Santiniketan Built Environment, Architecture, Rabindranath
Date: 9 August 2025
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Venue: KCC Library
OPEN TO ALL
Kolkata Centre for Creativity and KCC Conservation Lab invite you to a special edition of the KCCCL Talk series with eminent architect and heritage conservationist Shri Arunendu Banerjee. Santiniketan Built Environment, Architecture, Rabindranath: A Journey Through Built Heritage, will explore the nuanced intersection of design, ecology, and cultural philosophy rooted in Santiniketan’s architectural identity.
This session will feature the screening of Nirmaan – a Doordarshan Documentary that reflects on Santiniketan’s architectural legacy, Tagore’s influence on building design, and the community-driven, sustainable ethos of the space.
Following the screening, Shri Banerjee will share insights from his extensive conservation work and offer a deeper understanding of how Tagore’s poetic imagination shaped a new approach to architecture – one that integrated nature, aesthetics, and local materials.
This talk will offer a rare opportunity to reflect on built heritage through film, oral narratives, and critical discussion.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Arunendu Banerjee is an architect, artist, environmental designer, and a pioneer in heritage conservation in India. His practice spans structural, civil, and architectural design, with a deep focus on ecological sustainability. Over the decades, he has led the conservation of several iconic sites including the Jorasanko Tagore Houses, multiple buildings in Santiniketan, the Nabaratna Temple, and Sultan Sahi Mosque.
He has also contributed to landmark public infrastructure projects like the roof of the Yuva Bharati Stadium and the domical space frame of J.N. Indoor Stadium. As a documentarian and designer, Banerjee combines philosophy, science, and environmental awareness in his work, making him a critical voice in the discourse on cultural and architectural heritage.
