+
Destined to Design: Architect BV Doshi remembered
Real Estate

Destined to Design: Architect BV Doshi remembered

It takes a lot to be a legend – more so because the term defines people who continue to inspire us in a world that is fast changing. If we apply this criterion to the dominion of architecture and design, the moniker becomes rarer. One man who makes the cut is Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian Architecture’. The architect, who passed away on January 24, 2023, in Ahmedabad was India's first Pritzker laureate. He was also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), among other prestigious awards, for his valuable work and contribution to architecture.

Doshi’s projects may not be ‘glamorous’, as defined currently, but offer us much food for thought. The intellectual minds who line up tomorrow to study architecture will be encouraged to think about the tales of form and function he has drafted in India. Even though he collaborated with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, two towering and influential modern architects, his work has an inventive quality that defies a particular style and strikes a deep personal connection with the people who live in the country and their culture. He set important directions for urbanism and architectural practice in a young independent India by attempting to combine modern concepts with indigenous traditions in his works, fusing Indian vernacular styles with European modernism and brutalism, as seen in Tagore Memorial Hall built in 1966 and PremabhaiHall located in the old city of Ahmedabad,among others.

A visionary, Doshi was aware that a developing nation like India would need a reference point of its own in architecture and design; this affirmation ultimately led to the birth of the School of Architecture and Planning (Ahmedabad,1966-2012). Doshi was the founder, former director and chairman of the institute, which was renamed Centre for Environment Planning & Technology (CEPT) University in 2002.

“BV Doshi has been instrumental in the way architecture is being practised in India,” says Jaagrut Patel, Principal Architect, Jaagrut Patel and Associates, based in Ahmedabad.“Numerous students of CEPT continue to define the built environment of India even today...

To read teh full story, CLICK HERE.

It takes a lot to be a legend – more so because the term defines people who continue to inspire us in a world that is fast changing. If we apply this criterion to the dominion of architecture and design, the moniker becomes rarer. One man who makes the cut is Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian Architecture’. The architect, who passed away on January 24, 2023, in Ahmedabad was India's first Pritzker laureate. He was also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), among other prestigious awards, for his valuable work and contribution to architecture. Doshi’s projects may not be ‘glamorous’, as defined currently, but offer us much food for thought. The intellectual minds who line up tomorrow to study architecture will be encouraged to think about the tales of form and function he has drafted in India. Even though he collaborated with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, two towering and influential modern architects, his work has an inventive quality that defies a particular style and strikes a deep personal connection with the people who live in the country and their culture. He set important directions for urbanism and architectural practice in a young independent India by attempting to combine modern concepts with indigenous traditions in his works, fusing Indian vernacular styles with European modernism and brutalism, as seen in Tagore Memorial Hall built in 1966 and PremabhaiHall located in the old city of Ahmedabad,among others. A visionary, Doshi was aware that a developing nation like India would need a reference point of its own in architecture and design; this affirmation ultimately led to the birth of the School of Architecture and Planning (Ahmedabad,1966-2012). Doshi was the founder, former director and chairman of the institute, which was renamed Centre for Environment Planning & Technology (CEPT) University in 2002. “BV Doshi has been instrumental in the way architecture is being practised in India,” says Jaagrut Patel, Principal Architect, Jaagrut Patel and Associates, based in Ahmedabad.“Numerous students of CEPT continue to define the built environment of India even today...To read teh full story, CLICK HERE.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Set for 2027

The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, linking Surat and Vapi, is targeted to begin services in 2027. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that an inauguration could take place around the middle of 2027. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said the train being manufactured in India is expected to reach the tracks around April or May 2027. The train will undergo extensive testing before the section is opened for passenger services. The project began construction in 2021 and includ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Indian Railways Approves Four Projects Worth Rs. 7.36 bn Across Four States

Indian Railways has approved four projects with a combined value of Rs. 7.36 bn across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The programme covers train protection, signalling, electric traction supply and a road overbridge, with each project assigned to a different railway zone. In Uttar Pradesh, Rs. 2.52 bn has been approved to extend the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system across 607.7 km in the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway. The system monitors train movements and can apply the brakes if a driver fails to observe a signal or exceeds a safe speed. The w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Chandru Raheja Sells 1.49% Stake in Mindspace REIT for Rs. 5 bn

Billionaire Chandru Lachmandas Raheja has sold a 1.49 per cent holding in Mindspace Business Parks REIT for Rs. 5 bn through a bulk deal on the BSE. The transaction involved 9.9 mn units and was executed at an average price of Rs. 505 per unit, according to exchange data. Following the sale, units of Mindspace Business Parks REIT were trading 0.18 per cent lower at Rs. 504.05 on Tuesday. Exchange data did not identify the buyers involved in the transaction. Raheja is the chairman of real estate company K Raheja Corp. The sale involved 99,00,990 units, representing 1.49 per cent of the Mumbai-b..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code