Golconde Pondicherry 3

2005 Report on University Research

Golconde: The Introduction of Modernism in IndiaPankaj Vir Gupta AIA

Christine MuellerUniversity of Texas at Austin

As contemporary architectural practice has sought to cope with the demands of an increasingly global society, architects are confronting the

dilemma of proposing design solutions in unfamiliar cultural and geographic con-

texts. All too often, the international nature of contemporary practice compels an

accelerated schedule of client meetings, site visits, and design proposals, all on

unfamiliar cultural and geographic terrain.The results of this type of engagement

seldom result in an architecture capable of assimilating the nuances of site, local

identity, and technology.

Our research has focused on an exemplary work of early modernist archi-

tecture in India, designed by two pioneers of the modernist movement. Working

within a cross-cultural platform, they built one of the earliest works of sustainable

modern architecture in the world. It predates the more renowned, modernist

essays by Le Corbusier in Chandigarh (1951–64) and Ahmedabad (1952–56),

and pioneers the use of reinforced concrete construction in India. Completed

in 1945, the building—a dormitory for a spiritual community—espouses the virtue

of radical economy and uncompromising construction standards. It proposes a

mode of architectural practice where issues of technology and environment

dictate the conception and tenor of the entire design process.

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Golconde: The Introduction of Modernism in India

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HISTORY

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh intended to build in hisvery active and growing Ashram a truly up-to-date modern dormitory for his disciples.St. Hilaire had been writing to me about theproject for some time. He sent me photo-graphs of the Pondicherry architecture,eighteenth century French colonial, withhigh-ceilinged dark rooms behind colonnadesand roofed terraces. These I had criticized asunsuitable in this day and age of advancedtechniques and an absence of formal ele-gance. This point of view and anunexplainable confidence in me from SriAurobindo brought about his request for myphotograph upon the receipt of which heapparently formed a judgment of my charac-ter and sent me a considerable sum of moneyfor expenses to cover the transportation ofmy wife, son and myself to India.1

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) was born into a promi-nent family in Calcutta, the first capital ofBritish-ruled India. At the age of seven, he wassent to England, where he studied at St. Paul’sSchool in London, and at King’s College inCambridge. Returning to India in 1893, he becamean active participant in the Indian freedom strug-gle against British rule. In 1908, the BritishGovernment imprisoned Sri Aurobindo for his rolein anti-government activities. His year-long incar-ceration provoked a series of spiritual experiences,causing a sudden devotion to an evolving spiritualmission. In 1910, he decided to leave the territoryof British India and settled in the French colony ofPondicherry on the south-eastern coast of India.

In 1926, Sri Aurobindo established a spiritualcommunity with his disciple Mirra Alfassa (1878-1973), known by devotees as simply “the Mother”.Mirra Alfassa was a French citizen of Egyptian-Turkish parentage. Together, they developed anashram with a focus on a spare, meditative exis-tence devoid of dogma. The charisma of thefounders and their teachings attracted a diverseinternational following that continues to this day.Early visitors to the ashram included the photogra-pher Henri Cartier-Bresson, and architects AntoninRaymond and George Nakashima.

Raymond and Nakashima’s narratives of theirtime in Pondicherry deal primarily with the peace and beauty they experienced in the idyllic ashram setting. It is clear from their accounts thatin 1935, Antonin Raymond’s architectural office in Tokyo received a commission for the design of a new residential dormitory for the ashram.Raymond had been recommended by Philippe B.St. Hilaire (Pavitra), a French engineer and ashramdevotee, who had befriended Raymond in Japan.The French government had expressed concern atthe growing influence of the Ashram and proposedthat the ashramites refrain from any further pur-chases of property in the French section. Aproperty adjacent to the local Tamil neighborhoodwas selected as the proposed site for the new build-ing. Funds for construction were donated by SirAkbar Hydari, Prime Minister of the prosperousstate of Hyderabad, as a token of gratitude. Hisson, Ali Hydari, had sought and received solace inthe ashram community. The renowned Golcondadiamond mines, located in Hyderabad, were thesource for the dormitory’s eventual name,Golconde.

