Perhaps 9/11 was a definitive moment in architect Vishaan Chakrabarti’s career. He was an associate partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merill, fully licensed as an architect, when the tragic events of 9/11 unfolded.
“I felt a call to public service, which is when I became the director of planning for Manhattan under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Together, our administration got New York back on its feet by rebuilding the World Trade Center site, planning for the High Line, and expanding our educational institutions like Columbia and NYU,” says Chakrabarti.
It was during this tryst that he came face to face with the capacity for resilience that cities and their communities exhibit in the face of crises. “The best cities are not about rich versus poor, they are about everyone propelling a collective future for a shared home. From that experience, I went on to teach and publish, and reconstituted my career as an architect a decade after 9/11, when I joined SHoP as a partner.” Four years later, at fifty, he started PAU (Practice for Architecture and Urbanism) in New York in late 2015.
Born in Kolkata, Chakrabarti immigrated to the United States as a toddler with his family. His larger interest in the fields of architecture and urbanism came from the travel. “My father was a scientist and my mother a singer, so we travelled extensively on a shoestring budget. I loved it. Experiencing the world’s cities, cultures, and cuisines had a lasting impact that unleashed my passion for architecture, museums, universities, airports, train stations, essentially for all of the wonders of urbanity,” says Chakrabarti.
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Denne historien er fra Volume 7 Issue 8-utgaven av Home & Design Trends.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BALI IN BENGALURU
Studio Skapa Architects devises a sophisticated design for a cafe in Bengaluru that integrates with the surrounding nature
A ROBUST PRESENCE
Hiral Jobalia Studio helms the design of this 14,000sqft Firozabad residence that is accompanied by generous landscaped areas measuring nearly twice the size of the building footprint
A SUBLIME STANCE
This spacious house in Gujarat, conceptualised by Dipen Gada & Associates, does away with frills and ostentation in favour of an aesthetic dictated by clean lines and tasteful restraint
A CONTEXTUAL NARRATIVE
Natural elements effortlessly weave their way into this Ratnagiri house designed by Hrishikesh More Architects
NATURE'S HUG
Thoughtfully designed by Manoj Patel Design Studio, this home in Gujarat integrates functionality with unique spatial experiences
CLASSICALLY CONTEMPORARY
A confluence of neo-classical and modern elements form the crux of this fuss-free family home by TaP Design Inc.
THE BLURRING REALMS
Conceived by LIJO.RENY.architects, the architecture of The Stoic Wall Residence-located in Kerala - shapes up in response to the region's tropical climate and the site's challenging physical conditions
A UNIQUE BLEND
Faisal Manzur facelifts this Chennai home with elements that seem simple but are crafted with utmost attention to detail
BRICK TALES
Charged Voids fosters an intimate brick-walled sanctuary for a multi-generational family in Chandigarh
The future is VERNACULAR!
Responsible and responsive, architects Pashmin Shah and Satyajeet Patwardhan are at the forefront of taking things slow and championing the modern vernacular design approach that is steeped in science, culture and so much more. In this exclusive, they discuss the larger picture with us