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL.
HE ALSO ATTENDED DELHI SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, NEW DELHI
FROM 1951-1954.
IN 1955-61 HE MOVED TO LONDON AND ATTENDED THE ARCHITECTURAL
ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE FOR ONE YEAR.
HE TOOK HIS COMPLETE FORMAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AT BRIXTON
SCHOOL OF BUILDING LONDON.
HE WORKED AS AN ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT IN VARIOUS PRACTICES
IN LONDON AND AS A THEATRE SCENERY DESIGNER IN THE EVENINGS.
HE THAN BECAME AN ASSOCIATE OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH
ARCHITECTS, LONDON.

FROM 1961-62 HE WORKED IN THE OFFICES OF MICHEL ECOCHARD,

ARCHITECT, PARIS. IN 1962 HE RETURNED TO NEW DELHI TO SET UP HIS
OWN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE.
BECAUSE OF HIS EDUCATION AND WORK ABROAD HE TOOK A CRITICAL
LOOK AT THE ISSUES OF INDIAN MODERNIZATION AND INDIAN
TRADITIONS WITH INFORMED AWARENESS THAT AN APPROPRIATE
COMBINATION OF THE TWO MUST BE FOUND FOR CONTEMPORARY
INDIA.
HE TAUGHT AT THE DELHI SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE FROM 1963-72. IN
1974 HE OPENED A SECOND OFFICE IN TEHRAN, IRAN.
HE FOUNDED THE ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH CELL WITH RAM
SHARMA IN 1985.
HE WAS CURATOR OF THE EXHIBITION TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN
INDIA FOR THE FESTIVAL OF INDIA IN PARIS IN 1986. IN 1989 HE
RECEIVED AWARD FROM THE COMMON WEALTH AND WAS ALSO
AWARDED GOLD MEDAL BY INDIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
 HIS WORKS ARE READ AS PRODUCTS OF THE FINEST TRADITIONS
OF SELF REFLEXIVE (EUROPEAN) MODERNISM ROOTED IN THE
LOCAL ARCHITECTURAL CULTURE.
INFLUENCES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO HIS DEVELOPMENT AS AN
ARCHITECT ON HIS RETURN TO INDIA WERE
1. SEEING THE WORK OF LE-CORBUSIER.
2. TEACHING HISTORY AT THE SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND
ARCHITECTURE, NEW DELHI.
HIS ABILITY TO RETAIN THE CONCEPTUAL PURITY OF HIS
FOUNDATIONAL IDEALS HAS BEEN HIS STRENGTH AND IN SOME
OTHER WAYS HIS LIMITATIONS.
HIS ARCHITECTURAL IDEOLOGY IS SHAPED BY :
1. HIS INTEREST IN STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS. IT HAS DEFINED THE
NATURE OF SEVERAL OF HIS SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS.
2. AS A SET DESIGNER HE LEARNT THE VALUE OF EMPLOYING
MINIMALIST PROPS TO CONVEY A LARGER MEANING.
3. IN ECOCHARDS OFFICE HE ABSORBED THE PRINCIPLES OF
URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING.
RAJ REWALS PRODUCTION ARE NOT LEASED UPON A THEORY.
ACCORDING TO HIM A FUNCTIONAL DESIGN SHOULD BE INVOLVED WITH A
SPECIFIC EMOTIONAL FLAVOUR OR POETIC MOOD. THIS HE REFERRED TO AS
THE RASA OF THE BUILDING.
HIS BUILDINGS GIVES THE PERCEPTION OF TRADITIONAL MORPHOLOGY INTO
A CONTEMPORARY EQUIVALENT.
HE EMPHASISED ON STRUCTURAL MASSES AND NATURAL MATERIAL. HE
BRINGS STRUCTURAL, FUNCTIONAL AND CONCEPTUAL ASPECT INTO FOCUS
THROUGH THE MANNER IN WHICH HE LINKS HIS WORK TO PAST
ARCHITECTURAL FORMS AND IN HIS PERCEPTION OF THEIR PRESENT
FUNCTIONS.
HIS EXTENSIVE USE OF STONE AND STONE GRIT FOR STRUCTURE
ORNAMENTATION FOR EXPRESSIVE PURPOSE OF ANY STRUCTURAL SYSTEM.
HE FIRST EXPERIMENTED USE OF STONE AS A CLADDING MATERIAL, THEN AS
AN INDEPENDENT ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT. HE THEN DEVELOPED THE USE
OF STONE AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF BRICK MASONRY. IN LISBON, HE HAS
BONDED STEEL AND STONE TO ACT IN UNISON AS A STRUCTURAL SUPPORT
SYSTEM.
 HALL OF NATIONS ,
HALL OF INDUSTRIES,NEW DELHI

