User:Dhanyavaada/Karl Damschen

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Karl Damschen (born 15 July 1942 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany) is an architect working in Switzerland and mainly in Kerala, India. His buildings are grounded in the climatic and historical-cultural conditions of each place, and they are significant for the recognition of the great architectural resources of India.

Karl Damschen

Education[edit]

Karl Damschen received his first training as a draftsman at the Mannesmann company in 1957, followed by an internship as a bricklayer and carpenter. In 1963 he began his studies at the Civil Engineering School in Kassel, Germany (now University of Kassel), completing as a graduate engineer. He then studied from 1966 to 1970 with Paul Friedrich Posenenske at the State College of Arts Kassel (now University of Kassel) and obtained his diploma as Architect HbK in 1970.

Career[edit]

After his education, Damschen moved to Switzerland in search of better opportunities. He worked from 1971 to 1981 as a department head in the Helfer Architekten AG office in Bern. A number of residential and commercial buildings were built under his leadership, the best known project being the new company office for Helfer, fully built in steel.

During this period, in 1976, Damschen embarked on a significant one-year trip by caravan to India and Sri Lanka where he explored the architecture of these countries in detail. This marked the beginning of a lasting relationship with India.

From 1981 to 1985, he founded his own company, Architektur Atelier Damschen in Bern, Switzerland. It was here that he worked on the Ascom office building in Bern. Meanwhile he spent six months each year in Kerala, the southern state of India where he studied first hand, the traditional construction technologies of highly skilled local carpenters.

In 1985, upon winning a competition for the State College of Technology and Architecture Fribourg (Hochschule für Technik und Architektur Freiburg) [1][2] in Switzerland, he, along with his partner Daniel Herren, founded their office Herren + Damschen Architects + Planners AG in Bern. Here they worked on several competitions including the BUWAL office building in Ittigen for the Department of the Environment, Swiss Confederation, the urban planning of Löwenplatz in Luzern and urban planning of Thörishaus in Switzerland for which they were conferred the highest Award.

India[edit]

His fascination with India led to his decision to work as a consultant architect in Kerala in 1995. The first hotel project designed by Damschen in Kerala, was the Surya Samudra Beach Garden[3] (Kovalam) in the 1980s, consisting of several traditional wooden houses carefully dismantled and reassembled on site. It opened new avenues for hoteliers to bring about a brand of heritage hotels that was otherwise missing during the time. Such projects and conducive building laws have spared the tropical coast of Kerala from being consumed by oversized hotel blocks. This project also introduced of the concept of open to sky bath gardens in Kerala.

Karl Damschen earned his reputation as an architect-conservator in India by converting several heritage and colonial buildings in South India, especially in the old port city of Kochi[4][5][6]. These projects became a paradigm for several hoteliers and property owners and resulted in many of the remarkable heritage houses being saved from destruction. His work has also been significant in the country's recognition of its great architectural resources.

Plaquette in the Paradesi synagogue
Clock tower of the Paradesi synagogue

Asked about his favorite projects of classical Indian architecture, Karl Damschen said[7]:

"Certainly the wooden Padmanabhapuram palace because of its subtle adaptation to the location. It also takes account of all climatic and cultural circumstances. Its richness of detail and the dealing with the inner and outer spaces make this building so unique and special.“

In 2001, he was appointed as Conservation Architect to the World Monuments Fund, New York for the restoration of the clock tower of the 450 year old Paradesi Synagogue in the historic Jew Town of Kochi.

Since 2013 he has been working in a partnership with the young Indian architect Krishnan Varma.

Architectural style[edit]

While in Switzerland, Damschen was inspired by master architect Le Corbusier, whose principles of proportion and scale were adopted into his projects. In his view, architecture that uses the same language universally and neglects reference to its context, leads to an enormous architectural impoverishment in cities. In an interview[8] the architect said:

„While working on the wooden houses and renovating the Jewish Synagogue in Kochi, I realized - like Charles Correa and Geoffrey Bawa - that our so-called modern architecture leads to a visual impoverishment of our cities. To oppose this tendency, architecture must find its roots in a counties culture itself without running the risk of becoming a kind of Disney Land. What I aim at is a kind of timeless architecture which does not pay heed to contemporary trends, as they might not survive."

His buildings are based on the climatic, historical and socio-cultural conditions of the place. He was influenced by its rich culture of India and introduced carefully selected ornamentation into his architecture. All his projects are planned as an architectural unit that includes the interior and landscape design to ensure overall homogeneity.

