Author: Burte Himanshu

Place: Calcutta

Publisher: Seagull Books

Year: 2008

Pages: 340

ISBN: 9788170462781

Subject: Bombay/ Mumbai

Sub-Subject: Open Space

Keyword: Artplace, Public Place

Classification: 727.7

Shelf: C3R5

Accession No: B1221

Contents: Acknowledgements Introduction Section 1: Chap 1: Engaging Place Chap 2: The Indian Artplace and Its Architecture Chap 3: The Built Object and the Solitary Self Chap 4: Towards an Architecture for Wholesome Habitation Section 2: Chap 5: Occupiability Chap 6: Penetrability Chap 7: Legibility Chap 8: Sociability Chap 9: Possessability Section 3: Introduction to the Case Studies Chap 10: Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal Chap 11: National Crafts Museum, New Delhi Chap 12: Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai Chap 13: Dimensional Weave Chap 14: Poetics, Politics and the Habitational Approach to Place-Making References Cited Index

Abstract: This book by architect and writer Himanshu Burte explores why people feel connected to certain places and how architecture can foster deeper engagement with public spaces. Focusing on contemporary Indian cultural institutions, or “artplaces,” it critiques current architectural and institutional methods of place-making. Burte proposes a “habitational” approach—one that centers on how people inhabit and experience spaces—as a more effective way to strengthen the relationship between people and their environment. Emphasizing lived experience over abstract design principles, the book argues for a shift in architectural thinking to support more meaningful public and cultural engagement. This is Burte’s first book.