Tropical Modernism

Architectural style that adapts Modernist architectural principles and materials for thermal comfort in the hot and humid climate of the tropics. Tropical Modernism was popularised by British architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, drawing on their early projects in West Africa during the 1940s. It was presented as a rational, technoscientific endeavour developing generalised design solutions for the climatic, topographic and geographic contexts of tropical regions, which were taken as homogenous. Based on a study of factors such as rainfall, sun movement, and temperature, architectural devices such as jalousies, brise soleil, pergolas, verandahs, and open spaces were developed for natural light and ventilation. While earlier colonial tropical buildings prioritised bodily comfort for the settlers, Tropical Modernism focused on native populations. This was succeeded by Modern Regionalism in the 1950s and 1960s as newly independent countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Ghana sought to assert a new national identity through local, indigenous building practices, forms and materials. Key proponents included Sri Lankan architects Geoffrey Bawa and Minette de Silva, and Indian architect Charles Correa.