Although memorial tributes are rarely upbeat, an unusual tenor of melancholy pervades the world's reaction to Charles Correa's death late Tuesday at age 84. The architect named "India's Greatest" by RIBA in 2013 has, in his passing, seemingly become an emblem of an entire subcontinent's struggles as much as the "open-to-sky" spaces which he leaves behind. In a tribute titled "Charles Correa wanted to design a better Mumbai – but the city let him down" in The Guardian, Bachi Karkaria portrays Correa as a visionary who was forever denied the recognition he deserved by Mumbai. "Correa’s real passion was the designing of cities that are easy to live, work, play – and commute – in. But his karma was Mumbai, which can check none of these boxes with a straight face," Karkaria writes. "The man who described cities as “places of hope” was fated to live in a city of disappointments. It’s not just because its skyline resembles an alarming ECG. More specifically, Mumbai mindlessly sabotaged two of his masterful plans, each of which would have helped it regain its post-independence swagger as India’s showpiece." She goes on to describe their fraught friendship, referring to an incident in which Correa reluctantly attended her book launch, only to criticize her from the stage for a "crime." "Correa’s sheer genius excused his arrogance. He worked with a manic stillness, and was caustically impatient with journalists unable to convey his nuanced urban vision – this writer included."

In a less anguished vein, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Correa via Twitter, stating: "Mr. Charles Correa's architectural marvels are widely cherished, reflecting his brilliance, innovative zeal & wonderful aesthetic sense." In Architectural Record, Moshe Safdie is quoted as describing Correa as "an elegant and sophisticated man" who had "an angry passion about him, because he had little patience for mediocrity." In the same article, David Adjaye describes Correa's buildings as “the physical manifestation of the idea of Indian nationhood, modernity and progress." Adjaye goes on to say that “Correa was able to adapt to various conditions in which he found himself. For those of my generation with my sensibility, he was a powerful and important pioneer in this way of thinking.” In the Architect's Journal RIBA President Charles Hodder said "Charles is a hugely significant architect around the world, and in India where he played a pivotal role in post-war urbanism. Charles designed some of the most outstanding cultural and civic monuments, science institutes, schools, housing developments and new cities based on a profound understanding of his country’s history, needs and aspirations. He was deserving of the title, India’s Greatest Architect."

Although Correa is heavily identified with India, tributes were global, with many noting how his buildings had transformed them personally. Joao Cravino tweeted "Sad to hear of demise of architect #CharlesCorrea. My home city of #Lisbon has been enriched by his brilliance." From Portugal to Boston to Toronto to Bombay, Correa's influence–and refusal to accept mediocrity in any form–is being vividly remembered.