Exploration of indian social influence on civic architecture in post-colonial Durban: towards the design of an exhibition centre in Phoenix.

Abstract

This research process has explored the impact of colonialism and apartheid on Indian civic space from a global perspective and then from a local perspective within the City of Durban. The justification for exploring Indian social influence was that Durban contains the largest number of Indian people outside of India. This study has focussed on social influences of culture and identity and how it impacted civic spaces in the built form. The architectural theories of Phenomenology and Critical Regionalism has further helped the development of a brief for the design of an Exhibition Centre in Phoenix. This typology has sought to restore a sense of belonging, pride, recognition and celebration of the Indian people by creating meaningful architecture in the civic realm. Colonialism has impacted India and South Africa, resulting in the loss of culture and identity of Indian communities. Therefore, by analysing India and South Africa's historical context, it was possible to compare their social and physical landscapes. Traditional Indian cities were very organic and sporadic; however colonial British influences had a Eurocentric grid iron structure; therefore, a fusion of these developments has guided the proposed civic development. The proposed Exhibition Centre incorporates aspects of Indian culture and identity as well as modern-day contemporary design concepts. The outlined precedent and case studies has helped to demonstrate the relationship between culture, identity and architecture, and has strengthened the overall design development process.