But Professor Oommen’s son and architect Thomas Oommen believes there has never been an attempt to study or discuss post-independence modern architecture of Kerala. “Whenever we talk of modern architecture, it is based on cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh. Although a journey through the life and work of the senior Oommen, Behind the trees, in fact, traces the history of modern architecture movement in Kerala. Those phenomenons that have shaped modern architecture in Kerala through the decades, like modern literature, political movements and breaking up of joint family concept to make way for nuclear families, too find a space. In 1971 Prof. Oommen joined as a lecturer in the architecture department in CET and then became it’s first head of the department in 1980.

Source: The Hindu August 11, 2017 10:14 UTC