Charles Correa: Remembering the master architect's contributions to Mumbai on his 91st birth anniversary

Indian architect and urban planner Charles Correa’s name has been synonymous with modern architecture not only in Mumbai and the country but also outside of it, from the 1960s. He built many iconic structures including the Kanchanjunga building on Pedder Road and was also the chief architect of Navi Mumbai, making his contribution to the city readily recognisable. On his 91st birth anniversary, here are some milestones from the master architect's career

Updated On: 2021-09-01 04:43 PM IST

Indian architect Charles Correa was famous for adopting his signature ‘open-to-sky' approach to all his designs. Photo: AFP

Charles Correa was born on September 1, 1930 in Secunderabad and studied at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai. He went on to pursue his higher studies at the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology before finally setting up his practice in Mumbai in 1958 and worked here for the rest of his life. Photo: AFP

The architect gained prominence for working on the Mahatma Gandhi Sangrahalaya in the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. In Mumbai, Correa is famously known for designing the Sonmarg Apartments in Malabar Hill, which was his residence too. His former home and the Kanchanjunga building on Pedder Road, used his signature ‘open-to-sky' approach. Photo: Mid-day file pic

Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar, more popularly known as Portuguese Church, is among the other iconic structures in the city designed by Charles Correa. In 1974, he was commissioned to work on the design of the new building for the church, which was originally built in the 1500s by the Portuguese Franciscans. For the glass on the central dome, he also collaborated with Indian painter MF Hussain, who depicted the Biblical miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish, and the death and resurrection of Christ. Photo: Mid-day file pic

Having already gained recognition in the city for his work, Correa was also appointed as the chief architect and urban planner for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta in the early 70s. The extended part of Mumbai was a result of a plan put forward due to the population explosion in the city at the time. It is among the largest planned cities in the world. Photo: Mid-day file pic 

In a career spanning more than five decades, Correa was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Vibushan in 2006 and the Gomant Vibushan, which is the highest civilian honour in Goa, in 2011. In 1985, he was also appointed as the Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanisation by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The architect was also the former chairman of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Photo: Mid-day file pic

Charles Correa was known for many iconic projects in the city including the planning of Navi Mumbai. Apart from these, the architect's close affinity for the Mumbai and its people also made him create the Belapur Housing in Navi Mumbai and Jeevan Bima Nagar in Borivali, which expressed his solutions for the crowded and unaffordable housing. He passed away on June 16, 2015 at 84 due to a brief illness. Photo: Mid-day file pic

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