BENGALURU: The city you call home holds countless stories within it. In every nook, every crack, in the rustling leaves, and in the architecture we pass by each day. These are the details we grow accustomed to, yet whose absence could make us feel homesick.
Together, they create the history and memory of a people. Bringing some of these stories to light are Venkataramanan Associates (VA), a leading architecture firm, who are organising walks this month, inviting the public to explore some of Bengaluru’s most iconic structures, as part of their 55-year anniversary celebrations.
“One cannot get the tangible experience that architecture has to offer in books. Architecture forms a very important cultural artefact in cities. They shape cities through space, history and memory and our engagement with Bengaluru has been so long and so vast that it seemed like the best way to revisit our work was to share it with the people of the city,” shares Naresh V Narasimhan, architect and second-generation managing director of the firm, originally founded in 1969.
Through a series of curated walks, VA is offering participants an oppurtunity to engage with the design stories behind significant city landmarks, including the Raman Research Institute Library, The Valley School, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). Some of the public walks to be organised in the next two weekends will involve exploring Vista Earth Centre, WIPRO Kodathi, K100 Citizens Waterway and multiple projects on Church Street.
“Each project selected represents an important milestone in our practice, whether it be the institutional buildings or even the commercial projects we have done. The Raman Research Institute library was the first exposed concrete building done in Bengaluru by my father at a time when building materials and technology were very scarce,” says Narasimhan.
Beyond showcasing iconic buildings, these public walks aim to foster a deeper connection between citizens and their city’s architectural heritage. “We wanted to engage the public who might use the buildings we have designed but don’t know the stories behind them,” Narasimhan explains. VA’s emphasis on inclusivity is further highlighted in their approach to public spaces and urban infrastructure, such as the K100 Citizens Waterway.
Reflecting on the broader context of urban growth, Narasimhan acknowledges the challenges that rapid development poses, particularly for city governance and infrastructure. “With the accelerated growth, the structure of bureaucracy and governance have had little chance to adapt to new ideas and responsibilities. With so many players involved in developing the city, we need more transparent governance and regulations which involve all stakeholders,” he adds.
Narasimhan recounts how VA’s design philosophy has continuously evolved over the decades, reflecting the changing dynamics of Bengaluru and India at large. “When my father started his practice, India in general was dealing with economic and technological scarcities, hence his architecture was incredibly detail driven.
By the time I joined the practice, the economy was opening up and so were people’s aspirations, and our projects also began reflecting these needs,” he says, adding, “Our core philosophy is rooted firmly in the belief that design is implicitly about human experience across all scales.”
The firm’s ongoing initiatives extend to the recently inaugurated BLR Design Center on Church Street, where VA aims to engage citizens in dialogues on design, culture, and urbanism. “With these walks, we hope that people take away a sense of ownership of their city. The conversations around architecture and urban design need to be more inclusive and people need to be engaged from the bottom up,” adds Narasimhan.
(To register for the upcoming walks this month, visit linktr.ee/modfoundation.blr)