Art inspires. It soothes the senses, it evokes awe at raw talent, it opens up new realms of possibility. If architecture is but applied art, then all the cement and steel structures around us must be cousins of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Or are they?
The dwellers of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro designed the first drainage system in the world over 4000 years ago.
The Vedic Age saw temples with mind blowing intricate carvings and sculpture dot the landscape from North to South India. The Mughals built among other architectural gems the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, the Red Fort and more. The British gave India lovely colonial buildings and turned humdrum rail stations into landmarks like the Victoria Terminus.
And what did we build in the last 67 years of independence? Millions of concrete monstrosities that bear a close resemblance to cereal boxes?
Why do we not aspire to leave behind a legacy that's deeper than layers and layers of tar that we pour onto our potholed streets every few months? Or has national poverty become an excuse for aesthetic poverty too?
So when a well designed, eye-catching structure sprouts up from our urban squalor, you are pleasantly surprised; to say the least. The new Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is just that and more!
It seems to have taken a leaf from the Terminal 3 at Delhi International Airport in terms of blending beauty and utility.
The lovely peacock feather motif is that is the symbol of the Mumbai Airport is interpreted into structural themes like pillars and walkways.
Bright colours and modern design blend with traditional motifs like the diya to create a stunning travel ecosystem.
Over 7000 pieces of curated Indian art from the 10th century till date adorn the walls of this swanky addition to Mumbai's skyline.
The dwellers of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro designed the first drainage system in the world over 4000 years ago.
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| An artist's recontruction of the Harappa sewer system |
And what did we build in the last 67 years of independence? Millions of concrete monstrosities that bear a close resemblance to cereal boxes?
Why do we not aspire to leave behind a legacy that's deeper than layers and layers of tar that we pour onto our potholed streets every few months? Or has national poverty become an excuse for aesthetic poverty too?
So when a well designed, eye-catching structure sprouts up from our urban squalor, you are pleasantly surprised; to say the least. The new Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is just that and more!
 |
| Delhi International Airport Terminal 3 |
It seems to have taken a leaf from the Terminal 3 at Delhi International Airport in terms of blending beauty and utility.
The lovely peacock feather motif is that is the symbol of the Mumbai Airport is interpreted into structural themes like pillars and walkways.
 |
| Check-in counters @ Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 |
Bright colours and modern design blend with traditional motifs like the diya to create a stunning travel ecosystem.
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| Departure lounge @Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 |
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| Wall of diyas near Immigration @ Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 |
After seeing all these pictures, I think I'll be as excited to land at the new airport in Mumbai as I will be to meet up with my family when I finally visit home! Yay!!!
*Deep breath*. Coming back to the point, now that all that gushing is out of my system; I certainly hope that these are the baby steps that the new India is taking towards leaving behind it's own architectural mark on history.
'Coz won't it be a pity if future archaeologists in India find just thousands of ugly Sulabh Shauchalays from the post-independence period!
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| Public Toilets or Sulabh Shauchalays |
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