"Our generation has been trying to discover the common thread with which the fabric of Indian architecture has been woven in the past and its significance for our times."

Raj Rewal, one of India's first generation post-independence architect believes that the expression or rasa of a building is highly important in the design. A recipient of several national and international accolades for his contribution to architecture, Rewal was born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, in 1934 and studied architecture at Delhi and London.

In a career spanning more than half a century, Rewal has designed low-cost housing, educational and research institutes, a library, private homes, museums, a games village, an embassy, and several office buildings. In 2018, Rewal also became the first Indian architect to have his drawings and models accepted into the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

He believes that modern architecture can solve the urban crisis of exploding population and development requirements with the help of traditional know-how of culture and climate.

One of his most talked about creations is the iconic Hall of Nations, built at Pragati Maidan, Delhi in 1972 to mark the 25^th anniversary of our independence. This was the country's first pillar-less building. Twenty years on, the landmark building was demolished on 23^rd April 2017, citing that only buildings older than 60 years can be considered for heritage status and that the government wanted to redo the venue to replace it with a 'state-of-the-art' exhibition ground.

Some of his popular works also include,

• Jang-E-Azadi Memorial and Museum, Punjab, India

• ASIAN Games Village, New Delhi, India

• Housing for British High Commission, New Delhi, India

• Olympic Village, Paris, France

• Lisbon Ismaili Centre, Portugal

"India's biggest advantage is its labour intensive industry and its highly skilled craftsmen," says Rewal.

Rewal weaves a balance between functionality and symbolism in his architectural creations. His preferred material and expertise lies in the use of concrete. In his structures, Rewal has adapted concrete to create context relevant, sustainable architecture that is free of the brazen-faced potential of concrete as a material.

Rewal uses the design strategy of courtyards in public buildings, human scale streets in housing colonies, metaphors of memory and geometry, and the ubiquitous play of light and shadow.