Alumnus and former professor Charles Correa MArch ’55 — described as “India’s greatest architect” — passed away on Tuesday at age 84. A visionary architect and urban planner, Correa built a substantial legacy through a wide range of projects in his native India and around the world, including MIT’s Brain and Cognitive Science Complex.

Over a six-decade career, Correa became a leading voice in the world of international architecture and an influential figure in post-war India. His buildings, known for an open style that embraced climate and made dramatic use of natural light and connection to the sky, “stand out in bland landscapes like an exclamation point,” The Times of India wrote.

Correa’s projects spanned museums, public buildings, commercial spaces, hotels, and residences. But he also wove urban development and low-income housing into a life defined by a strong sense of social purpose. "Just as there is writing and then there is literature, there is construction and then there is architecture. Great architecture can change society," Correa said.

“A strong voice for modern optimism, Charles brought the architectural output of the Indian subcontinent to the world’s attention. In turn, through his passionate advocacy for high-quality design from the scale of individual buildings to planning for entire cities, he influenced the global discourse well beyond the practice of architecture alone,” said Hashim Sarkis, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning. “He was a remarkable thinker, designer, artist, and activist. We could not be more proud that he learned, taught, and built at MIT.”

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As a teacher, Correa cautioned against snuffing out students’ creativity in the process of educating them and emphasized the need for students to draw upon experienced faculty while developing independent judgment. “We do not know if architecture can be taught — but we know it can be learnt,” Correa wrote. “For learning is a process that depends on us ourselves, and our attitude of mind.”