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{{more citations needed|date=April 2020}}{{Infobox | {{Short description|Indian architect (1915–1995)}} | ||
| | {{more citations needed|date=April 2020}} | ||
| | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}{{Infobox architect | ||
| | | image = Habib Rahman.jpg | ||
| birth_place | | birth_date = {{birth-date|1915}} | ||
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1995|12|19|1915}} | |||
| spouse | | birth_place = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] | ||
| children | | spouse = [[Indrani Rahman|Indrani Bajpai]] | ||
[[Sukanya Rahman]] | | children = [[Ram Rahman]]<br>[[Sukanya Rahman]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
[[File:Habib Rahman.jpg|thumb|Habib Rahman | [[File:Architect Habib Rahman at the under-construction New Secretariat Building, Calcutta.jpg|thumb|Habib Rahman at the under-construction New Secretariat Building, Calcutta]] | ||
'''Habib Rahman''' (1915- | '''Habib Rahman''' (1915 – 19 December 1995<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Jadeja |first=Hiralba |title=Architecture of Habib Rahman |url=https://issuu.com/ram-rahman/docs/habib_rahman_thesis_by_hiral_jadeja |journal=|date=24 November 2013 }}</ref>) was an Indian architect. Regarded as a pioneer of the Bahaus style of architecture in India, Rahman was known for combining Indian architectural elements into modernist designs. | ||
Born in Calcutta, Rahman was educated at the [[University of Calcutta]] and later at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. After a brief stint in the United States, he returned to India in 1946, and was appointed senior architect for the government of [[West Bengal]]. Rahman's work in West Bengal includes the Gandhi Ghat, [[IIEST, Shibpur|Bengal Engineering College]],<ref name=":1" /> and New Secretariat building. | |||
In 1953, Rahman moved to Delhi to work for the central government, and designed various public buildings, including the [[National Zoological Park Delhi|National Zoological Park]], and the Rabindra Bhavan. He also designed the tombs of [[Maulana Azad]], [[Zakir Husain (politician)|Zakir Husain]], and [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]]. | |||
He was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] in 1955, and the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1974. | |||
==Work== | ==Early life and education== | ||
He was born in 1915 in Calcutta. His father was a judge. Habib Rahman obtained his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1939 from the [[University of Calcutta]]. He studied at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] and obtained his [[Master of Architecture|Masters in Architecture]] in 1944 (the first Indian to complete this program<ref name="scroll nehrus">{{Cite web |last=Lalwani |first=Vijayta |date=2019-10-06 |title=In photos: Architect Habib Rahman and the making of New Delhi in Nehru's vision |url=https://scroll.in/article/938268/in-photos-architect-habib-rahman-and-the-making-of-new-delhi-in-nehrus-vision |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref>). From 1944 to 1946, he worked at the architecture firms of [[Lawrence B. Anderson]], [[William Wurster]], [[Walter Gropius]], and [[Ely Jacques Kahn]] in Boston.<ref name="tribute habib">{{Cite web |date=2010-06-29 |title=Habib Rahman Architecture by Ram Rahman - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/ram-rahman/docs/habib-rahman-architect |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref> | |||
== Work in Calcutta (1946-1953) == | |||
He returned to [[Calcutta]] in 1946 and worked as senior architect of the government of [[West Bengal]] from 1947 to 1953. | |||
His first major project was the Gandhi Ghat, a memorial to [[Mahatma Gandhi]] built in 1948.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last1=Joachim |first1=Jade-Snow |last2=Marshall |first2=Alex |last3=Sedgwick |first3=Josephine |last4=Weingart |first4=Eden |date=2019-04-18 |title=Bauhaus at 100 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/18/arts/design/bauhaus-100-architecture.html,%20https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/18/arts/design/bauhaus-100-architecture.html |access-date=2023-05-23 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The design impressed Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and he invited Rahman to Delhi to design government buildings.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
Rahman's other work in Calcutta includes the fourteen-storied new Secretariat building, completed in 1954. The building was India's first [[steel frame]] [[Tower block|high rise]] and remained the tallest building in Calcutta until 1963.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=New Secretariat Building |journal=Model Houses Constructed in the International Exhibition on Low-Cost Housing |date=1954 |url=https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-166250 |last1=Rahman |first1=Habib }}</ref> | |||
==Work in Delhi (1953-1976)== | |||
In 1953, Habib Rahman was appointed senior architect of the [[Central Public Works Department]] in New Delhi.<ref name="tribute habib" />[[File:Architect_Habib_Rahman_in_his_Calcutta_studio,_late_1940s.png|thumb|Architect Habib Rahman in his Calcutta studio, late 1940s]] | |||
[[File:Rabindra Bhawan, Delhi.jpg|thumb|Rabindra Bhawan (1961), Delhi.]] | [[File:Rabindra Bhawan, Delhi.jpg|thumb|Rabindra Bhawan (1961), Delhi.]] | ||
