Peter Cook's art of building

Called the "Picasso of Architecture", Peter Cook, who has pushed the boundaries of the craft through his landmark designs, is exhibiting in India

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The fact that art and architecture share a symbiotic relationship had been grossly overlooked in India till the National Gallery of Modern Art hosted its first-ever architectural exhibition of architect Raj Rewal’s designs in the summer of 2014 followed by a celebration of habitat through a retrospective of Balkrishna Doshi’s work. Till then, architecture had only been recognised for its functionality rather than as an amalgamation of philosophy, history and aesthetics. Gallery Espace, located in the bustling commercial complex of Delhi’s New Friends Colony, is now taking this exploration of the constructed landscape further with its exhibition, “Sir Peter Cook: Drawings from 1960’s-2000’s”. What makes this event even more significant is that this is Cook’s first ever show of art and drawings in Asia.

Known as the “Picasso of Architecture”, Cook has been the creative force behind designs of Arts Building in Graz, Vienna Business and Economics University’s new law faculty, the Abedian School of Architecture, Gold Coast Cultural Precinct and more. But more than anything else, architects across the world laud him for pushing the boundaries of the craft through the “Archigram”, an avant-garde architectural group that he co-founded with five others in the 1960s. The group created and exhibited landmark experimental designs — such as the “Suitaloon”, a garment that transforms into a dwelling, and “Blow-out Village”, a temporary city inflated by a hovercraft — at a time when technology to even imagine such ideas was not available.

Kunsthaus Graz, or Graz Art Museum, built in 2003 has become an architectural landmark in Graz, Austria

“Cook’s work has always set new standards. It is a work of a very productive imagination,” says Delhi-based architect Ashish Ganju, who studied under Cook at the Architectural Association in London in the 1960s. “He was the most exciting new teacher to make an entry. Since then his work has been studied by generations of students. His drawings represent that extraordinary output and it’s a rare opportunity to see them displayed in Delhi.”

Inventive, futuristic, unconventional — these three words keep playing in the mind like a loop as one walks around Gallery Espace. Be it the incongruous shapes of “The Living Jungle”, fluid high-rises of the “Skywaft City” or the tower of Sao Paulo that seems almost tightly wrapped in itself, the unorthodox creativity of the artist is reflected throughout the 34 drawings and sketches on display. And yet, the use of gentle watercolours lends a meditative quality to the artworks. “His work, with nature and vegetation forming an integral part of it, has an organic feel to it. With a beautiful play of natural light, each creation looks magical,” says Renu Modi, owner, Gallery Espace, who has been drawn to the art in architecture ever since MF Husain designed her home in 1986. “What fascinates me about Cook is his mind,” she says.

Nature holds immense importance for Cook. For him, architecture should lend itself to gardens and vegetation, while being lightweight. “It should be able to look at new configurations rather than being in the “boxed-up” style. At times, one needs to work into the ground. For instance, buildings can be by and also into the water. Some of my drawings look at towers as carriers rather than stationary units,” says Cook, who is so soft-spoken that one often has to bend forward to catch every word that he says.

He rates Archigram as a huge influence on his later work. “It affected the way one looked at the domestic unit. It inspired the use of mobility, the use of meditation,” he says. When asked if there are any chances of reviving the group, he laughs: “Two of the original members are dead. Moreover, I work with a much younger group now. Also, my work has become more lyrical than the earlier days.”

Cook’s association with India is not limited to this exhibition. He and his team from CRAB, or the Cook Robotham Architectural Bureau, co-founded by him and Gavin Robotham, are working on a recreation centre in Mumbai for the Oberoi group. “It will have sculptural rest areas, a funky area for kids to get into wonderland and straight places where people can play volleyball, and so on,” says Cook, hoping that the project will be completed in 18 months.

Architects and art enthusiasts are of the opinion that exhibitions such as this one are critical to highlight the importance of architecture in urban development. “We need to showcase architecture that makes sense to people and not the kind that only makes sense to bankers and engineers. And that’s why this exhibition is significant,” says Ganju.
“Sir Peter Cook: Drawings from 1960’s-2000’s” will be on display at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, till September 20, 2015