profileSangeet Sharma

024 ARCHITECT & INTERIORS INDIA | 11.09 | www.itp.com

Sangeet Sharma’S paSSion for life and itS many SplendourS iS reflected in hiS award-winning architecture – which iS a fine balance of modeS and moodS, SayS apurva boSe dutta

a ZeSt for Life

Carrying forward a lineage is

always a daunting task, considering

the expectations that have to be fulfilled.

However, creating an altogether

different lineage with one’s own identity

stamped upon it is something that

not many are able to do successfully.

Architect Sangeet Sharma, partner, SD

Sharma & Associates, Chandigarh, and

son of renowned architect Shiv Dutt

Sharma (who has worked with legendary

architects such as Le Corbusier) has

carved a niche for himself in the

profession with his ingenious approach

and skills of multi-tasking and handling

different genres adroitly.

September 2009 saw his project

KMG Towers at Mohali being awarded

the Outstanding Concrete Structure for

2009 by the Indian Concrete Institute. A

commendation award for excellence in

built environment has been conferred on

his project Timex Factory at Baddi, HP,

by the Indian Building Congress. Having

practised for the past 16 years, Sharma

has built up a distinct philosophy of his

own. Looking through his projects, you

will notice the imagery carved out of voids,

and not necessarily forms. “A balanced

composition is what I believe in,” he

declares. “I like to play with the sun, by

not blocking it but by its penetration – its

modes and moods. For me, the play of

light and shade are cultivated in the design

and need to appear as a work of art.”

The Niper Boy’s Hostel at Mohali,

another of his award-winning projects,

is an example of the curvilinear and

regular play of light that he talks about.

His love for asymmetry is evident from

the triangulations in this building.

The sciography achieved converts the

elevation into an art form. Powered

by an element of sustainability,

the juxtaposition of forms is eye-

catching. Sharma steers away from

regular geometry and concentrates on

harmonious geometry. He adds: “Every

small image in a building should make

for a great composition. Even a section

should represent some composition. The

elevation should be a painting.”

The lines and curves in the Timex

factory are evocative of the architect’s

sensibilities. For him, a building

“is a living organism” and art forms

like shade, light and geometry are

predominant in it. Colours add volume

to his creations, and sustainable

architecture is what he thrives on.

Chandigarh might well have been his

inspiration for the purity in materials

he opts for. His buildings are all about

exposed concrete and brickwork, less

about paints – a trait he has imbibed

from his father. A witness to the changes

that the City Beautiful has gone through,

Sharma stays appreciative of the growth

pattern and terms every deviation as not

a ‘mistake’ as such – but something for

the people to identify and live with.

A renowned writer, his mastery over

words is commendable – as can be

seen in the four books on architecture

he has written. Sharma’s books are not

the run-of-the-mill ones imparting only

architectural knowledge. They look at

architecture from different perspectives

that are less explored. Architecture, Life

and Me, launched in 2008, recounts

Sharma’s journey through architecture

and life. Carefully-chosen words and

phrases to evoke the right amount of

curiosity and excitement in the reader

are the hallmark of this book. He even

admits that his architecture is ambivert

in nature, much like him. With his recent

publication, Corb’s Capitol, Corbusier’s

masterpiece - the Capitol Complex

of Chandigarh is seen in a new light

through different perspectives. Sharma’s

inclination for poetry is also revealed in

his books on poetry.

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profileSangeet Sharma

025 025 www.itp.com | 11.09 | ARCHITECT & INTERIORS INDIA

1. Department of Genetics at Jammu University, Jammu.

2. Mega Boys Hostel at NiT Jalandhar.

3. KMG iT Towers at Mohali.

4. Lyrical imagery at the Timex factory at Baddi, HP.

5. Hospital for Ordinance factory at Rajgir-Bihar.

If you glance at his building for the

Department of Genetics at Jammu

University, you cannot help assessing

the relevance of the predominant slanted

ribbed porch. It is this deviation from

normal thoughts that gives identity to this

artiste. Citing the importance of light in

the Lotus Temple in Delhi, he points out,

“It is not the light that streams through...

but the light merged with darkness that

elevates you inside the temple.”

The ongoing project of the Mega Boys

Hostel at NIT, Jalandhar, is among

Sharma’s favourites. A 1,000-room

hostel, the highlight is the open-air

theatre that substitutes for a flat roof.

It is evident that the performer in him

compels the architect to create such

performing spaces in his buildings. In

his words, “It’s a den which provokes

people to come, a space that evolves a

feeling of creativity in them.” Not one

who would like to waste space, he adds,

“The freedom of space doesn’t mean you

waste the space.” The long columns are

reminiscent of Acropolis, while the brick

jaalis – besides forming an impressive

part of the elevations – have their own

function. There is a visual linkage and

breakage. The circulation areas create

vistas, and the natural light received

is abundant. As he writes in his book,

“Architecture becomes a craft when we

think of walls alone, becomes an art

when we think of beautifying the walls,

and becomes a passion when we think of

the space between the walls.”

For someone with an affinity for

designing corporate and institutional

buildings, textures play an important

role in his work - an inspiration derived

from Corbusier’s saying that “all

architecture should be palpable”. From

conceiving a project to its planning,

designing, construction, isn’t the wait

too long? The multi-tasker replies,

“Architecture gives a sense of gratuity.

Fine arts like music and poetry give

instant satisfaction. That is why I revert

to music for creative satisfaction.” His

perseverance in maintaining his weekly

riyaz proclaims Sharma’s love for music

and passion for life. He already has one

music album to his credit, and is working

on the next. Photography is his other

love, and he maintains that there is a

distinct link between all these arts.

Having not yet crossed the 50 mark,

it’s surprising that he feels that it’s

already payback time to society and

family – a time when one should do less

for personal gain. Founder chairperson

of the A3 foundation, an organisation

that promotes sustainable architecture in

India and the vicinity, Sharma has taken

a step to escalate the multidimensional

growth of the profession. Through his

blog www.sangeetsharma.com, he

keeps in touch with the professional

community worldwide.

Besides the number of articles to his

credit in known architectural journals,

Sharma is on the visiting faculty and

juries of various institutions. His time

management skills are commendable,

and you cannot but appreciate his

confidence when he says, “I’m happy if I

can be the medium to express any kind

of art. I work in mental shifts and my

brain has a biological alarm, a definite

MCB which switches on and off.”

A staunch believer in miracles, Sharma

likes to think that every second is a miracle

taking shape. One can follow ideologies,

but as he emphasizes “its statements

should be different”. This architect makes

a statement not only through his works

– but through an ever-smiling face and an

unparalleled zeal for life. A&i

Bangalore-based architect Apurva Bose

Dutta is an architectural journalist.

She writes for various national and

international architectural and interior

publications. She can be contacted at

apurvabose@yahoo.com

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