Silent Spaces and other stories of Architecture, by Gautam Bhatia
I’ve always wondered about the prevalent saying that a book is not to be judged by its cover. True, the cover is a graphical representation, hence it would not be right to judge the literary content within said covers based on that. But what about the title emblazoned on the cover? Like recognizing good food by sensing the aroma, right? Walking through the library, vaguely scanning the disproportionate tomes on the shelf, one particular title stood out from the rest – Silent spaces- I erase the dust off the rest of the Spine – and other stories of architecture? Stories, huh, sure sounds interesting.
Ten minutes and 5 pages later, I find myself laughing through the author’s note (Yes, I’m that kind who read the Author’s note always, and in this case, I found myself far from bored), right through to the Introduction, furthering the curiosity induced by the title. Never have I seen a longer, yet increasingly interesting Author’s note that made me laugh out loud at certain parts, principally due to the relatable tone- there are moments when the voice in your head reads in this imaginary mocking voice, which can be presumed was Bhatia’s intent.
After eloquently declaiming this book to be similar in any way to others already in existence,
“This is an architecture book, and architecture does not present a pretty picture. It is merely a background to life; a picturesque background to a tragic life, sometimes a neutral background to a tragic life. But background it always is.”
And in those two lines lay the entire narrative style of the remaining pages – a highly subjective and self-claimed neutral story of India with Architecture as the medium, in the background.
Gautam Bhatia is known for his satirical and facetious writing about Indian society and its repercussions in daily life, and thus in Architecture. “Silent Spaces” is a vague yet elaborate collection of his memoirs as he experiences certain Architectural masterpieces, or rather master’s pieces, in no particular selection or hierarchy, all the while laced with interesting stories and incidents on not only architectural but personal experiences. He speaks of peculiarly humorous relationship with local printers, train journeys with judgemental uncles and foreign friends, he speaks of the dull doubtful initial days upon returning to India from Pennsylvania – if the story itself isn’t amusing enough, the rich and relatable tone of the words will have you laughing in mild amusement.
There are books that talk about Architecture, books that talk about how to build architecture, books that talk about how to talk about architecture – but this book takes the reader on an interesting journey as Gautam Bhatia shows you how he experiences(d) Architecture in all its claimed glory, set within a unfathomably dynamic Indian society. From insights into Khan’s mind as he designed the IIM, Ahmedabad to Baker’s out-of-genre Chitralekha Film Studio, Trivandrum, Bhatia paints detailed images of the workings and thoughts of these famous Architects as they brought some of their prominent works to life. We travel to the ruins of Nalanda university, to the gardens of Dal lake, Kashmir with Akbar; we’re taken on a delightful walk through the beautiful Cidade de Goa hotel, by Correa, at the base of a lush valley in tropical quaint Goa – the journey is a tad bit slow but thorough.
After an elaborate insightful journey through the minds of other Architects and their Architectural journeys, we are then taken into Bhatia’s own experiences and works upon his return to India. After the first strange encounter with an engineer to achieve the improbable task of getting drawings sanctioned, we move on to more tales of projects in places spread across the geography of India. Written entirely from the first-person point of view, it feels almost like reading an irregularly- but meticulously- maintained personal diary.
Completely devoid of photographs (In his words, “Pictures leave no room to doubt, to suggest, to ruminate, to question or to wonder.”) but filled with illustrations that on closer look reveal more than meets the eye on first glance, complement the narrative matching the same sarcasm and wit. Sketches of plans of the Architecture described, enable a clearer understanding of the words in the book.
With several books to his name – Punjabi Baroque and other memories of Architecture (the parent book of Silent spaces, as I find out after reading this), Malaria dreams and other visions of Architecture (notice the naming again!) – Bhatia experiments with unique ways of expressing different stories. He explains that it’s not just the content that matters, but how the content is conveyed is what’s important.
“A profession that doesn’t go by the book deserves a book that also doesn’t go by the book.”
Whether you’re a student looking to learn how to experience and how to explain your designs in the studio, or a professional seeking to learn more about the early workings of Indian architects, or would just like to take a short break from your mind-crunching and get some inspiration, Bhatia has a lot to tell you. In the introduction, he frankly states “Other than conveying a personal experience of India through heavily-lidded architectural eyes, this book serves no purpose at all.” – but whether he intended to or not, the book has succeeded in bringing about a refreshing way of looking at Architecture itself – a higher purpose, has been achieved. Published two decades ago, in 1994, Silent Spaces speaks loud timeless volumes.
