Charles Mark Correa (September 1, 1930 - June 16, 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner. He was born in Secunderabad. Correa after his education at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, studied Architecture at the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.He has been credited with creation of contemporary architecture in post-independence India and was noted for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban poor and use of traditional methods and materials. He started his architectural practice in Mumbai in 1958. He designed many housing complexes, museums, offices, etc. His early works include the Pavilion for the All India Handloom Board in New Delhi (1958) and the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya (1963), a museum and archive at Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad.
Tube house in Ahmedabad designed by Correa is a model of contemporary and energy efficient design, arranged in such ways that cool air is naturally drawn through it through a vent close to the apex of the roof. The Ramkrishna House (1962) and the Parekh House (1967) in Ahmedabad remain some of the finest examples of tube house designed by Correa.The most important buildings after these were his Kanchanjunga high-rise apartments (1970 –1983) in Mumbai, Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal (1975-81), Vidhan Bhavan in Bhopal (1980-87), Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur (1986), Research and Diagnostic Center in lisbon (2004). His recent projects include the Ismaili Centre in Toronto, the Brain Science Center at MIT, Boston and the Champalimaud Centre in lisbon.
The Kanchanjunga apartment is a high- rise condominium of thirty-two luxury apartments. An interesting design feature of the apartment is the conversion of verandah into a double-height garden. Such a space protects the living room from the sun and rain. The Vidhan Bhavan, Bhopal (1980) Plan is a series of gardens within gardens.Administrative offices are used to define a pattern of nine compartments. The five central ones are halls with courtyards creating a micro climate of shade and running water and the four corners are occupied by specialised function: the Vidhan Parishad, the Vidhan Sabha, a combined hall and a library.
In the realm of urban planning, he is noted for his sensitivity to fulfill the needs of the urban poor by using locally available material and techniques. His planning for satellite town New Bombay (transference from the mother city of Bombay) provided housing for many people.He designed several low-cost housing schemes (Belapur housing, 1986). In Belapur, each unit is on its own individual site to allow for expansion. The scheme caters for a wide range of income groups, from the lowest up to the upper income levels. The bathroom and WC is on the courtyard while the kitchen is adjacent to the living spaces. All the buildings have their own courtyard. Though the housing typologies cover the entire range of income groups, the plot sizes differ only marginally – thus introducing the principle of equity. His “housing bill of rights” included concepts such as incrementality, pluralism, identity, income generation, and equity.
He has successfully used paintings and sculptures (often in collaboration with well-known artists) to enhance the spatial architectonics (for example, in the Kala Academy in Panaji, Goa, 1984; the British Council in New Delhi, 1992; and the Inter-University Center of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, 1992).From 1970-75, he was Chief Architect for New Bombay. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi appointed him Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization. In 1984, he founded the prestigious Urban Design Research Institute in Bombay.Correa taught in many universities in India and abroad. He won several national and international awards during his life time. He has received Royal Institute of British Architect (RIBA) Royal Gold Medal (1984), Chicago Architecture Award (1986), IIA Gold Medal (1987). UIA Gold Medal by the International Union of Architects (1990), Master Architect Award, J K industries, India (1991), Aga Khan Award for Achitecture (1998), Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006).