Architecture deserved to be at the centre of the recent inauguration of the Parliament building. In many ways, the event was about the value of design and the ability of Indian architects to build enduring structures on time. The new Parliament building calls for public attention to the growing reputation, enhanced competence, and potential of the architecture profession in India. Even the contestations around the project are about the public consequences of the profession.
However, architecture cannot serve and flourish further only if it is utilised in occasional public buildings or in more monumental projects. As the profession’s history shows, architecture can extensively attend to the people’s growing needs. Harnessing this potential will depend substantially on state investment in design.
