Goa's great son Charles Correa dies at 84
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 17 June 2015 11:04 IST
Charles Correa, one of India's greatest contemporary architects and a proud son of Goa, passed away at 11.45 pm last night in Mumbai following a brief illness.
He was 84.
While Correa was known as an architect to the whole world, Goa also knows him for his contribution in shaping up the whole state with a Regional Plan 2021.
As a chairman of the task force constituted to frame the RP21, Correa laid down a plan of balanced growth for Goa, in housing as well as its socio-economic development.
He had recently founded Charles Correa Foundation in Goa while presenting a marvellous traffic plan for the capital city of Panaji.
Unfortunately, the RP21 as well as the traffic plan are still pending before the respective state authorities.
Considering his valuable contribution to the world architecture as well as his home town, Goa government had honoured him with the highest civilian award – Gomant Vibhushan, in 2011.
Correa designed some of the most iconic buildings in the post-independence India including, Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown in Lisbon, Kanchanjunga Apartments in Mumbai, Belapur Housing, British Council Delhi, the Gandhi Memorial in Sabarmati, Goa Kala Academy among many others.
His latest works included the Ismaili Centre in Toronto and Champalimaud Foundation Centre in Lisbon.
His work was noted for his use of traditional techniques in his designs.
He was also appointed as the first Chairman of the National Commission of Urbanization.
Born on 1 September, 1930 in Secunderabad, Correa studied at St Xavier's College in Mumbai before going to the University of Michigan in 1949 and then the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1953.
He was awarded with numerous national and international awards during his lifetime including, Padma Vibhushan in 2006 and Padma Shri in 1972.
In an exhibition in 2013, the Royal Institute of British Architects billed him as "India's greatest architect".
