Course

Module 1: Origins of Interior Space in India

Early concepts of interiority in the Indian context – Indus Valley, Vedic, Buddhist, and Jain traditions; domestic and sacred spaces: chaityas, viharas, temple mandapas and their interior organization; symbolism, cosmology and cultural meanings of Indian interiors; materials, colours and ornamentation traditions in early Indian interiors.

Module 2: Vernacular and Regional Interiors of India

Vernacular interiors across India such as courtyard houses, havelis, tharavad, chettinad mansions, and tribal dwellings; regional variations in furniture, artefacts and decorative arts (woodwork, stone, textiles); ritual usage of interior spaces and the integration of craft traditions; climate-responsive interior planning; use of indigenous materials.

Module 3: Global Influence on Indian Interiors

Sultanate and Mughal influence: arches, jalis, calligraphy, spatial hierarchy; Indo-Saracenic style; Colonial influence: bungalow typologies, Art Deco; Dutch, Portuguese and French influence in design; Industrial revolution and its impact on the emergence of modern furniture and ornamentation.

Module 4: Contemporary Interior Design in India

Indian modernist interiors: works of Charles Correa, B.V. Doshi, Chandigarh’s interior environments; Role of craft, textile, and hand-made traditions in shaping post-independence Indian interiors; Postmodernism, minimalism and contemporary global styles in interiors; Indian interior trends in the 21st century: apartments, luxury homes, adaptive reuse; gendered spaces; sustainability, biophilic design and new material narratives.

Course Objectives

§ Understand the evolution of interior spaces in India, focusing on cultural, symbolic and cosmological meanings in domestic and sacred environments.

§ Analyse vernacular and regional interior traditions of India with emphasis on spatial organization, materiality, craft integration and climate responsiveness.

§ Examine global influences on Indian interiors during different periods in Indian History, assessing their stylistic and functional implications.

§ Evaluate post-independent and contemporary Indian interiors, engaging with modernist, postmodernist and sustainable design narratives in practice.

Course Outcomes

 After completing this course, students will be able to:

CO1 : Interpret early Indian concepts of interiority and apply cultural, cosmological and symbolic knowledge in design

CO2 : Analyse vernacular and regional Indian interiors, integrating climate-responsive planning, indigenous materials, and craft traditions.

CO3 : Evaluate the stylistic, material, and functional influences of foreign traditions on Indian interiors.

CO4 : Critically assess and propose contemporary Indian interior solutions informed by modernist approaches, sustainability principles and future-oriented practices.

Evaluation Pattern

p>Reading Material

1. Kagal, C. (Ed.). (1986). Vistara: The Architecture of India. The Festival of India
2. Pandya, Y. (2024). Concepts of Space in Traditional Indian Architecture. Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd.
3. Pandya, Y. (2004). Elements of Spacemaking. Mapin Publishing.
4. Kulbhushan Jain and Meenakshi Jain. (1989). Architecture of the Indian Desert. AADI Centre.
5. Jain, K., & Mehrotra, R. (2002). Architecture in India Since 1990. Phaidon Press.
6. George Michell. (2010). Islamic Architecture of the Deccan: India 1321–1687. Marg Publications.
7. Jon Lang. (2002). A Concise History of Modern Architecture in India. Permanent Black.
8. V. Doshi. (2011). Paths Uncharted. Vastu Shilpa Foundation.
9. Suneet Chopra and Pupul Jayakar. (1990). Crafts and Interiors in India. Wiley Eastern Limited.