The Post-Colonial City: Case Studies from the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East

INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

The Post-Colonial City:

Case Studies from the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East

curated by Stefania Rössl and Roberto Fabbri

Tuesday April 18, 2023,10.00 a.m. - 4.45 p.m. 

Campus of Cesena, room 2.13

Link to the online lectures: https://urly.it/3tq96 

In the mid-20th century, the crisis of colonial powers and the formation of the newly independent nation-states called for different urban forms to accommodate the infrastructure needed and to represents the nation-building narrative. Top-down visions and urban plans were conceived to mediate local needs and international aspirations, and to turn military control into commercial deals. After becoming independent, for many former colonies or protectorates becoming modern, and often - rejecting tradition, was imperative. Modernity was rapidly adopted from western models and, when possible, adapted to local conditions generating new hybrid forms of dwellings. These decades created new patterns of exchanges (knowledge/culture/materials/technology) between North and South, East and West, which transformed the urban environment physically and socially.
The seminar aims to reflect on these exchanges and retrace them in the post-colonial city’s built form and patterns of growth, highlighting similarities and differences in India and the Middle East.

Promoted and organized by:
HPA Histories of Postwar Architecture Lab

In collaboration with:
Department of Architecture, University of Bologna
Master's Degree Course in Architecture – Cesena Campus
PhD Program in Architecture and Design Cultures
PNRR PE CHANGES Spoke 7 – University of Bologna Unit
THE HISTORICAL CITY A critical reference and role model for Innovative urban and metropolitan development

Part 1
Impatient Cities of the Gulf

Greetings:

Giovanni Leoni, University of Bologna/ HPA Editor in Chief

Fabrizio Ivan Apollonio, University of Bologna/Head of the Architecture Department

Roberto Fabbri, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi/HPA 8 Guest Editor

“Impatient Cities of the Gulf: Post Oil Architecture in Flux”

Aminah Alkhanderi, Kuwait University, Kuwait

“The Emergency of the Arab Engineer: Saba George Shiber, Arab Counsulting Engineers (ACE) and Dar al-Handasah”

Ben Tosland, New York University, London

“Between Tradition and Modernity: Max Lock and the Ubullah Neighbourhood Plan”

Jack B. Hanly, MIT, Boston

“Architectures of Oil: Earthworks and Petrochemicals in Saudi Arabia c. 1973”

Part 2
The Post-Colonial City in India

Stefania Rössl, University of Bologna

“The Vertigo of India”

Maddalena d’Alfonso, Independent Researcher - Md’A Design Agency

“Warm Modernity”

Durganand Balsavar, Prof. and Principal - Artes-ROOTS Collaborative, Vedanthangal

“Trajectories: Post-Colonial Indian City (1947-)”

Anupama Kundoo, FH Potsdam - Fachhochschule Potsdam, Head of Urban Design, ATDC, Auroville

“The City the Earth Needs, Auroville”

Discussants:

Francesco Saverio Fera, University of Bologna

Annalisa Trentin, University of Bologna/ Coordinator of PhD Program in Architecture and Design Cultures