Antonin Raymond first arrived in Japan in 1919to serve as project architect for Frank LloydWright’s Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Raymond estab-lished his own architectural office in 1920 and wasregarded as an innovative, modern architect,known for incorporating traditional Japanese aes-thetics and methods of construction in his work.He also pioneered the use of reinforced concrete inJapan.

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The task of making a preliminary site visit hadbeen assigned to George Nakashima, who was thenworking as an architect at Raymond’s office inTokyo. Schematic design for the dormitory projectwas completed in early 1936. The constructionsupervision was entrusted to Nakashima andFrancois Sammer—a Czech architect who hadworked for Le Corbusier in Russia before joiningRaymond’s staff. The ingenuity of Raymond’sdesign and the absence of skilled contractors inPondicherry, posed a particular dilemma for theconstruction of the building.

In the architecture of today we endeavour toget back to the primary values so as torespond directly to the physical and spiritualneeds of man without being subject to theprejudices that for the past centuries haverestrained us and from which the style andforms of the buildings in Pondicherry haveemerged. We are laying the foundation of anew kind of architecture found on the princi-ples and not habits of the mind. Just as inyour philosophy: aiming at the very outsetfor a mind that is free, a mind open and asmuch as possible disentangled from precon-ceived ideas.” 2

Nakashima returned to Pondicherry in 1936, andspent the next two years as both an ashram devotee(he adopted the Indian name Sunderananda — onewho delights in beauty), and a project architect. Asproject architect, Nakashima developed many ofthe building’s careful construction methods anddetails on site. During his stay, he maintained ameticulous diary of the construction progress (apractice followed by several members of theashram, as a way to regularly communicate withthe Mother) and dutifully submitted it to theMother for her commentary.

Although Raymond originally envisioned a six-month time frame for construction, this scheduledid not account for Sri Aurobindo’s desire to pro-tect the tranquil ashram environment from the dinassociated with a commercial construction compa-ny. Thus a workforce comprised solely of membersof the ashram began construction. They weresupervised by Nakashima, Sammer, and Chandulal(a devotee of Sri Aurobindo who had trained as anengineer). In order to test the feasibility of thedesign, the architects constructed a full-scalemock-up in a temple compound adjacent to the site (figure 1). This experimental “model house”served as the laboratory for refining many of theconstruction materials and details, and continuesto serve as a primary residence for a member of theashram today.

Figure 1 Picture of Model House / photograph by Ashok Dilwali

The architects constructed a full scale ‘model house’ in a temple compoundadjacent to the site. This experimental building served as a laboratory forrefining many of the construction materials and details.


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By 1937, the imminent threat of war compelledRaymond to close his Tokyo office and leave Japan.Arriving with his family in Pondicherry, Raymondspent a few months at the ashram before returningto the United States. Nakashima and Sammer wereentrusted with the completion of the project. Dueto the absence of an experienced constructioncrew, Nakashima’s duties included the preparationof detailed drawings for the construction of theconcrete form work (figure 2). Chandulal super-vised the on-site scheduling of materials and laborand Sammer took charge of completing the con-struction drawings. Due to the political unrest inAsia and Europe, many of the materials and hard-ware originally stipulated in the buildingspecifications could no longer be imported. Thedevelopment of alternative solutions on-sitebecame necessary. In order to cast all metal hard-ware components stipulated in the designdrawings, the architects constructed a foundry onthe building site.The devotees of the Sri AurobindoAshram donated brass utensils, including cups,bowls, and plates. These were melted and recast asbolts, hinges, and door handles.

George Nakashima left India in October 1939,having completed most of the concrete work for thestructure. After Nakashima’s departure, UdarPinto assumed the task of supervising the construc-tion. Udar, an Indian aeronautical engineer, andhis British wife Mona had joined the ashram in1937. Sammer continued to work on completion ofthe drawings and the design of the furniture. LikeNakashima, Udar consulted with the Mother on alldecisions pertaining to the design. Golconde wassubstantially completed in 1942 and continues toserve as a dormitory for devotees in Sri Aurobindo’sAshram.

