ABOUT THE BOOK :
This book is about the passing of global events and conflicts in some geographical spaces through the window of contemporary architecture. It is about the obliteration of existing contexts (in Kosovo, Jerusalem, Samarkand, Tibet) and the formation of new architectural identities in the twenty-first century. The author takes the reader into regions that are witnessing catastrophic changes.
He recalls the initial concerns of modern architecture, of bringing about social transformation through design. Having witnessed the growing disorder in these regions, he argues for the need to engage architecture as a solution. He argues for new architectural ideals while accepting the need for ethic-free haute couture designer buildings. This is required for the newly emergent polarities that are becoming apparent: issues like order and disorder, state and non-state government, globalization and regional resistances to it. He concludes with two ambitious solutions, as metaphors of architecture in regions where dirty military solutions have been imposed on communities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR :
Romi Khosla is an architect whose design studio is in Delhi. He graduated in economics from Cambridge University, worked with Price Waterhouse in London, and then graduated from the Architectural Association in London. During the last six years, he has spent considerable time in the Balkans, Palestine, Israel, Tibet, Central Asia and China as a Principal International Consultant to the UNDP, UNESCO and UNOPS. His writings have been extensively published in India and abroad. |
