Nondita Mehrotra on Correa's living legacy

I’m James Hamilton, and in this episode, we explore a building that transcends architecture to touch on something far deeper: dignity, restraint, and national memory.

We’re in Ahmedabad, India, at the Gandhi Ashram - designed by Charles Correa, one of the most influential figures in tropical modernism. And joining me is Nondita Mehrotra, an architect and academic whose life and work intersect closely with Correa’s legacy.

What does it mean to build a space that honours a life like Gandhi’s? How do you design without ego, while still creating something resonant and lasting? In this conversation, Nondita helps unpack the nuanced genius of Correa’s ashram - a building that manages to be both modest and monumental.

Together, we explore themes of cultural memory, architecture’s role in healing, and the ethics of representation. This is not just a story about one building. It’s about architecture as a form of empathy - and about what modernism can look like when it’s rooted in context, not ideology.

So let’s step inside this space of quiet power.

Key Moments & Topics of Conversation

● Charles Correa’s design philosophy and lifelong commitment to human-centric architecture

● The Gandhi Ashram as a case study in restraint, symbolism, and architectural humility

● Nondita’s perspective on working with legacy and place as an Indian woman architect

● The spatial rhythm of the ashram, and how it shapes visitor experience

● Reflections on climate, materiality, and spiritual atmosphere in Correa’s work

● What it means to design for national memory without monumentality