Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi OAL (26 August 192724 January 2023) was an Indian architect. He is an important figure in Indian architecture and noted for his contributions to the evolution of architectural discourse in India. Having worked under

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...

and

Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whil ...

, he was a pioneer of

modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

and

brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

architecture in India. His noteworthy designs include FLAME University, IIM Bangalore, IIM Udaipur, NIFT Delhi, Amdavad ni Gufa, CEPT University, and the Aranya Low Cost Housing development in

Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...

for which was awarded the

Aga Khan Award for Architecture The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fie ...

. Nalanda International University that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was designed by him. In 2018, he became the first Indian architect to receive the

Pritzker Architecture Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment which has produced consisten ...

. He was also awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

, the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

, the

Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons w ...

, and the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

Royal Gold Medal The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture. It is gi ...

for 2022.

Early life

Doshi was born to a Gujarati Vaishnav

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

family in

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

. His mother died when he was 10 months old and his father remarried, with his grandfather and aunts helping raise him. At the age of eleven, he was injured in a fire accident, and thereafter walked with a slight limp. He studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

between 1947 and 1950.

Career

Early projects

In 1950, he went to Europe. He worked closely with

on the latter's projects in Paris between 1951 and 1954. In 1954, he returned to India to supervise Corbusier's buildings in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

, which included the Villa Sarabhai, Villa Shodhan, Mill Owners' Association Building, and

Sanskar Kendra Sanskar Kendra is a museum at Ahmedabad, India, designed by the architect Le Corbusier. It is a city museum depicting history, art, culture and architecture of Ahmedabad. Another Patang Kite Museum is there which includes a collection of kites, ...

. Corbusier is described as having been a major influence on Doshi's later work. Le_Corbusier_Balkrishna_Doshi_Shodhan_House

His studio, Vastu-Shilpa (environmental design), was established in 1955. Doshi worked closely with

and Anant Raje, when Kahn designed the campus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In 1958 he was a fellow at the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. He then started the School of Architecture (S.A) in 1962.

Bimanagar

Bimanagar Housing Society, located at Ahmedabad is one of the well-known project by Shri B.V Doshi. He once said, "One of my most favourite housing projects is the one I designed for Life Insurance Corporation, at Ahmedabad. Here I knew that the houses would be occupied by several generations of the same family, that they would identify with it, that there will be a strong sense of belonging and that their needs will change, and they may modify parts of it.”

Teaching

Apart from his international fame as an architect, Doshi is equally known for having been an educator and institution builder. He was the founding director of the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad (1962–72), founding director of the School of Planning (1972–79), founding dean of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (1972–81), founding member of the Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad, and founding director of the Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad. Doshi was instrumental in establishing the nationally- and internationally-known research institute Vastu-Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design. The institute has performed pioneering work in low-cost housing and city planning. He is noteworthy for his pioneering work on low-income housing, and for his designs that incorporate concepts of sustainability in innovative ways.

Media

In 2008, Hundredhands director Premjit Ramachandran released a documentary interviewing Doshi. He appeared as himself in Mani Ratnam's '' O Kadhal Kanmani'' and Shaad Ali's '' Ok Jaanu''.

Style

Doshi said that he had been inspired by historic Indian monuments, as well as the work of European and American architects.

Personal life and death

Doshi married Kamala Parikh in 1955. They had three daughters – Tejal, Radhika, and Maneesha. Tejal Panthaki is a textile designer, Radhika Kathpalia is an architect and fashion designer, and Maneesha Akkitham is a painter. Khushnu Panthaki Hoof is Doshi's grand daughter and architect and currently head Balkrishna Doshi Archives and Vastushilpa Foundation. She along with her husband Sönke Hoof are Principal Architects of Studio Sangath. Doshi died in

, Gujarat on 24 January 2023, at age 95.

Recognition

Doshi was a fellow of the

and sat on the selection committee for the

Pritzker Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment which has produced consisten ...

, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, and the

. He was also a fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects. Doshi's work on the reunification of Indian and English heritages through his practice was awarded a

Global Award for Sustainable Architecture The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture is an international architecture founded in 2006 by architect and scholar Jana Revedin. Description Each year, the award honors five architects who "contribute to a more equitable and sustainable d ...

in 2007, the award's first edition. The award recognized Doshi's significant step in the direction of an alternative development model. In March 2018, Doshi was awarded the

, the Nobel equivalent for the field, thus becoming the first Indian to receive the honour. The Pritzker jury announced that Doshi "has always created an architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends", and noted his "deep sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to his country and its people through high quality, authentic architecture". *

(posthumous),

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, 2023 *

, Royal Gold Medal for Architecture,

Government of United Kingdom His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

, 2022 *

, Government of India, 2020 * Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award, 2017 *

, 2018 *

, 2007 (first edition) *

, Government of India, 1976 * Honorary doctorate from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

* Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, 2011 * 6th Aga Khan Award for Architecture for Aranya Community Housing, 1993–1995

Buildings

*1962 – Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad *1966 – Centre for Environment and Planning Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad *1967 – Tagore Memorial Hall, Ahmedabad *1972 – ECIL Township,

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

. *1973 – IFFCO township, Kalol *1976 – Premabhai Hall, Ahmedabad *1977 – Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore *1979 – Sangath, B. V. Doshi's office, Ahmedabad *1979 – Shakti Bhavan, Administrative Office of M. P. Electricity Board,

Jabalpur Jabalpur, formerly Jubbulpore, is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the 3rd-largest urban agglomeration of the state and the 38th-largest of the country. Jabalpur is the administrative h ...

*1979 – Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute *1982 – Aranya Low Cost Housing,

*1984 – Vidyadhar Nagar,

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

*1984 – Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum, Ahmedabad *1989 –

National Institute of Fashion Technology National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is an autonomous institute offering courses in fashion, technology, and management. Its head office is located in New Delhi, India. History NIFT was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Tex ...

, Delhi *1990 – Amdavad ni Gufa, Ahmedabad *1997 – Sawai Gandharva Smarak,

*2002 – Udayan the Condoville, Udita (HIG), Utsav (MIG) Utsarg (LIG) 2500 homes,

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

References

External links

Vāstu Shilpā Consultants
* *Interview with

DD Bharati DD Bharati is an Indian state-owned art and culture television channel, founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan was launched on 26 January 2002, by c ...

on YouTube
Part-1
an
Part-2Texts, Interviews and Projects by B. V. Doshi
on Architexturez South Asia
27th Annual Architecture Lecture
at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Doshi, B. V. 1927 births 2023 deaths Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in other fields Gujarati people 20th-century Indian architects Artists from Pune Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Indian urban planners Pritzker Architecture Prize winners People from Ahmedabad Indian architects Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in other fields Modernist architects