ARCHITECTURE: Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi

The Indian architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, also called B.V. Doshi, (26/8/1937-24/1/2023),  is the first from that country to be awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize (2018). In a career spanning about seven decades, Doshi completed more than 100 projects, many of which were public institutions based in India: schools, libraries, art centres, and low-cost housing. His understated buildings adapted the principles he learned from working with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn to the needs of his homeland. In considering India’s traditions, lifestyles, and environment, Doshi designed structures that offered refuge from the weather and provided spaces in which to gather.

By Efi MIchalarou

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was born in Pune. At the age of 11, he was injured in a fire accident, and has walked with a slight limp ever since. Doshi’s grandfather owned a furniture workshop, and Doshi initially believed he would take up that profession as well. He became interested in architecture, however, and in 1947 he entered the Sir J.J. School of Architecture in Bombay (Mumbai). In 1950 he traveled to London, where he met Le Corbusier, and, for the next four years, Doshi worked in the famed architect’s studio in Paris. He returned to India to oversee the construction of some of Le Corbusier’s projects, including the Mill Owners’ Association Building (1954) and the Villa Sarabhai in Ahmedabad (1955). He eventually settled in that city, where he designed his own residence (1963), named Kamala House after his wife; his studio, Sangath (1980); and some of his most important projects. In 1956 Doshi founded his own practice, Vastushilpa, which he later renamed Vastushilpa Consultants. The firm worked on more than 100 projects throughout India, including a collaboration with Louis Kahn on the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (1962). Doshi’s early works show the influence of his mentors’ projects in India. The School of Architecture in Ahmedabad, which Doshi founded and designed in 1966, recalls the grid facade of the Mill Owners’ Association Building, while the use of brick and concrete evokes the Villa Sarabhai. Appreciative of Le Corbusier’s ability “to create a soft light that makes people’s faces glow,” Doshi included slanted skylights and sliding doors to manipulate light and to regulate temperature. Ever mindful of India’s heat, he included recessed plazas shaded by leafy trees throughout the campus to offer spaces where students could meet in comfort. The school continued to grow in the following decades, expanding to include, among others, the School of Planning in 1970, the Visual Arts Centre in 1978, and the School of Interior Design in 1982. It was renamed the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT University) in 2002. Students assisted in designing each new addition, using similar forms and materials so that the entire campus felt cohesive. Doshi quickly became known for his commitment to providing affordable housing throughout India, where a shortage of homes had plagued cities for decades. Notably, he designed the Life Insurance Corporation Housing in Ahmedabad (1973) and the Aranya Low Cost Housing in Indore (1989). The latter, arguably his best-known project, was a township for low- to middle-income families. The master plan called for a central spine of private businesses and houses constructed on each side. A cluster of 10 residences share a central courtyard, while paved streets and squares break up the ordered space. Doshi offered future inhabitants a selection of 80 models that ranged from one-room units to larger houses that suited different needs and incomes. The minimalist designs show Doshi’s dedication to waste little space and material. The completed township provides 80,000 individuals with 6,500 residences. In addition to addressing practical needs, Doshi’s work could also be playful, as seen in one of his most experimental projects, Amdavad Ni Gufa in Ahmedabad (1994). The art gallery features the colourful work of artist Maqbool Fida Husain within an underground space. The cavernous interior uses irregular columns that resemble mineral deposits and, like a cave, offers a cool refuge from India’s heat. The bulbous roof, which is covered in a mosaic of white tiles, is low enough to the ground that visitors can walk upon it, sit, and interact with one another. Apart from his international fame as an architect, Dr. Doshi is equally known as an educator and institution builder. He has been the first founder Director of the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad (1962–72), first founder Director of the School of Planning (1972–79), first founder Dean of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (1972–81), founder member of the Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad and first founder Director of the Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad. He has been instrumental in establishing the nationally and internationally known research institute Vastu-Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design. The institute has done pioneering work in low-cost housing and city planning. His work is considered noteworthy for his pioneering work on low-income housing. he is also noted for designs which incorporate concepts of sustainability in innovative ways.