Concrete frame of Indian architecture

Rajnish Wattas

I first heard of Mahendra Raj as a structural engineer in 1972. Starting out as a young architect with eminent American architect Joseph Allen Stein, I could gaze out at the Purana Quila from his office in New Delhi. Not far from there was the upcoming Pragati Maidan, where the prestigious India International Trade Fair was to be held shortly, and preparations were on.

During lunch hours, we young architects would often go there to see the innovative works coming up. Mind-boggling inspirational designs for pavilions were taking shape. The most talked about was the Hall of Nations, designed by architect Raj Rewal. It had a unique structural system comprising prefab concrete space frame, a first-ever attempt in India. The huge clear span hall, shaped like a giant truncated pyramid, was designed by a brilliant engineer named Raj.

Space frames were usually built in steel internationally. ‘But since that could not be afforded in India at that time, the alternative was to make it in prefab concrete,’ recalls Rewal. It was an audacious and daring work which the US-trained Raj made possible. It later went on to become the most defining image of post-Independence modern Indian architecture — even though demolished in 2017!

Raj went on to collaborate with other leading Indian architects like Achyut Kanvinde, BV Doshi, Charles Correa, Joseph Allen Stein and Kuldip Singh.

Raj had a deep Chandigarh connection. In the early 1950s when Chandigarh had begun, he was working as an assistant engineer under PL Varma, chief engineer of the Capitol project. ‘I worked on the structural design of the parasol roof of the high court building. The cantilevered roof from which conoidal shells would be hung, posed a challenge. But nothing could be changed, warned our Indian team-mates. Finally, we were able to solve it and the edifice stands today as conceived by Corbusier,’ remembered Raj.

However, a bigger challenge awaited him. The design of the Secretariat building comprised of six structural bays with expansion joints between. While the other bays had uniform facades — bay number four had a different pattern, where Corbusier had created a playful variation. The jumping columns there defied structural stability. Raj informed Varma accordingly. When Corbusier was explained the difficulty, he was livid! ‘I had told you to get my French engineers to do it, but you insisted on your Indian team, and now they can’t do it,’ he told Varma. But Raj spoke up and showed Corbusier a slightly modified alternative.

He asked them to leave the drawing to study later. The next day, Raj was summoned again to Corbusier’s office. This time, Corbusier complimented him for his ingenuity and brilliance. The facade was modified by Corbusier, and stands today as a testament to Raj’s genius.

Raj, who died on May 8, leaves behind not only innumerable edifices, but also indelible marks on the ‘concrete’ of Chandigarh too.

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