Opening up windows of Creative thinking

“In the last few decades, our architects have walked amongst international and indigenous idioms in search of an identity. Many buildings have come up Since Independence, but only a few can lay the claim to being genuine
Architecture”. Indira Gandhi (1968)

During the '70s, as a young architect, faced several dilemmas. These were not to do with job and money, but with more substantive issues. The main dilemma was whether the Indian architects would continue to hang their heads in shame for poor quality of architecture? Whether Indian architecture would ever achieve the global standards and a place of pride? Would We, the young architects be able to keep pace with the changing and evolving knowledge of architecture? Will we keep judging our architecture by the values and standards set by the West? How long our 'tendering AK Jai mindset (i.e. lowest rates) will perpetuate and "Survive the worst"?

During last 25 years, things have changed drastically, and the Indian architecture has arrived. There has been a growing Sense of pride in Indian architecture – both old and new. The Indian architects are more mature, creative and enterprising. The mindset-third class rates for third class quality is fast changing. New generation architecture is flowering, which is more contextual, ecology, climate conscious and value oriented. A major event in instilling a sense of pride among the Indian architects had been the publication of "Architecture + Design", which started its journey 25 years ago. There had been a quantum leap from poorly published, colourless magazines to a world-class journal - both in term of contents, as well as presentation. Personally for me, it had been a journey of continued learning. It opened up the windows of creative, out-of-box thinking. A+D introduced the new generation of lesser-known architects, who deserved Space because of their excellence. It helped in broadening the horizon of the architects and bringing in focus the emerging and marginalised subjects like heritage, urban design, city planning, low carbon habitat, green buildings, rural settlements, product design, Indian festivals, etc. A+D showed how 'ordinary' things can be designed 'differently'. The Editor A+D, its publishers and editorial team have done a splendid job in giving Indian architecture a sense of pride and bringing the architecture journalism to a global standard. I am sure Indira Gandhi would not say the same what she said in 1968.