Brinda Somaya: Works and Continuities

This volume is a comprehensive monograph chronicling the personal and professional journey of the Indian architect and urban conservationist Brinda Somaya, from 1975 to the present. Documenting a prolific practice, this volume provides an insight into the thinking and processes that have produced award-winning architecture, urban design, conservation and rehabilitation projects over the last four decades. Brinda Somaya has created a diverse and eclectic portfolio of work that spans the width and depth of India. Belonging to the "Bridge Generation", Somaya defines the term and frames it as a time in which individuals initiated their careers in different arts, including architecture and design, as they addressed the changing socio-political landscape of a newly-Independent India. It was this generation that 'bridged' the architectural spaces between the Great Masters and the current generation. Somaya's work transcends stylistic vocabulary and draws its inspiration from Indian culture and the landscape of the subcontinent. The book explores a cross-section of Somaya's diverse typology of projects including housing, institutions, conservation, urban design, social design and industrial works that represent a unique 'non-stylistic' grammar that has a sense of 'order and appropriateness'. Situating her work in a broader context, the essays in this volume offer multiple perspectives on Somaya's accomplishments, while the dialogues outline the concerns central to her work. Nandini Somaya Sampat, architect, interior designer and Director at SNK Consultants, is involved in all aspects of the design, coordination and execution of projects. Ruturaj Parikh is a partner at Matter, an architecture and content firm based in Goa. Former Director of the Charles Correa Foundation, he works on architectural and curatorial projects.