Author: Mehta Jaimini
Place: New Delhi
Publisher: Niyogi Books
Year: 2011
Pages: 155
ISBN: 978-81-89738-72-3
Subject: Architecture
Sub-Subject: Architecture History
Keyword: Rationalization of Architecture, Rationalism, Contemporary Architects, Cultural Identity
Shelf: C9R4
Accession No: B1614
Contents: Foreword, Introduction, Chap One: Rise of the Rational, Chap Two: The Gospel of Efficiency, Chap Three: The Rational Totem Pole, Chap Four: The Cerebral and the Existential Chap Five: Critiquing the Modern, Chap Six: Discourse on Techniques, Chap Seven: Overlapping Narratives, Chap Eight: Post-Rational Architecture, Bibliographical Note, Acknowledgements, Photo Credit, Index
Abstract: In his analysis, Prof. Mehta explores the evolution of architecture, questioning whether the project of Modernity has run its course and is ready to be replaced by a Post-Modern approach. He suggests that the shift began in the mid-18th century, marked by an epistemological break between architecture and engineering, leading to the rationalization of architectural practice. This separation was influenced by the critical writings of post-Renaissance scholars, which aimed to align architecture with the growing fields of science and industry, a phase he refers to as “Academic Architecture.” While pre-Renaissance scholars were focused on codifying architectural practice, the new thinkers sought to create a distinct identity for architecture rooted in logic and mathematics. This emphasis on rationalism, however, sidelined the more existential and experiential qualities of architecture. Prof. Mehta argues that alternatives to rationalist and positivist narratives existed in both Western and non-Western cultures, but these were marginalized in academia. He points out that the seeds of Post-Rational architecture are already visible in the work of contemporary architects, signaling a potential shift away from purely rationalist frameworks towards more nuanced and diverse approaches in architectural thought.