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Code: WH_OH_002_AUD_S1(C1)

Discovering architecture and a passionate vocation

Summary:

Renu Saigal begins the conversation by introducing her childhood and talking about her father and the important role he played in her growing years. She talks about her journey toward discovering architecture and being one of the few girls in her architecture class. Upon graduating in 1969, she joined the workforce by starting on a few projects in the private sector and soon moving on to government service in 1971. She describes some of her earliest influences, naming Le Corbusier and Chandigarh city’s architecture. Over her span of more than 30 years in government service, she worked on many significant projects and she goes on to describe them in detail. She shares her experiences of working on-site as a woman and the opportunities made available to women architects of the past and present. On her hierarchical climb to becoming the Chief Architect in Chandigarh for a period of four years, she describes the work involved including the Haryana Tourism projects. She talks about her efforts toward the preservation of the original heritage of the city plan during her tenure. Thereafter,  soon becoming a college professor, she spent around 10-12 years in the role, which she describes in detail up till the time of her retirement. She further discusses her observations on the Chandigarh city plan’s capacity to accommodate new concerns and a growing population, and the development in Panchkula and Mohali. 

Going back to her early inspirations from the time she spent interacting with notable projects and people like architect Charles Correa’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, B V Doshi, and Eulie Chowdhury. Furthermore, she expands more on the roles she occupied during her tenure and the responsibilities and projects involved including government college auditoriums, schools, world bank aided projects, etc., and her further deputations.

Practitioner:

Renu Saigal

Interviewee:

Renu Saigal

Interviewer:

Ishita Shah

Duration:

00.43.47

Mode:

Online

Date:

20/09/2021

Language:
English

Years:
1960-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009
Highlights:
(00:00:35) Life as the daughter of a Civil Servant, (00:05:43) Joining a government job in 1971 , (00:10:35) Taking up projects like designing hospitals, educational institutions, tourist complexes and public buildings, (00:13:52) My time as a Visiting Professor at a Private college , (00:16:21) Observations about architecture and space while growing up in Chandigarh, (00:21:35) Insights into the planning of Chandigarh city with growth and population influx parameters, (00:35:55) My time working as an Assistant Architect, Architect, Senior Architect, & Chief Architect