Preston Thomas Memorial Lecture Series

"Currents in Indian Architecture: Contemporary Practice + Discourse" brings to Cornell a lineup of esteemed speakers who will elaborate on architectural practice and design discourse in India. Established and emerging practitioners from across the country will present work of various scales while focusing on innovative projects transformed in part by the rich and often conflicting contexts of the Indian subcontinent.

The symposium keynote speakers represent two crucial narratives of contemporary Indian architecture: Kaiwan Mehta, editor of DOMUS India, will address critical curation and architectural discourse in India, while the architect Brinda Somaya will focus her discussion on the evolution of professional practice in the country over the last 70 years since India's independence.

The event will open with a book launch for Women Architects in India: Histories of Practice in Mumbai and Delhi (Routledge, 2016), written byMary N. Woods, professor of architecture at Cornell AAP.

Following the presentations, a panel discussion with the speakers will be moderated by Sean Anderson (B.Arch./B.S. '96) associate curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, who practiced as an architect and continues to research throughout South Asia.

An exhibition in the Milstein Hall dome coinciding with the symposium will highlight a series of seminal books and topical publications drawn directly from the collection of the Cornell Fine Arts Library, all related to India's distinct natural beauty, vernacular architecture, and diverse cultural landscape.

Schedule

Thursday, October 13

5:15 p.m. Book Launch and Reception, (Milstein Hall Dome)

Friday, October 14

5:15 p.m. Keynote Lectures (Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium)

  • Kaiwan Mehta, DOMUS India


  • Brinda Somaya, Somaya and Kalappa Consultants, Mumbai

7:30 p.m. Exhibition Opening and Reception (Milstein Hall Dome)

Saturday, October 15

9 a.m. Breakfast (Milstein Hall Dome)

9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Lectures (Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium)

  • Introductions by Kaiwan Mehta
  • Sanjeev Shankar, architect, Bengaluru
  • Abin Chaudhuri, Abin Design Studio, Kolkata

  • Shimul Javeri Kadri, SJK Architects, Mumbai

Lunch Break

1–2:30 p.m. Lectures (Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium)

  • Sarosh Anklesari, Anthill Design, Ahmedabad

  • Madhav Raman, Anagram Architects, New Delhi


Break

2:45–4:15 p.m.Lectures (Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium)

  • Revathi Kamath and Ayodh Kamath, Kamath Design Studio, New Delhi
  • Sameep Padora, sP+A, Mumbai

Break

4:30 p.m. Panel Discussion (Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium)

  • Moderated by
 Sean Anderson (B.Arch./B.S. '96), MoMA Department of Architecture and Design, New York City