Role of Architecture in Nation-building : A newbie's thought

'Nation' is the thought embodied by a large group of people sharing similar culture, history, language, territory & emotions. Architecture is the art of designing and building. Two different entities or ideas: Nation & Architecture. How do they even co-relate each other one might ask? Looking at the deeper objective of the entities, a similar tendency or nuisance can be observed. In simple terms, architecture had been performing various roles since the dawn of the idea regarding the nation. Discussing some of the ideas may help us to conclude the role of architecture in building a nation. Here's my views on these roles.

Embodies belief system

In the valley of ‘Indus’ the people just started to live in a large group, they wouldn't know how intricate and complex idea they were shaping. The idea of nation many believed the nuisance what we developed over long period of time was initially generated because of their survival needs. Maybe their economy, culture, life-pattern everything shaped by that particular idea of surviving together. So where was architecture? What role was it playing? Forwarding to the present we are discussing the existence of the ‘Indus-Harappan’ civilization because of the architecture they left behind. All their thoughts and beliefs are reflected by the mud bricks they laid. So architecture reflects the soul of the nation’s practice & belief system. But isn’t it the ruins that forwarding a story? Yes, of course. But when the nation the civilization was performing the architecture supported their existence by creating the base the nation desired. The architecture embodied the needs, created the economy and belief they had. The close proximity clusters & fortification strengthened the civilization from any kind of disaster & distresses; agriculture & economic activities were happening outside the fortification of the residences that fulfilling the needs of the residences. 

Power

Now, this is a role that’s been used from the dawn of human civilization to date. Examples are infinite in this case from the pyramid of ancient Egypt to the Gateway of India. The Pharaohs of ancient Egypt had this idea to build their burial to a whole different level. By the massive expedition, they not only possess the wealth and power of Egypt as a nation but also created an image of the nation as one of the greatest if not the greatest in history. The Indian subcontinent is another great example of the power of architecture building a nation. Where Asoka the great conquered the land and signifies with Statues & Stamvas, Mughals introduced their architecture to showcase the great conquest and dream of a new India, Sabotaged by the British colonialism and became the slaves of monarchy from the root of belief and the architecture tells it all. In the present time, the prosperity and the economic strength often counts by the skyscrapers in a city’s skyline. The power of architecture was always been there & as a matter of fact, will always be there. 

Identity    

Before the 1700s Australian architecture consists of their indigenous temporary style which itself was a gem of an identity but wasn’t suitable with the permanent significant trends of globalization. But with British settlers a prominent identity crisis was visible. Total architecture quickly changed to Eurocentric in focus. Later response to unique climatic conditions was brought back in; but a prominent identity was established by building the global icon of Australian architecture in ‘Opera house, Sydney’. Identity creation is also a role that is been practiced for a long time in world history. Eiffel tower is just another steel structure, how does it become the icon of romance, diversity, newness? The answer lies in French romanticism, cultural diversity & their revolution that separates them from others. The Chinese rich and unique cultural identity can be an example of an identity created by the people and their architecture. The motifs are so unique that anywhere in the world they gloriously separate them from every other entity. 

Politics

What is a wall? The basic element of architecture to define space. What about the Great Wall of China or the Berlin Wall? These are more than just walls; incorporated national believes. Right or wrong, judgment varies on perspective but architecture does separations more than just physical. Architecture is being used by politicians to build, shape, break, modify the national interest. The ‘Hagia Sophia’ ruled over the rulers to imply their belief to jewel her never to destroy her. The building became the symbol of politics for the region for a long time. Nine-eleven made the world stand still, one of the fiercest terrorist attacks of the world. Was the impact only restricted to the collapse of a structure? Never, it was a dangerous blow in world politics, the base of a nation. Auschwitz concentration camp looks just like another mid-Europe warehouse but it reminds the cruelty of fascism, terror for a particular nation. Where the nearly destroyed Palestine is the place where a nation's dream shutters or begins. Architecture doesn’t have the power to judge politics, it has always been the toy to show the results of any political intervention. Apart from the negativity politics does give the world a new term in art culture and architecture; which is globalization. The result of European colonization was a massive help on that. So nations politics i think always shape its architecture.

Scale of Judgement

Architecture is the embodied form of art and culture. So It is an easy scale to judge a nation’s economy, development, prosperity. Before the 1930s only Europe and North America showed the immerse growth in economic globalization, architectural trends; whereas the 1960s and onwards south-east Asia, Australia, India matches the pace. After liberation Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru brought masters like Le Corbusier, Luis Kahn to offers something new to the nation, sowing the initial seed to become the upcoming giant in the world economy, culture, politics. Corbusier gave India the much-needed slap, designed the assembly and court facing each other on a common ground establishing the ideology of balancing politics and judgment. Where in the middle east the oil economy out-paced every other nation's growth in architecture and construction. Burj Al Arab being the tallest man-made structure demonstrate the statement the nation wanted to achieve.