Almost all the top architects of modern India, Charles Correa, Raj Rewal, BV Doshi, Le Corbusier, Joseph Stein and Kuldeep Singh, had one thing in common—Mahendra Raj. This structural engineer helped turn their vision into reality.
The ongoing exhibition, Structuring Form: The Innovative Rigour of Mahendra Raj, at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Delhi, showcases why the nonagenarian is one of the best structural engineers of urban India.
“The architecture of India is rooted in its history, culture and religion among a number of styles and traditions. Raj, who recently turned 95, is a distinguished figure who walked with other creative individuals such as Le Corbusier, BV Doshi, Joseph Stein, Raj Rewal, Kuldip Singh to name just a few. His contribution in transforming the city landscape of post-Independent India will remain unparalleled, with his legacy as an inspiration for successive generations,” says Kiran Nadar, Founder and Chairperson, KNMA.
The exhibition details seven architectural projects, raised by Raj out of his 250. Structures such as the Hall of Nations (now demolished), the Akbar Hotel and the NCDC Office building in Delhi, the Hindon River Mills in Ghaziabad, the Municipal Stadium and Tagore Memorial Theatre in Ahmedabad and the Indoor Sports Stadium in Srinagar find a special place in this exhibition. “Raj has carried the whole modern Indian architecture on his shoulders. My interaction with him was like a jugalbandi that has helped enhance and execute my visions,” says Rewal, while describing the immense skill and tenacity with which Raj executed the magnificent structures.
Raj’s ingenuity also lay in the fact that he deployed easily available manual labour as well as a construction material to craft his structures. “Concrete as a building material was popular across the world, however, the material had its own limitations. In the 1960s, India was far from mechanisation unlike the West. During this time, I experimented with structures, with the availability of affordable material and labour,” he reminisces.
His life and work garner more relevance and attention in present times with the growing threat of demolition of modern structures. The iconic Hall of Nations was razed to dust in 2017. “Certain architects and clients let you experiment, some don’t. In this very period (1960s), I built the New Great Insurance of India building in Mumbai. Both the client and architects agreed. It was a difficult construction,” says the structural engineer. The buildings he worked on were iconic objects and portray him as an artist-visionary of his times and after.