DESIGN TO REFLECT SYMBOLICALLY AND TECHNOLOGICALLY INDIAS

IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE MODERN, INDUSTRIALIZING COMMUNITY OF
NATIONS.
HALL OF NATIONS HAS A CLEAR SPAN OF 78 METRES AND A HEIGHT
VARYING FROM T 3M TO 21M. SO AS TO PROVIDE A VAST CAPACITY FOR
ITEMS TO BE EXHIBITED FROM BOOKS TO BULLDOZERS.
HALL OF INDUSTRIES IS A COMBINATION OF FOUR SMALLER PAVILIONS BY
RAMPS ENCLOSING A CENTRAL AREA FOR OPEN-AIR EXHIBITS. IT HAS A
SPAN OF 44M. AND HEIGHT OF 16.8M. UTILITIES, TOILETS AND OTHER
SERVICES ARE LOCATED UNDER THE RAMPS.
 EACH PAVILION IS A THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACE FRAME OF CAST-IN-SITU
REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE PARTS RESEMBLING A TRUNCATED
PYRAMID, WHOSE SLOPING WALLS CONTAIN TRIANGULAR APERTURES,
CREATING CHANGING PATTERNS OF LIGHT AND SHADE ON THE SURFACE
AND INSIDE THE BUILDING.
OCTAHEDRA MEASURING 5M FROM JOINT TO JOINT WERE EMPLOYED AS
THE BASIC THREE-DIMENSIONAL UNIT OF THE SPACE FRAME WHICH RESTS
ON EIGHT POINT AROUND THE ESSENTIALLY SQUARE PLAN AND ALLOWS
11M WIDE OPENING BETWEEN THE SUPPORTS.
SOLID TRIANGULAR PANELS AT REGULAR INTERVAL PROVIDE SUNSCREEN
RESEMBLING TRADITIONAL JALI.

CONCRETE SPACEFRAME
INTERIOR VIEW OF HALL OF NATIONS
 STATE TRADING CORPORATION ,DELHI

THE S.T.C. DESIGN STANDS OUT AS A RESULT OF ITS UNIQUE STRUCTURE

AND SURFACE TREATMENT.
VERTICAL STRUCTURAL CORES CONTAINING LIFTS AND SERVICES
SUPPORT VIERENDEEL GIRDERS BETWEEN ALTERNATE FLOORS AND THE
WHOLE IS COVERED BY BEIGE AND RED SANDSTONE PANELS.
HIGH RISE BLOCKS RISE TO DIFFERENT HEIGHTS, TALLEST BEING THE ONE
FORMING A JUNCTION OF THE LOWER TWO.

S.T.C. VIEW
 STATE TRADING CORPORATION ,DELHI

A LOW, THREE-STOREY VOLUME PARTIALLY FILLS THE SPACE

CREATED BY THE C-SHAPED PLAN OF ADJOINING TOWER. THIS
SPACE ACCOMMODATES HEAD OFFICE OF S.T.C.
THE OFFICE FLOORS HAVE A 15M SPAN AND ALLOW FOR A
FLEXIBLE PARTITIONING SYSTEM BEING COLUMN FREE.
THERE IS OPTIMUM ACCESS TO THE EMPORIUM FROM THE
STREET, A FURTHER ACCESS IS PROVIDED TO THE TOWER FROM
THE REAR FAADE.
PARKING FOR 200 CARS IS AVAILABLE BEHIND.
 REPETITION OF OCTAGONAL OPENINGS IN THE BRIDGE-LIKE GIRDERS BETWEEN
THE VERTICAL CORES
CREATES AN IMPRESSION OF TRADITION JAIL.
NATURAL LIGHT REACHES DISPLAY AREA FROM SKYLIGHTS ON THE ROOF
TERRACE.

