Women In Design 2020+ Will Bring Together Some Of The World’s Top Architects & Designers In Mumbai

In 2000, the HECAR Foundation organised a first of its kind conference celebrating the work of women architects from countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan in 2000 –  fittingly, at the dawn of the new millennium. Twenty years later, some of these architects will reconvene at the Women In Design 2020+ conference, to be held on 8th, 9th and 10th January, 2020 at the Nehru Centre Auditorium in Mumbai. The three-day conference will feature more than 35 of some of the most respected designers and cultural practitioners sharing their stories, thoughts and ideas with the audience.

The opening discussion titled “Retrospective- then and now” will include eminent architects such as Brinda Somaya, Abha Narain Lambah, Shimul Javeri Kadri, Hirante Welandawe, Eli Giannini and Neera Adarkar as they reflect on the past twenty years in the field. Women make up 65% of the students in architectural schools across the country, but their presence in the field—which remains largely dominated by men—scarcely reflects it. The WID 2020+ conference aims to make up for this. Not only will it show their strength in the field by numbers, but through the various talks and events, will position them as the leaders that they are.

The event will also offer several opportunities for attendees to explore the city through heritage walks. Brinda Somaya, Chairperson, HECAR Foundation, said, “To me Mumbai serves as the ideal venue for WID 2020+ due to its Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Ensembles that have been recently listed as The UNESCO World Heritage Site. The colours and contrasts spanning skyscrapers down to the streetscape Mumbai offers a rich cultural tapestry that must be experienced to be understood.”

Besides offering budding architects and designers to interact with accomplished women professionals in the field, WID 2020+ is also launching a digital platform, the Design Manifesto 2020+ to connect women architects, artists and designers across Architecture and Design in India and the world. Women in the creative field can submit their work through the Design Manifesto on WID’s website. WID 2020+ will then host a special Women In Design 2020+Exhibition from 7th January 2020 showcasing their work at the Goethe Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai.

Women In Design 2020+ will take place from 8th – 10th January, 2020 at the Nehru Centre Auditorium in Mumbai.