Valia Priyashi Biraj

HR4050

Tarpaulins in History and Today

Tarpaulin, often relegated to the background of architectural discourse, is a material that permeates urban life, appearing as thin plastic sheets stretched over roofs, market stalls, and makeshift shelters. This dissertation challenges the prevailing focus on monumental structures by foregrounding tarpaulins as dynamic archives of labour, migration, and economic change. It situates tarpaulins within their broader economic and spatial contexts, examining how their production and use are deeply embedded in urban economies and social histories.
Structured in three integrated parts, the study combines field research with archival analysis to trace the evolution of tarpaulins over the past 150 years. By investigating their manufacturing processes, including material choices, human labour, and technological shifts to uncover the complex interactions that shape these seemingly simple objects. The dissertation also draws on artistic interpretations, such as those by Bollansée, to reveal how tarpaulins serve as metaphors for human endurance and adaptability.


Report Content

Mindmap showing the methodology. This research was conducted in Ahmedabad and Mumbai using a multi-method approach encompassing fieldwork in factories (sites of production) and on sites where tarpaulins have been used to shelter construction workers (sites of consumption). The decision to study tarpaulins in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, apart from practical reasons such as my command of Gujarati and familiarity with both cities, was informed by both cities’ prominent role in the textile industry. Jayalaxmi J. Shah (1985), in her work A Comparative Analysis of Two Major Cotton Textile Centres of India—Bombay & Ahmedabad, examines the historical significance of the cotton textile industry in India and the shift from traditional textile sectors under British colonial rule. This shift led to the decline of indigenous cotton industries and the rise of new industrial textile centres such as Bombay and Ahmedabad. Given that both cities were major hubs for industrial cotton manufacturing, we hypo

Timeline of events.

Illustrative map showing Flows of Distribution and Movement: Regional and Global

Production process of tarpaulins. Though scales vary and, at times, functions are combined, the fieldwork revealed that the process of production and sale operates through six key spatial/work typologies: Mixing and tape extrusion unit: The polyethylene granules are processed into threads. Weaving and Lamination Unit: This is where raw materials are processed into tarpaulin sheets. Sealing Unit: The tarpaulin is cut and customised according to customer specifications. Grommeting ,Finishing and Packaging unit: Metal eyelets and ropes are attached to the tarps which are folded and tied up to sell. Reprocessing Unit: The waste material is recycled. Shop Front: The final products are displayed and sold, serving as both a retail and meeting space with clients.

Illustrative growth map of Ahmedabad showing the location of tarpualin factories in relation to cotton mills.

Illustration of settlment made by paved road constructors, with their details. The workers building roads constructed the structural frame by placing two poles perpendicular to the ground, securing them with mounds of soil(Fig.23). A third pole was positioned horizontally, joining the two vertical poles at the top and tied in place with jute ropes. This arrangement created the basic shape of a wedge tent. The tent was formed by draping this frame with a large tarpaulin membrane, made by joining multiple sheets together. Two layers of tarpaulin were used: orange tarps on the inside, topped with blue tarps on the outside. These sheets were bought by them from stores and, based on the usage, would last them about 2 to 3 years. Because the poles were relatively short, the tarpaulin sheets spread out onto the ground. As a result, any eyelets remaining from the joining process were rendered unusable for securing the sheets(Fig.23). Instead, the excess material was overlapped between