Tropical modernism is a movement that came around the mid-20th century which melds the modern architectural principles that adore the beauty in vision and a sense of peace to the audience along with the Vernacular principles and traditional building techniques and styles that expose and introduce local materials and customs to the modern era. Said it is a style that indulges the minimalist aesthetics of the modern world along with the cultural and climatic conditions of the tropics.
This unique combination not only satisfies the modern aesthetics that human beings clasp but also believes the passive strategies in the structures make it more independent from electricity and external factors. Tropical modernism can be an introduction to many new material and technological inventions and the latest gadgets in the market and how several human brains are creating innovations to make it more personal and multipurpose.
This movement responds to the natural climatic conditions, new opportunities of blending materials, cultural conditions, and vernacular practice more profoundly primarily in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Sri Lanka. Renowned architects like Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka, Charles Correa in India, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry in West Africa, are the ones who were great practitioners of this movement. Their several projects have been widely exposing the tropical methods and social relevance in the modern context.
Considering the fact that almost 40%of the world’s surface lies in the tropical zone. It can have varying climatic conditions, so as a human being it’s required for us to respond to certain elements that affect our daily living and come up with vernacular methods to overcome it.
Art into real by real Practitioners
In 1944 Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew stayed after the Second World War on the Gold Coast in West Africa to build schools and colleges. But this time they wanted to use this opportunity to experiment with several possibilities of modernist techniques along with the harsh climatic conditions. They came up with several techniques that would bring in passive cooling, maximise shade and allow ventilation that includes the use of Brise Soleils, adjustable louvres, and wide eaves.
Similarly, Geoffrey Bawa who started his career emulating Le Corbusier quickly came up with his international style called tropical modernism where he blended the culture of his native country along with the colonial tradition. He was known as the leader of tropical modernism. He treated light, space, and materials as instruments that can be used to create music. His art of expressing the materials. Volumes were unique resulting in marvellous designs. His designs never challenged nature rather they were close to heart.
Some Tropical Modern Journey Done By Bawa
Looking at Bawa’s famous works we can see some famous world structures mainly in Sri Lanka like:
Asia’s Famous Tropical Modern works done by several Architects
Let’s see Some of the famous tropical modern designs in Asia which are dynamic and versatile in bringing up a new design –
Although this movement had received a lot of criticism for colonial roots this was widely accepted in and around the world. Now human beings are more into nature. This style allows for the explorations of social and cultural aesthetics of a place. Also, many reflect modern design practices and contemplate human contingencies. This promotes more contextual and thoughtful architectural practice.
Citations:
Websites referred for data and information
- https://www.futurarc.com/project/tropical-modernism-a-comparison-of-two-approaches/
- https://commonedge.org/in-praise-of-a-great-mentor-working-with-geoffrey-bawa/
- https://www.elledecor.com/it/best-of/a28007998/geoffrey-bawa-architect-exhibit/
- https://thearchitectsdiary.com/tropical-modernism-exploring-the-timeless-architectural-era/
- https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/what-is-tropical-modernism#:~:text=Jane%20Drew%20and%20Maxwell%20Fry%20were%20Tropical%20Modernism’s%20leading%20practitioners,humid%20climate%20of%20these%20regions.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Modernism
- https://thearchitectsdiary.com/tropical-modernism-exploring-the-timeless-architectural-era/
- https://archeyes.com/the-kandalama-hotel-geoffrey-bawas-architectural-masterpiece-in-sri-lanka/