His early designs in Delhi include the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] building (1954), Dak Bhavan (1954), and Comptroller and Auditor General building (1958).<ref name="scroll nehrus"/> | |||
In 1959, he designed the tomb of [[Maulana Azad]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-11 |title=Building Blocks: Here Lies Azad |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/building-blocks-here-lies-azad-5439023/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Azad was buried in the area between the [[Red Fort]] and [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]]. As per Nehru's requirements, the design of the tomb was not to conflict with the heritage sites, and to reflect the "humble personality" of Azad. The tomb is a modernist interpretation of the [[chhatri]], made up of white marble and cement, set in a [[charbagh]] garden. | |||
Habib | In the early 1960s, he was commissioned to design the Rabindra Bhavan, which would house the [[Lalit Kala Akademi|Lalit Kala]], [[Sangeet Natak Akademi|Sangeet Natak]] and [[Sahitya Akademi|Sahitya]] academies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-17 |title=Building Blocks: Three for the Road |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/building-blocks-three-for-the-road-5220268/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Initial designs were overruled by Nehru. | ||
He designed the Rabindra Bhavan in 1961 (or 1963),<ref name="tribute habib" /> the [[World Health Organization]] in Delhi in 1962 (demolished in July 2019), the Sardar Patel Bhawan in 1973 (opposite to the Dak Bhawan).<ref name="scroll nehrus" /> He also designed the National Zoological Park that opened in 1959 (which included historical ruins, and housed over a thousand animal species).<ref name="scroll nehrus" /> | |||
He designed the tomb of Zakir Husain, with its sloping walls inspired by [[Tughlaq dynasty|Tughlaq]] tombs.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Mazar of Zakir Hussain |journal=Winterthur Portfolio |date=1996 |volume=31 |issue=1 |url=https://architexturez.net/pst/az-cf-199050-1596775623 |last1=Mayer |first1=Roberta A. |last2=S. |first2=Gondet |last3=D. |first3=Laisney |last4=M. |first4=Mehrabani |last5=K. |first5=Mohammadkhani |last6=F. |first6=Zareh-Kordshouli }}</ref> | |||
In 1970, he was appointed chief of the [[Central Public Works Department]]. From 1974 to 1977, he was Secretary of the Delhi Urban Arts.<ref name="tribute habib" /> Habib's final major project was the tomb of [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]] (1976).<ref name="scroll nehrus" /> | |||
In 1977, his contract was discontinued after he opposed several projects conceived by the government. These including building a second [[Connaught Place, New Delhi|Connaught Place in New Delhi]],<ref name="scroll nehrus" /> placing of Gandhi's statue under King George's canopy at [[India Gate]], and the building of public urinals blocking the southern entrance to [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Habib Rahman - Articles – bauhaus imaginista |url=http://www.bauhaus-imaginista.org/articles/6220/habib-rahman |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.bauhaus-imaginista.org |language=en}}</ref> | |||
== Later life and death == | |||
After retiring, he remained active as a consultant despite poor health. He had one leg amputated below the knee in 1985.<ref name=":2" /> He died in 1995. | |||
==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
| Line 36: | Line 57: | ||
==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
In 1945 he married | In 1945 he married [[Indrani Rahman]], Miss India 1952 and an [[Odissi]] dancer. The couple had two children, [[Ram Rahman]] and [[Sukanya Rahman]].<ref name="tribute habib"/> | ||
Habib was an atheist, described as "greatly suspicious of all organized religions" by his son Ram Rahman.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
== External links == | |||
* {{Commons category-inline|Habib Rahman}} | |||
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}} | {{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79|state=collapsed}} | ||
{{2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
| Line 49: | Line 76: | ||
[[Category:1915 births]] | [[Category:1915 births]] | ||
[[Category:1995 deaths]] | [[Category:1995 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:Engineers from West Bengal]] | |||
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]] | |||
Latest revision as of 21:32, 17 January 2026
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2020) |
Habib Rahman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1915 |
| Died | 19 December 1995 (aged 79–80) |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse(s) | Indrani Bajpai |
| Children | Ram Rahman Sukanya Rahman |
Habib Rahman (1915 – 19 December 1995[1]) was an Indian architect. Regarded as a pioneer of the Bahaus style of architecture in India, Rahman was known for combining Indian architectural elements into modernist designs.
Born in Calcutta, Rahman was educated at the University of Calcutta and later at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After a brief stint in the United States, he returned to India in 1946, and was appointed senior architect for the government of West Bengal. Rahman's work in West Bengal includes the Gandhi Ghat, Bengal Engineering College,[2] and New Secretariat building.