Selected Projects[edit]

Building Location Notes
1971-1973 Helfer Office Building Bern, Switzerland Helfer Architekten AG
1981-1985 Ascom Office Building Bern, Switzerland Architektur Atelier Damschen
1985-1996 Hochschule für Technik
und Architektur Freiburg[9][10]		 Freiburg, Switzerland Herren + Damschen, Architects and Planners AG
2005-2006 Indian Forum (Culture Centre) Schwäbisch Hall, Germany Architektur Atelier Damschen
1982-2000 Surya Samudra Beach Garden
(now Niraamaya Retreats)		 Kovalam, Kerala, India Architektur Atelier Damschen
1996-1999 The Brunton Boatyard [11](Luxushotel) Kochi, Kerala,India In cooperation with Stapati Architects (Tony Joseph)
2002-2004 Taj Garden Retreat Kumarakom, Kerala, India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2001-2005 Restoration of the Clock Tower
of Paradesi Synagogue for the
World Monuments Fund, New York		 Jew Town, Kochi, Kerala, India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2004-2006 Restoration of Old Harbour Hotel[12][13][14] [15]
(Boutique Hotel)		 Kochi, Kerala,India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2005-2007 Restoration of Visalam Palace (Boutique Hotel) Kanadukathan, Karaikudy,
Tamil Nadu, India		 Architektur Atelier Damschen
2006-2009 Ethnic Passage[16] (Boutique Shopping-Mall mit Kunstgalerie und Cafè) Kochi, Kerala, India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2010-2012 Vismaya House (serviced pool villa) Cherthala, Kerala, India (at Chenganda on Vembanad Lake) Architektur Atelier Damschen
2012-2014 Upgrading of the Kashi Art Cafe’’ Fort Kochi, Kerala, India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2013-2014 Nadulu Hotel - Meriya Heritage. Restoration of the Heritage-Hotels Kaipamangalam, nahe Guruvayoor, Kerala, India In collaboration with Architect Krishnan Varma
2011-2015 Restoration of the Cochin Club (sport club with swimming pool) Fort Kochi, Kerala,India Architektur Atelier Damschen
2014-2017 Baymaas Lake House (serviced pool villa) Ernakulam, Kerala India (Cheppanam Island, at Vembanadu Lake) In collaboration with Architect Krishnan Varma
since 2015 Restoration of The Delta Study School Fort Kochi, Kerala,India In collaboration with Architect Krishnan Varma

Published Projects[edit]

  • Herbert Ypma: HIP Hotels Beach’'. Thames and Hudson (Econ), London 2004, ISBN 3-430-19889-5
  • Olaf Krüger and Michael Neumann-Adrian: Zeit für Indien. Bucher-Verlag, Munich 2012, ISBN 3-7658-1288-9
  • Olaf Krüger, Michael and Edda Neumann-Adrian: Zeit für Kerala, Traumziele im Garten der Götter. Bucher-Verlag, Munich 2006
  • Klaus-Peter Gast: Moderne Traditionen : zeitgenössische Architektur in Indien. Birkhäuser, Basel-Boston-Berlin, ISBN 978-3-7643-7753-3

References[edit]

  1. ^ Preisgekrönte Arbeiten vorgestellt, Freiburger Nachrichten Nr. 107, 10. Mai 1986, S.7
  2. ^ Eine neue Ingenieurschule in Freiburg. Neue Zürcher Zeitung vom 3. Februar 1989
  3. ^ Niraamaya Retreats (former Surya Samudra Beach Garden)
  4. ^ Tanya Abraham: Due respect for the old. In: Metro Plus, Kochi, The Hindu, 12.08.2006 ; Weblink
  5. ^ Tabitha May: The Old Harbour Hotel, Cochin: where to stay. The Telegraph, 26.08.2008
  6. ^ Restoration area, Fort Kochi: Old Harbour House makeover. Indian Express, 04.10.2006
  7. ^ Looking for substance: Indian Architect & Builder Magazine, Mumbai, India, March 2000, p. 22
  8. ^ Looking for substance: Indian Architect & Builder Magazine, Mumbai, India, March 2000, S. 22; https://issuu.com/iab_archives/docs/iab_march_2013
  9. ^ Preisgekrönte Arbeiten vorgestellt, Freiburger Nachrichten Nr. 107, 10. Mai 1986, S.7
  10. ^ Eine neue Ingenieurschule in Freiburg. Neue Zürcher Zeitung vom 3. Februar 1989
  11. ^ "Einfachluxuriös - zwei Frauen unterwegs". 10 October 2013.
  12. ^ Manuela Kessler: Architekt hilft Handwerkern. Süddeutsche Zeitung, 30.12.2006, S.16
  13. ^ Mathew T. Georg: Old Harbour Hotel. The Week, 25.11.2005
  14. ^ Priyadarshini Sharma: Heritage homes turn hotels. The Hindu, 06.08.2005
  15. ^ Prema Manmadhan: Anchored to the past: Old Harbour House. The Hindu, 23.01.2010
  16. ^ An ancient flavour, Inside Outside Magazin, November 2009, S.190-195

External links[edit]


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