DBy Mr. Elhanan Lucius Christian
What do you think will happen if creativity and design do not exist? Ever since the primitive era, design has been constantly evolving and has been a source of inspiration to mankind. Let us go back in time and cherish the design evolution over the years.
The earliest millennia consisted of the ancient city of Harrappa, the Great Pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge and the architectural grandeurs of the Greeks and the Romans.There was the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylonia designed in 600 B.C., one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens! Later in the Renaissance period, art and architecture walked hand in hand. Leonardo-da-Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’, and ‘Monalisa’ are considered a masterpiece of art. Michael Angelo with marvellous sculptors like ‘Pieta’, ‘King David’ and his painting frescos in the Sistine Chapel, Rome shined in Europe. He was also the architect of St. Peter’s Basilicain the 16th century.
During the 17th century, love story between Mumtaz and Shah Jahan can be perceived in the monument constructed with white marble known as the famous Taj Mahal. Likewise, a mother’s love is eloquent in Bibi-ka-Maqbara designed in Aurangabad. Many other mosques like the Rani Rupmati Masjid, Jama Masjid, and Sultan Ahmed Shah’s Masjid still speak out the Moghul Art of that time.
As we go beyond UNESCO’s Heritage City of ancient Ahmedabad, a spoken-out Ellis Bridge was constructed in the cherished memory of Sir Barrow Herbert Ellis during the Victorian period. Moving further, Sir Edwin Lutyens along with Sir Herbert Baker provided a language to our democratic voice in the form of Parliament House, the most significant building in our country. Examples of modern architecture in the form of Sanskar Kendra and the Mill Owner’s association building was contributed by an all-time great Swiss-born French Architect Le Corbusier which defines the present city of Ahmedabad.
Presently the design has assumed more dynamic shapes, dimensions, formations and presentations with the use of advanced techniques and devices. It has now made our life more comfortable with a desire for excellence! So many avenues have now opened-up in design innovation, design thinking and strategy, design-research, value-addition and product diversifications. It is thus safe to say that design is an ongoing process and will continue to pay tribute to mankind in the ages to come too!