In 1953, Rahman moved to Delhi to work for the central government, and designed various public buildings, including the National Zoological Park, and the Rabindra Bhavan. He also designed the tombs of Maulana Azad, Zakir Husain, and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1955, and the Padma Bhushan in 1974.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
He was born in 1915 in Calcutta. His father was a judge. Habib Rahman obtained his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1939 from the University of Calcutta. He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and obtained his Masters in Architecture in 1944 (the first Indian to complete this program[3]). From 1944 to 1946, he worked at the architecture firms of Lawrence B. Anderson, William Wurster, Walter Gropius, and Ely Jacques Kahn in Boston.[4]
Work in Calcutta (1946-1953)[edit | edit source]
He returned to Calcutta in 1946 and worked as senior architect of the government of West Bengal from 1947 to 1953.
His first major project was the Gandhi Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi built in 1948.[5] The design impressed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and he invited Rahman to Delhi to design government buildings.[5]
Rahman's other work in Calcutta includes the fourteen-storied new Secretariat building, completed in 1954. The building was India's first steel frame high rise and remained the tallest building in Calcutta until 1963.[6]
Work in Delhi (1953-1976)[edit | edit source]
In 1953, Habib Rahman was appointed senior architect of the Central Public Works Department in New Delhi.[4]
His early designs in Delhi include the University Grants Commission building (1954), Dak Bhavan (1954), and Comptroller and Auditor General building (1958).[3]
In 1959, he designed the tomb of Maulana Azad.[7] Azad was buried in the area between the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. As per Nehru's requirements, the design of the tomb was not to conflict with the heritage sites, and to reflect the "humble personality" of Azad. The tomb is a modernist interpretation of the chhatri, made up of white marble and cement, set in a charbagh garden.
In the early 1960s, he was commissioned to design the Rabindra Bhavan, which would house the Lalit Kala, Sangeet Natak and Sahitya academies.[8] Initial designs were overruled by Nehru.
He designed the Rabindra Bhavan in 1961 (or 1963),[4] the World Health Organization in Delhi in 1962 (demolished in July 2019), the Sardar Patel Bhawan in 1973 (opposite to the Dak Bhawan).[3] He also designed the National Zoological Park that opened in 1959 (which included historical ruins, and housed over a thousand animal species).[3]
He designed the tomb of Zakir Husain, with its sloping walls inspired by Tughlaq tombs.[9]
In 1970, he was appointed chief of the Central Public Works Department. From 1974 to 1977, he was Secretary of the Delhi Urban Arts.[4] Habib's final major project was the tomb of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1976).[3]
In 1977, his contract was discontinued after he opposed several projects conceived by the government. These including building a second Connaught Place in New Delhi,[3] placing of Gandhi's statue under King George's canopy at India Gate, and the building of public urinals blocking the southern entrance to Jama Masjid.[2]
Later life and death[edit | edit source]
After retiring, he remained active as a consultant despite poor health. He had one leg amputated below the knee in 1985.[1] He died in 1995.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- S M Akhtar, Habib Rahman, The Architect of Independent India, 2016 (ISBN 978-9383419340)
Awards[edit | edit source]
- 1955: Padma Shri[4]
- 1974: Padma Bhushan[4]
- 1995: JK Cement Architect of the Year Chairman's Award for Life Achievement[4]
Personal life[edit | edit source]
In 1945 he married Indrani Rahman, Miss India 1952 and an Odissi dancer. The couple had two children, Ram Rahman and Sukanya Rahman.[4]
Habib was an atheist, described as "greatly suspicious of all organized religions" by his son Ram Rahman.[2]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jadeja, Hiralba (24 November 2013). "Architecture of Habib Rahman".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Habib Rahman - Articles – bauhaus imaginista". www.bauhaus-imaginista.org. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lalwani, Vijayta (6 October 2019). "In photos: Architect Habib Rahman and the making of New Delhi in Nehru's vision". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Habib Rahman Architecture by Ram Rahman - Issuu". issuu.com. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Joachim, Jade-Snow; Marshall, Alex; Sedgwick, Josephine; Weingart, Eden (18 April 2019). "Bauhaus at 100". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ Rahman, Habib (1954). "New Secretariat Building". Model Houses Constructed in the International Exhibition on Low-Cost Housing.
- ↑ "Building Blocks: Here Lies Azad". The Indian Express. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ "Building Blocks: Three for the Road". The Indian Express. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ↑ Mayer, Roberta A.; S., Gondet; D., Laisney; M., Mehrabani; K., Mohammadkhani; F., Zareh-Kordshouli (1996). "Mazar of Zakir Hussain". Winterthur Portfolio. 31 (1).
External links[edit | edit source]
Template:2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering