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{{Short description|Indian architect (born 1955)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gerard da Cunha
| image = Gerard da Cunha, architect, publisher and more in Goa.jpg
| caption = Da Cunha in 2014
| birth_place = [[Godhra]], [[Bombay State]], India
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|2|10|df=y}}
| occupation = Architect
| alma_mater = [[School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi|School of Planning and Architecture]]
| children = 2
| partner = [[Arundhati Roy]] (1978–1982)
| spouses = {{marriage|Nisha da Cunha||2022|end=died}}
| years_active = 1970s–present
}}

'''Gerard da Cunha''' (born 10 February 1955) is an Indian architect based in [[Goa]], India. He is the founder and principal architect of the architecture firm Architecture Autonomous. An alumnus of the [[School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi]], he is known for utilizing locally available materials and traditional construction techniques in harmony with its ecosystem.<ref name="nbmcw">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbmcw.com/articles/architects-project-watch/654-goas-architectural-prodigy.html|publisher=nbmcw.com|title=Goa's Architectural Prodigy|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

==Early life==
Gerard da Cunha was born on 10 February 1955 in the city of [[Godhra]], [[Bombay State]] (now [[Gujarat]]), da Cunha travelled across the country since childhood as his father worked with the [[State Bank of India]] and had a transferable job. He did most of his schooling at St. Mary's in [[Mazgaon]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref name="nbmcw"/>

Later, he studied at the prestigious [[School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi]], which is regarded as the best institution in the country for architecture. During his 3rd year at SPA, da Cunha took a one-year break from the school and travelled to [[Kerala]] to work closely with the world-renowned architect [[Laurie Baker]], whom he greatly admired.<ref name="rediff">{{cite web|url=http://m.rediff.com/news/2003/nov/10spec.htm|publisher=m.rediff.com|title=A yen for India - Rediff.com India News|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

After his course in architecture from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), da Cunha joined DDA in 1979, but he found the experience of working there extremely monotonous. Bored with his job, he went to [[Goa]] (his home state), hoping for some exciting element in his life.<ref name="theguardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jul/12/arundhati-roy-booker-prize-politics|publisher=theguardian.com|title=Tim Adams speaks to former Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy about global politics {{pipe}} Books {{pipe}} The Guardian|access-date=2017-01-27|newspaper=The Guardian|date=2009-07-11|last1=Adams|first1=Tim}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia2">{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad-times/A-dreamers-blueprints-/articleshow/174786.cms|publisher=[[The Times of India]]|title=A dreamer's blueprints... {{pipe}} News|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref><ref>[[School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi]]</ref>

==Career==
Da Cunha runs his architecture firm 'Architecture Autonomous' in [[Goa]], India. His projects are spread across the country, including resorts, townships, institutions, and even private residences.<ref name="nbmcw"/> He maintains his practice in [[Goa]], which he considers has a novel history in that it was the site of the 'first sustained encounter between the East and the West'. This encounter has engendered a unique culture and architecture that is evident in da Cunha's lively and rather Gaudíesque work.<ref name="wiley">{{cite journal|title= Architecture Autonomous (Gerard da Cunha)| doi=10.1002/ad.563|volume=77|issue = 6|journal=Architectural Design|page=68|year = 2007}}</ref><ref name="dnaindia">{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-when-architects-graduate-to-kindergarten-2095348|publisher=dnaindia.com|title=When architects graduate to kindergarten {{pipe}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|access-date=2017-01-27|date=2015-06-14}}</ref><ref name="timesofindia">{{cite web|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/pastissues2/ArtWin.asp?From=Search&Key=TOIGO%2F2008%2F07%2F23%2F21%2FAr02101.xml&CollName=TOI_GOA_ARCHIVE_2008&DOCID=24133&Keyword=(%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3Efort)&skin=pastissues2&AppName=2&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622160649/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/pastissues2/ArtWin.asp?From=Search&Key=TOIGO%2F2008%2F07%2F23%2F21%2FAr02101.xml&CollName=TOI_GOA_ARCHIVE_2008&DOCID=24133&Keyword=(%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3Efort)&skin=pastissues2&AppName=2&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2015|publisher=Times of India|title=Breathing life into a ruin|first=Cyril|last=D'Cunha|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Da Cunha began a relationship with Indian writer and author [[Arundhati Roy]], moving in with her in 1978 in Delhi. They subsequently moved to Goa and later separated in 1982.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Deb |first1=Siddhartha |title=Arundhati Roy, the Not-So-Reluctant Renegade |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/arundhati-roy-the-not-so-reluctant-renegade.html |work=The New York Times |date=5 March 2014 |access-date=12 April 2026 |url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421172502/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/arundhati-roy-the-not-so-reluctant-renegade.html |archive-date=21 April 2016}}</ref>

He later married Nisha da Cunha ([[née]] da Costa), an [[educationist]] who died from [[cardiac arrest]] in 2022 at the age of 63. Together they had two children, Nyhna and Taariq.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-07 |title=Goa: Pathbreaker in elementary education, Nisha da Cunha passes away at 63 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/pathbreaker-in-elementary-education-nisha-da-cunha-passes-away-at-63/articleshow/93399692.cms |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Works ==
Da Cunha has been the architect of several projects which find places all across India. These include [[Nrityagram]] of Bangalore, Hampi's Kannada University's main building and its library, Bangalore's Taj Kutiram Tourist Resort, the Central Library in Panjim, JVSL Township in Torangallu, a house for Mr. [[Sajjan Jindal]] at Torangallu, a tourist village in Kerala, and Jimi Gazhdhar's lavish mansion on the banks of the Goan river, to name a few. Da Cunha's projects mostly portray the use of natural materials.<ref name="nbmcw"/>

One of the most impressive and unusual works of da Cunha's has been the township which he has built for the JSW Steel Plant, about 30 km from Hampi, called Vidyanagar. The entire project was built at a cost of Rs 150 crore. This township is spread across 300 acres, and the project involved creating housing to settle 10,000 people. With not even a single tree on the site, creating an entire township seemed to be an arduous task. The township also has a movie theatre, school, airstrip, parks, and botanical garden. It also houses a club, temples, a shopping centre, and restaurants, thus making it a complete city. This unusual project of creating an entire township from scratch got da Cunha the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design offered by the Ministry of Urban Development in 1998–99.<ref name="nbmcw"/>

Another project that gave da Cunha wide recognition is [[Nrityagram]] dance village at Bengaluru, designed for the famous Odissi dancer [[Protima Bedi]]. This center for the study of dance was built using traditional building forms and techniques, with stone and thatch being the primary materials. The whole concept of the 'village' presents a mosaic of texture and colours, earth, bricks, tiles, and thatch. [[Nrityagram]] received the award for best rural architecture from the Vice-President of India in 1991.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=A Concise History of Modern Architecture in India|author=Lang, J.T.|date=2002|publisher=Permanent Black|isbn=9788178240176|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gxyGbhlKQXQC&pg=PA141|page=141|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref><ref name="google2">{{cite book|title=Development Digression Diary Of India : 3d Companion Volume To Information India 1991-92|author=Agrawal, S.P.|date=1993|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=9788170223054|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltoaVsL8f8cC&pg=PA22|page=22|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

Da Cunha was hired to restore the oldest fort in Goa, [[Reis Magos]] Fort, which lay in ruins for a long time. It has now become a successful tourist destination showcasing the history of [[Goa]] to the visitors.<ref name="tehelka">{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/the-visionary-reformer-gerard-da-cunha/|publisher=tehelka.com|title=Gerard Da Cunha – The Visionary Reformer {{pipe}} Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts|access-date=2017-01-27|archive-date=2015-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629131112/http://www.tehelka.com/the-visionary-reformer-gerard-da-cunha/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also designed the [[Goa State Central Library]] located at [[Panaji]] (Panjim), which has six floors and houses more than 1,800,000 books.<ref>[[Goa State Central Library#Location]]</ref>

Da Cunha has also won wide acclaim for the unusual and vernacular designs of two schools in Goa, Nisha's Play School and Shiksha Niketan. Set in a lush green valley with a steep slope, the architect has created different levels of spatial experiences connected vertically by a chute for children and stairs. Brick arches, sometimes set so low that adults have to stoop to enter, become the doorless entryways. The highlight of the outdoor amphitheater is the walls made from recycled beer bottles arranged in artistic patterns.<ref name="berkeleyprize">{{cite web|url=http://berkeleyprize.org/competition/essay/2014/winning-essays/aparna-ramesh-proposal|publisher=berkeleyprize.org|title=Berkeley Prize Essay Competition|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

Just next to the school, da Cunha built a triangular ship-like building made of laterite stones, which is an architectural oddity in itself. It is called the 'Houses of Goa' museum, designed and curated by da Cunha himself. The museum traces Goan architectural traditions, building materials, and styles in an in-depth manner.<ref name="lonelyplanet">{{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa/panaji-panjim/sights/museums-galleries/houses-goa-museum|author=Lonely Planet|publisher=lonelyplanet.com|title=Houses of Goa Museum in Panaji, India - Lonely Planet|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

Some other selected works by da Cunha include Town Plaza at [[Aamby Valley City]].

== Awards and achievements ==
Da Cunha won the prestigious Prime Minister's National Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design in 1998–99 for the project Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Limited (JVSL - Now JSW Township as "Vidhya Nagar"), Toranagallu, Bellary (Karnataka, India).<ref name="pib">{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=15370|publisher=pib.nic.in|title=pib.nic.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=15370|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref> He is also credited with winning the 'Commendation Award-1990' for rural architecture for his project 'Nrityagram' at Bengaluru, Karnataka. The design of Nrityagram can be termed as 'Natural Architecture.'<ref name="google2"/>

Da Cunha also made it into a shortlist of eight architects, being the only Indian architect in the list, invited by the [[Government of Japan]]'s Furushima Prefecture region to draw up design proposals for a new capital city of Japan.<ref name="architectsjournal">{{cite web|url=http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/182850.article|publisher=architectsjournal.co.uk|title=Brit on the list to design Japan's new capital city {{pipe}} Archive {{pipe}} Architects Journal|access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunha, Gerard da}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian architects]]
[[Category:People from Panchmahal district]]
[[Category:Artists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Goa]]
[[Category:School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, alumni]]
[[Category:Goan Catholics]]
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Architects from Goa]]

Gerard da Cunha - Revision history

Giispune at 20:50, 1 May 2026