TYPICAL PLAN
 SECTION

TYPICAL FLOOR 3D
 SCOPE OFFICE COMPLEX,
NEW DELHI
IT IS A HIGH DENSITY BUT RELATIVELY LOW RISE CONSTRUCTION.
EIGHT POLYGONAL INTERLOCKING BLOCKS ARE GROUPED AROUND A
CENTRAL COURTYARD TO PROVIDE SOME 75,000 SQUARE METRES OF
OFFICE SPACE FOR DIVERSE, PUBLIC SECTOR COMPANIES.
STRONG, FORTRESS LIKE MASS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED BY THE
REPEATED USE OF CORNER COLUMNS AND STONE FACING AND
ARTICULATED FAADE WITH DEEP RECESSES.
VARIOUS SOCIAL ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN LOCATED ON THE ROOF
TERRACE TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION OF SMALL CITY ACCESSIBLE AT
MANY LEVELS.
 MASSIVE IN FORM, THE PERIPHERY OF THE COMPLEX HAS UPPER
FLOORS WHICH EXTEND FURTHER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND
LEVEL, CREATING DEEP SHADOWS.
AT ROOF LEVEL THERE IS A RICH ARTICULATION OF FORMS AND
SPACES, WITH BOXES FOR HANGING PLANTS, CONCRETE TRELLISES
FOR CANVAS COVERS OVER SUN-DECKS AND PASSAGEWAYS FOR
EMPLOYEES TO RELAX.
EACH OF INTERLOCKING PAVILION HAS A CENTRAL CORE
CONTAINING LIFTS, STAIRS, LAVATORY FACILITIES AND HAVING
ACCESS TO THE OFFICES AND MEETING ROOMS ON EACH FLOOR.
NATURAL LIGHT REACHES DEEP INTO THE INTERIORS AS A RESULT
OF THE RECESSES ON THE PRINCIPAL FAADE.
THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM CONSISTS OF FOUR COLUMNS
SUPPORTING A SQUARE DIAGRID OF STRUCTURAL SLABS WITH 12M
CENTRES OR 16M AT THE TWO UPPERMOST LEVELS.

PLAN
TOP VIEW

SECTION
 ASIAD VILLAGE HOUSING
HOUSING COMMISSIONED AND BUILT FOR THE GUESTS OF ASIAN
OLYMPIC GAMES HELD IN INDIAN IN 1982 BUT LATER ON SOLD TO
PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS.
WIDE VARIETY OF UNIT-TYPES FROM INDIVIDUAL HOUSES TYPES
(A, B, C) TO APARTMENTS TYPES (E, F, G) AND VARIATIONS ON THE
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT OF THESE.
THERE ARE 510 HOUSING UNITS, COMPRISING 200 INDIVIDUAL
TOWN HOUSES AND 300 APARTMENTS IN TWO STOREY TO FOUR
STOREY WALK UPS WITH OVERALL DENSITY OF 50 UNITS PER
HECTARE.
THE CONCEPT IS BASED UPON A SEQUENCE OF OPEN SPACES
LINKED BY NARROW, SHADED PEDESTRIAN STREETS CONTAINING
RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.
 THE PASSAGEWAYS AND LANES ARE INTERRUPTED BY UNITS WHICH SPAN
THEM OVERHEAD TO PRODUCE GATEWAY LIKE ENTRANCE.
VISTAS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING, ALTHOUGH A CONTINUITY OF
MOVEMENT IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT EACH SERIES OF ENCLOSURE.
INSPIRATION FROM TRADITIONAL STREET SCALE CAN BE SEEN IN NARROW
STREETS LINKING THE HOUSING UNITS.
PERIPHERAL ROADS ARE CONNECTED TO CUL-DE-SAC PARKING AREAS
WHICH IN TURN GIVES ACCESS TO INDIVIDUAL GARAGES OR CAR PORCHES
ATTACHED TO HOUSES OR APARTMENT BLOCKS.
VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT IS SEGREGATED
DINING COMPLEX FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN GAMES WAS CENTRALLY
LOCATED AND NOW SERVES AS A RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL
CENTRE
SITE PLAN
PLANS
 INTERIOR VIEW

VIEW OF THE COMMON

COURT YARD AND
GATEWAY
 SHEIKH SARAI HOUSING,
NEW DELHI
HOUSING OF 550 APARTMENTS WITH SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF UNITS
RANGING IN AREA FROM 70 SQ. M TO 720 SQ. M ORGANISED INTO TWO
DISTINCT CLUSTERS OF THREE AND FOUR STOREYS IN HEIGHT AND WITH A
DENSITY OF 100 APARTMENTS PER HECTARE.
IT IS BASED ON THE HAVELI TYPOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL PATTERNS OF
URBAN SPACES. NARROW SHADED STREETS WICK VARIETY OF CLUSTERS.
DWELLING UNITS ARE GROUPED AROUND A COURTYARD.
IT HAS A VARIETY OF OUTDOOR SPACE.

