Famous Indian Indian Architect Balkrishna Doshi (B.V. Doshi)

Balkrishna Doshi, full name Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, often known as B.V. Doshi, was an Indian architect and the first person from that nation to receive the coveted Pritzker Prize. He was born in Pune, India, on August 26, 1927. (2018). Doshi completed more than 100 projects throughout the course of a career that lasted over seven decades, many of which were public institutions with a base in India, such as schools, libraries, art centres, and affordable housing. His modest structures applied the concepts he discovered while working with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn to the requirements of his native country. Doshi created buildings that provide shelter from the elements and spaces for gathering while taking into account Indian customs, lifestyles, and the environment.

Also Read: –Zaha Hadid- Iraqi-British Famous Architect And Painter

Doshi initially thought he would follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and start a furniture business. However, he developed an interest in building and enrolled in Bombay’s Sir J.J. School of Architecture in 1947. (Mumbai). After visiting London in 1950 and meeting Le Corbusier there, Doshi spent the following four years working at the renowned architect’s Parisian studio. He went back to India to supervise the building of some of Le Corbusier’s works, such as the Villa Sarabhai in Ahmedabad and the Mill Owners’ Association Building (1954). (1955). He subsequently relocated there, where he created his own home, Kamala House, named after his wife, his studio, Sangath, in 1980, as well as some of his most significant works. Doshi established his own business in 1956 under the name Vastu Shilpa, which he eventually changed to Vastushilpa Consultants. The company worked on more than 100 buildings in India, including the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, which it co-designed with Louis Kahn (1962).

Early works by Doshi demonstrate the impact of his mentors’ initiatives in India. The grid facade of the Mill Owners’ Association Building is reminiscent of the Ahmedabad School of Architecture, which Doshi founded and designed in 1966. The usage of brick and concrete is reminiscent of the Villa Sarabhai. Doshi used slanted skylights and sliding doors to control light and temperature because she admired Le Corbusier’s ability “to generate a delicate light that makes people’s faces glow.” He designed the campus with recessed plazas that are shaded by lush trees so that students can congregate in comfort while keeping in mind the intense heat of India. Over the ensuing decades, the school expanded, adding, among other things, the School of Planning in 1970, the Visual Arts Center in 1978, and the School of Interior Design in 1982. In 2002, it underwent a name change to become the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT University). Each new building was designed with student help, using comparable materials and forms to give the campus a unified feel.

Doshi immediately gained notoriety for his dedication to supplying inexpensive housing in India, where cities had been afflicted by a housing crisis for decades. Notably, he created the Aranya Low Cost Housing in Indore and the Life Insurance Corporation Housing in Ahmedabad (1973). (1989). The latter was a township for low- to middle-income families and is likely his most well-known project. Private businesses and residences were to be built on either side of the central spine, according to the master plan. A group of ten homes share a common courtyard, while paved walkways and public spaces demarcate the orderly area. Doshi provided prospective residents with a choice of 80 models, ranging from one-room apartments to bigger homes that matched various needs and budgets. Doshi’s commitment to wasting little space and material is evident in the minimalist designs. The completed community offers 6,500 homes for 80,000 people.

Doshi’s work might be amusing in addition to meeting practical needs, as seen by one of his most experimental creations, Amdavad Ni Gufa in Ahmedabad (1994). The colourful creations of artist Maqbool Fida Husain are on display in the underground gallery. Like a cave, the expansive interior’s uneven columns imitate mineral deposits and provide a cool haven from the heat of India. Visitors can walk upon, sit on, and interact with one another on the bulbous roof, which is covered in a mosaic of white tiles.

Other noteworthy works by Doshi were the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, Premabhai Hall in Ahmedabad, and the Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad (1962). (1977–92). In addition to other universities, he served as a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Hong Kong. Throughout his career, he delivered numerous lectures, and in 2011, he released his autobiography, Paths Uncharted.

9 Best Works of B V Doshi Every Architect Should Visit

Low Cost Housing Aranya, Indore

This 1989-constructed Township was created with a sense of community and cooperation between the built environment and its occupants in mind. In 1996, it also won the coveted Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

Admedabad’s Atira Housing

This complex, one of Doshi’s earlier creations, saw the start of construction in 1956 and its completion in 1960. At the Indian Institute of Management, the ATIRA factory and its residences are situated in a front open space. It is a tiny complex that exhibits several features in common with Le Corbusier’s designs.

Hyderabad, Ecil

Doshi constructed the ECIL township between 1969 and 1971 as a part of his plans to expand the Hyderabad electronics sector. About 15 kilometres separate the town from Hyderabad’s city centre. Doshi used charts to determine the sun’s angle and the wind’s direction in Hyderabad so that the building could best take advantage of them through openings and shorts.

Kalol, Iffco Township

This eco-friendly township, another economically motivated housing project, was planned as a component of the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd.’s growth.

Varanasi’s Jnana-Pravah Center For Cultural Studies

The new Jnana-Pravaha building was dedicated in 2001 and given the name Pratichi by Professor Vishnu Kant Shastri, who was the state’s governor at the time. The structure includes a multipurpose room, seminar rooms, classrooms, a place for exhibits, a library, a museum, and an entire administrative block.

Pune, Sawai Gandharva

This performance art centre was constructed in my hometown of Pune and took more than ten years to finish, starting in 1990 and ending in 2001.

Ahmedabad’s Tagore Hall

The exterior of this hall is framed by a number of hard, folded slabs of concrete, a true Brutalist structure. The hall was created by Doshi in 1966 and is situated beside the Sabarmati River. A “seating bowl” with a 700-person capacity is located inside the hall.

Housing Lic, Ahmedabad

This building, which was built in 1973 for the Life Insurance Corporation of Ahmedabad, was known locally as Bima Nagar. It comprises 324 units spread across 54 plots in a duplex terraced unit arrangement. With a phased growth strategy, the first development was concentrated on providing sites and services efficiently.

Bv Doshi’s Office In Sangath, Ahmedabad

It is simple to recognise Sangath’s recognisable roofscape. The area includes a tiny terraced amphitheatre with elaborate water embellishments, as well as a number of subterranean vaults covered in China mosaic.