Figure 2 Formwork Section / archival drawing

Leading a team of untrained ashram devotees, GeorgeNakashima carefully guided construction with manysheets of explicit construction drawings. This sectionshowed the ashramites how to brace the formworkwhile the concrete cured.


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BUILDING

Since Pondicherry didn’t have a wharf, thesteel was brought in from a freighteranchored in the Bay of Bengal on boats madeof palm trunks lashed together. By the timethey were unloaded on the beach, the steelrods had been bent so that they looked like amass of spaghetti. From the shore they weredragged by bullock carts to the building site,where long lines of laborers hammered themstraight.3

Golconde remains a remarkable architectural edi-fice, seamlessly negotiating the tenets of earlymodernist architecture, while addressing the prag-matic impositions of a tropical context (figure 3).Presented with the condition of a hot and humidclimate, Raymond sought a design solution thatwould mitigate the effects of the Pondicherryweather. The building is sited such that the majorfaçades are oriented toward the north and south,availing of the breeze (figure 4). The landscapeplan situates lines of water channels and reflectingpools along the northern and southern gardens;furthermore, the northern garden has a spareground cover, whereas the southern shade gardenhas been densely planted with trees. The tempera-ture differential between the northern andsouthern gardens facilitates natural convectioncurrents through the building.

Figure 3. Exterior view from Southeast / photograph by Ashok Dilwali

This early morning south-eastern view, illustrates the boundary wallwith its elevated garden, the stair tower, and the operable concretelouvers on the northern facade. The precast, thin-shelled concreteroof vaults create a buffer from the tropical solar exposure, and facilitate drainage during the intense monsoon rains.

Figure 4 Ground Floor Plan / archival drawing

Taking advantage of a slender site, the plan layout offers maximum exposureon the northern and southern facades while absorbing a minimal heat gain onthe slim eastern and western facades. Oriented towards a public street to thenorth, the stair tower and corridor serve as a buffer allowing each room adirect, more private relationship with the cooler southern garden.


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The immaculately maintained building uses aspare material palette: reinforced concrete pri-mary structure, bowed concrete shell roof, andpolished Cuddapah (a local slate) floors. The build-ing’s presence on the street is anomalous; anexposed concrete wall with an oversize teak door,devoid of any ornamentation except for a smalllotus—the Mother’s chosen flower. The entry doorleads into a garden where the first signs of activityin the self-contained community are perceptible.The partially excavated ground floor serves as thefunctional hub, containing dining and laundryfacilities. This subtle siting gesture allows the res-idential upper floors to maintain a privacy; as thebuilding is lifted above pools and gardens, it isundisturbed by the routine arrivals and departuresof visitors and devotees. From the exterior, thebuilding has a surreal, abstract quality (figure 5).The facades are modulated with operable asbestoscement louvers set in custom-made brass hardware.Sliding teak doors separate the interior rooms froma main, single-loaded corridor (figure 6). Thecrushed seashell plaster walls and black stonefloors of each room provide a luminous canvas forthe mélange of breeze and light entering throughthe louvers and sliders. The central core, contain-ing the main stair as well as the bathroom units,services the building (figure 7).

Figure 5 View of lotus pond and south façade /photograph by Ashok Dilwali

The most striking feature of Golconde is the skillfulintegration of the building with its landscape. Theabstract permutations of the operable concrete skinare balanced with the serenity of the lotus pool and garden—a calm and meditative environmentfor devotees.

Figure 7 Central Stairwell / photograph by Ashok Dilwali

The seemingly utilitarian service core comprising of the main stair-case and bathrooms achieves a simple grandeur by connecting earthand sky. Each handrail consists of a single board of oiled teak,anchored into the precast banisters with custom brass hardware.

