Beyond what we know

I stood under the great dome of the Hagia Sofia, unable to capture its magnificence in my camera, wondering how they managed this feat at the beginning of the middle ages. A feat that would not be surpassed for the next 1000 years. The scale and proportions of the great dome are hard to explain. It is an experiential space; a space where one feels awed, dwarfed and yet connected to something bigger and grander at the same time.

Hagia Sofia - Image courtesy travelsignposts.com

As I moved around marveling at the detailing of mosaic and optical illusions of stucco I kept coming back to the central dome almost hypnotized by the light quality in the humongous hall and the delicateness of the arched windows supporting the great dome. Hagia Sofia has achieved a magical balance of engineering and design that is soul stirring.

This is what Corbusier meant when he said, "The purpose of construction is to hold things together; of the architecture is to move us" -Towards the new Architecture. Architecture has that power to evoke emotions unexpectedly, unique to each person yet binding them at some level, experentially.

We, the architects,  are a bunch of optimists. We believe in what can be beyond what is. We believe it can be done against improbabilities and we most definitely believe our buildings will change people's lives forever.

In a video based on Tadao Andos' 'Ichigoni 152' project in New York,  he describes the quality that a residence should have, he says "a living space should be a sanctuary, a place where one can reflect upon life" and then he goes on to say that "I wanted to create something that no one else could." He also wanted to use light and water as living elements in such a way that could touch a human heart.

Click to see video on 'Ichigoni152' by Nowness

This belief in wanting to create something unique, to stir human emotions makes architects go that extra mile to educate clients about what is right for them, fight authorities to get permissions, make unlimited alterations to suit budget without compromising on design and spend endless hours thinking about where the light and wind is going to come in from.

In the process great buildings such as Hagia Sofia that inspire generations of architects, poets, writers are created. Buildings that stand tall through upheavals of history and mankind as testimony to the human spirit and survival.

But then there are also humble buildings by architects, made with the same belief that this building is going to touch hearts and give joy of experiencing beautiful spaces. Building practices that have inspired a quiet revolution of sorts to help a community because the architect went beyond the norm.

Laurie Baker, Didi Contractors are such architects who made vernacular 'stylish' by using traditional building wisdom with modern design outlook and revived the traditional building techniques to bring architecture and design to the common people.

Architect- Laurie Baker, Image courtesy- Architectural Digest

Architect- Didi Contractor, Image courtesy- Architectural Digest

Whether you're a humanitarian architect, a not-so-known-architect or a ‘starchitect’, the ability to go beyond the obvious, being fearless and an optimist creates inspirational buildings. Whether you're an architect who loves to defy laws of gravity or one who honors tradition, the ability to go beyond what's already done creates new architecture.