CHARLES CORREA / Kenneth Frampton and Charles Correa.--New York, N. Y.

:
Thames and Hudson, dist. by W. W. Norton, October 1997.--272 p.: ill.--ISBN 0-500-
09268-0: $65.00.

Charles Correa is one of the best known architects of India. Born and raised in India, he
is a Western-educated architect, who earned degrees in architecture from both the
University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He returned to India
to practice and the body of his work has been completed there. His work reflects the
spirit of and is sensitive to the economic and spiritual needs of his native land.

Correa's work has been featured in numerous books and journals from around the world.
He is also a prolific writer and has been widely published. He is featured in
Contemporary Architects (Chicago, Ill.: St. James Press, 1987) and The Dictionary of
Art. In presentation, content, and format, this volume is remarkably similar to a previous
volume about the architect, titled Charles Correa, and written by Hasan-Uddin Khan
(London, England: Butterworth Architecture, 1987). In fact, although the publishers are
different , this title is essentially an updated version of the earlier title.

This latest book about Correa provides many examples of his work. In the discussion of
each project there are good color photographs of each work; in addition, plans, site plans,
sections, axonometrics and elevations are often, but not always, featured for each
project. In
those cases where the projects are discussed in both books, the documentation provided is
the same as in the earlier title. Although there are a few projects that are duplicated in
both books, there are also many new projects presented that make this title worth
purchasing. Accompanying each project is a brief discussion of the work by Correa
himself. This is another advantage over the previous title, for here we are able to learn
the architect's vision or description of the work, rather than another’s interpretation.

The book has an introduction by Kenneth Frampton, who discusses the architectural
forms developed by Correa throughout his career. An essay titled "The Blessings of the
Sky" by Correa discusses the history of Indian architecture and its relationship to the
surrounding environment; he posits that environment, be it natural or man-made,
influences new architecectural design and relates this idea to his own work. This essay,
not present in Khan’s study, is a welcome addition to an understanding of Correa’s
architecture.

This volume also includes a chronology of works tracing Correa's development through
built and unbuilt projects from 1958 through 1996. All projects include a brief paragraph
featuring a description of the site and or purpose of the project and sometimes a sentence
about the importance of the work in his development. Nearly all the projects are
illustrated by a small black-and-white photograph; in cases where the project was
completed the photograph is of the building, and in those cases where the project was
unbuilt there are photographs of the models.
The book also includes a section titled "Biodata" which presents a listing of Correa's
professional experience, works published, interviews, essays, teaching and exhibitions.
This section, in conjunction with the others, make the title an excellent reference about
the professional life of Charles Correa and would be a desirable addition to any university
library serving undergraduate students in architecture and design.

Ann Lally
University of Arizona