Figure 6. Interior Corridor /photograph by Ashok Dilwali

The north facing interior corridors facilitate a pas-sive solar strategy for convection cooling. Thesliding panels consist of staggered strips of teakwood, allowing for the passage of breeze, whilemaintaining visual privacy. Operable concrete lou-vers ensure constant air circulation between thenorth and south facades.


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The most striking feature of Golconde is theskillful integration of the building with the sur-rounding landscape. Shifts in scale from structureto detail, and transitions between exterior andinterior, occur with grace and precision. Golconderemains architecturally vital, not solely for its tech-nical finesse or extraordinary craft, but as a livingtestament to the original modernist credo—archi-tecture as the manifest union of technology,aesthetics, and social reform. Within Pondicherry’sunique cultural setting, Golconde offers an undilut-ed view of a wholly triumphant Modernism, whereexemplary tectonics and exceptional constructionare manna for a sophisticated and evolved commu-nity.

CONCLUSION

Given our current professional engagement withsustainability, it seems fitting to examine little-known historical precedents where the symbiosisbetween design, construction, and the environmentremains exemplary. The conceptual force ofGolconde’s design solution remains radical even bythe standards of today. In articulating an unam-biguous stance toward minimal resourceconsumption, the building nonetheless championsa unique aesthetic. Eschewing the prevailing stylis-tic norms, Golconde proposes a visual identity thatconstantly affirms the primacy of its environmen-tal agenda: a protective skin of manually operablelouvers, a roof system where concrete roof tiles cre-ate an insulating zone above the concrete roofdeck, woven teak-wood sliding doors that permitthe passage of breeze without compromising visualprivacy, and a system of pools and gardens thatcool the ambient air.

The story of Golconde—in both design and con-struction—remains quintessentially international.Having outlived its designers, it celebrates theirideals of a progressive vernacular modernism,simultaneously resonant in the local and universalcontext.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Our archival research on Golconde has focused onrecording the correspondence between the SriAurobindo Ashram and the architects, reproducingexisting architectural drawings, and cataloguingany previously unpublished documents relating tothe building, including the notebooks of GeorgeNakashima, Udar Pinto, and Chandulal. Duringour research visits to Pondicherry, we compiled abibliography of published texts (books and journalarticles) by Antonin Raymond, George Nakashima,Sri Aurobindo, and the Mother, pertaining to thedesign and construction of Golconde. Interviewswith several members of the ashram have enabledus to sequence significant aspects of the evolutionof Golconde: Raymond and Nakashima’s time inIndia, Udar Pinto’s contributions to the completionof the building, the notable involvement of severalmembers of the ashram during the construction,and the role of the Mother as client—marshallingthe talents and skills of disparate personalities to ensure a completed work of uncompromisingquality.

A vital part of our work in Pondicherry involvedpreservation of original drawings: design drawingsproduced by Raymond’s office, as well as on-sitedrawings by Nakashima and Sammer. Housed forover sixty years in Golconde and maintained by the Ashram Archives, they have deteriorated rapidly, a result of the acid in the paper and thehumid climate. After sorting and cataloguing overtwo hundred original sheets, fifty sheets have beenphotographed (6cm x 7cm color transparencies)and reprinted to the original size. We scanned andprinted archival photographs of Nakashima,Sammer, Udar Pinto, and any surviving images ofthe construction process. For our photo essay, wecommissioned the services of Ashok Dilwali, one ofIndia’s foremost professional photographers.


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NOTES

1. Antonin Raymond, Antonin Raymond; An Autobiography(Rutland, Vt.: C. E. Tuttle, 1973).

2. Antonin Raymond, letter to Philippe B. St. Hilaire, n.d.

3. George Nakashima, The Soul Of A Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections (New York, N.Y.: Kodansha Intl., 1981), 64.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Raymond, Antonin. Antonin Raymond: An Autobiography. Rutland,Vt.: C. E. Tuttle, 1973.

Nakashima, George. The Soul Of A Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections.New York, N.Y.: Kodansha Intl., 1981.


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Documents

Golconde Pondicherry 3