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Summary
Channa Daswatte reflects on what walls really mean and why they matter in architecture and society. From power, control and separation to memory, heritage and sustainability, he looks at how walls shape people and places. The conversation moves from Chikkajala, Hampi and the Berlin Wall to the future, where digital boundaries may become the new walls that control how we connect. The episode is part of The Gyaan Project’s fifth year of collaboration with The Drawing Board, an international architecture competition hosted by Rohan Builders and Mindspace Architects.
About the guest
Channa Daswatte is a Sri Lankan architect, design critic and writer. He is principal architect and partner at MICD Associates and has authored several books.
Who should listen
Architecture students and young architects who want to think beyond plans and sections and understand architecture as lived experience.
Architects and designers interested in how walls shape power, control, movement, memory and human relationships.
People working with heritage, conservation and public space who want to think about how old structures can evolve instead of simply being preserved or demolished.
Anyone curious about how physical and digital boundaries influence society, culture and the way we connect with each other.
Topics discussed in the episode
0:00 Introduction
1:25 What does a wall mean to you?
4:07 Is building walls a human thing?
8:45 Does the physicality of a wall define its function?
10:15 How can a wall connect two worlds?
13:58 What can we learn from the history of walls?
17:40 What should architects understand before drawing?
22:29 Why do we break walls?
26:59 What will walls look like 50 years from now?
Reference links
If a wall has lost the purpose it was built for, should we preserve it, adapt it or leave it alone? Would love to know your thoughts.