PLANS
 SEPARATION OF PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
PERIPHERAL ROADS ARE CONNECTED TO CUT-DE-SAC PARKING SQUARES
WHEREAS THE CENTRAL SPINE IS RESERVED FOR NARROW, SHADES,
PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS WHICH WEAVE THROUGH A VARIETY OF SEMI-
PUBLIC ENCLOSURES.
THE LABORATORIES AND THE DWELLINGS, WITH WALKWAYS, COURTYARDS
AND TERRACES, OFFER A HARMONIOUS PHYSICAL ENTITY FOR LIVING AND
WORKING.
ALL THE UNITS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH A COURTYARD OR ROOF-TOP
TERRACE. THE WALLS OR PARAPETS HAVE NARROW SUFS (JALIS).
STRU
CTURE IS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE POSTS AND BEAMS WITH BRICK
WALLS FINISHED WITH ROUGH PEBBLE-DASH.

PLANS
SITE PLAN
HOUSING 3D

VIEW
SITE VIEW
 LISBON ISLMAILI CENTRE

In the Ismaili centre,

architectural heritage is
reinterpreted in terms of
functional requirements
and the context of the site
in Lisbon.
The public spaces of
design like Jamatkhane,
social Hall and community
facilities are grouped
around separate courtyards
on the ground floors
The first floor is reserved
for educational, institutional
and Aga Khan foundation
areas around smaller
enclosures of courtyards.
The six courtyards and
external spaces are
landscaped with fountains,
running water and
appropriate foliage.

CORRIDOR VIEW
 Design is based on three
interconnected enclosed
gardens.
The entrance courtyard
is derived on the principle
of Char bagh with
flowering plants and
running water to
transform the mood of
the visitor from external
calm.
The community
courtyard for cultural and
community activities, is
an enclosure between the
Social Hall and Multi-
purpose hall.
The Jamatkhane
courtyard is an extension
of the prayer hall,
surrounded by the
cloister and has an
ambience of serenity. It is
at the head of the COURT YARD VIEW
complex but isolated from
it of change of level and a
gateway.
Pink granite is used in
conjunction with steel as
a structural material.
SITE PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECTIONS

SITE VIEW
 PARLIAMENT LIBRARY
THE AIM IS TO SEEK A LOW ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION SIGNIFYING
SAGACITY AND SPIRITUAL ELEGANCE.
THE CENTRAL HALL OF THE EXISTING PARLIAMENT IS LINKED TO THE
CENTRAL CORE OF THE COMPLEX SYMBOLISING KNOWLEDGE ON A
CENTRAL AXIS, THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF SPACES CULMINATING IN A NEW
AUDITORIUM FOR 1,100 PERSONS.
THE HEIGHT OF BUILDING IS RESTRICTED TO PODIUM LEVEL OF
PARLIAMENT EXCEPT OF GLAZED CRYSTALLINE FORMS OR DOMES WHICH
PROTRUDE ABOVE IT.
3 COURTYARDS ARE SYMMETRICALLY PLACED AROUND THE CENTRAL
BUILT FORM COMPLIMENTING THE DISTINCT FUNCTIONS.
.

SITE PLAN
 FIRST COURT ADJOINS THE MPS READING ROOM AND BPST
COMMITTEE ROOM SYMBOLISING THE LIBERTY OF THOUGHT,
EXPRESSION, BELIEF, FAITH AND WORSHIP.
SECOND COURT IS ENCLOSED BY THE M.P.S DINING HALL CLUB
ROOM AND THE AUDITORIUM. THE COURTYARD HAS A BIG TREE
SYMBOLIZING JUSTICE-SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL.
THIRD COURT SURROUNDED BY THE MUSEUM AND AUDITORIUM
AND ITS SPACE CAN BE UTILIZED FOR OUTDOOR EXHIBITIONS
AROUND THE WATER WHICH REPRESENTS EQUALITY STATUS AND
OPPORTUNITY.
THE COMPLEX IS DEMARCATED IN THREE ZONES ENSURING
PRIVACY AND SECURITY FOR THE VIPS AND SEGREGATION OF THE
SCHOLARS AREA OF BPST FROM PUBLIC ACTIVITY AREAS OF THE
MUSEUM AND THE AUDITORIUM.

PLANS
 THE FOUR STORY COMPONENT OF THE BUILDING HAS TWO BASEMENTS
FOR LIBRARY STACKS ABOVE THE GROUND TO BE USED FOR RESEARCH
AND AS WORK SPACES. THE UPPER FLOORS HAVE PUBLIC ROOMS AND
ATRIUM SPACES.
STRUCTURAL ARRANGEMENT FOR LOWER FLOORS IS BASED ON A DIAGRID
OF PREFABRICATED CONCRETE, ENCASED IN SANDSTONE.
THE MAJOR PUBLIC AREAS HAVE LARGER SPANS AND ARE COVERED WITH
SHALLOW DOMES OF LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE SUPPORTED BY A PRIMARY
STRUCTURE OF A VARIETY OF STEEL LATTICES

SECTIONS