A feature-length documentary will introduce viewers to Louis Kahn’s daring parliamentary complex, built in then war-torn Bangladesh
National Parliament House; Nandini Sampat
Only a few months ago, the country was debating if the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad had lost its garb of heritage consciousness. What spurred the debate? It was the school’s decision to flatten dormitories that were designed by Estonian-born American architect Louis Kahn, together with late BV Doshi and Anant Raje, in 1974. The school board had shared that the institute is in need of new structures as the old ones have become ‘uninhabitable’. Kahn’s legacy warrants the international outcry over such a stand. Can we replace — and not restore — the work of a designer who believed in timeless architecture?
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Louis Kahn’s Tiger City raises such questions. However, the subject of the film sits over 2,000 km away from Ahmedabad, in Bangladesh. The film features the country’s pride — Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban or National Parliament House. Directed by historian Sundaram Tagore, Louis Kahn’s Tiger City depicts the creator’s determination to realise an idea from its conception to completion through challenging times.
A moment from the film
The screening will be followed by a conversation between Tagore and architect Nandini Somaya Sampat. Sampat tells us that architecture in any country is representative of its people and culture. “It focuses on critical regionalism paired with progressive lessons of modernism. So timelessness in architecture is, in essence, a story that continues to be relevant through the ages,” she explains. Sampat is looking forward to asking Tagore about the structure of the film; his 14-year-long journey with the script; and the unmissable parallel of Bangladesh’s evolution. “Details about the Parliament House will also be discussed — for instance, the synthesis of light and silence which is a vital marker of Kahn’s (1901-74) work.”
The inspiring piece stars Oscar-nominated actor Debra Winger; Pritzker prize winner Doshi; and Kahn’s son, filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn. About her favourite bits from the film, Sampat shares that she likes how Tagore has bookended the piece. “He chose a powerful moment of Kahn’s life to bring this film alive. There’s always a sense of mystery and spirituality associated with the architect’s life — something that translates into his work, and Tagore captures it beautifully.”
On: Tomorrow; 5.30 pm to 8 pm
At: National Gallery of Modern Art, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort.
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