The acclaimed Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi has passed away at the age of 95. As reported by Architectural Digest India, Doshi died on Tuesday, January 24th in Ahmedabad, India.
Throughout his 70-year career, Doshi oversaw the construction of 100 built projects, influencing the direction of architecture in India and adjacent regions through both his practice and teaching. Accolades awarded to Doshi for his services to architecture include the 2018 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the 2022 RIBA Royal Gold Medal.
Born in 1927 in Pune, India, Doshi studied at the J J School of Architecture, Bombay, before working for four years with Le Corbusier as Senior Designer in Paris from 1951 to 1954. Along with a decade-long collaboration with Louis Kahn, Doshi founded his own practice, Vastushilpa, in 1956. He since became internationally known for his visionary urban planning and social housing projects, as well as his work in education, both in India and as a visiting professor at universities around the world.
His work combined pioneering modernism with the local vernacular, embodying a deep appreciation for the traditions of India’s architecture, climate, culture, and craft. Among his internationally renowned projects were the Atira Guest House (1958), the Indian Institute of Management campus (1977-1992), and the Aranya Low-Cost Housing project (1989).
Reacting to news of Doshi’s death, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Dr. BV Doshi Ji was a brilliant architect and a remarkable institution builder. The coming generations will get glimpses of his greatness by admiring his rich work across India. His passing away is saddening. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”
5 Comments
Tribute to B.V.Doshi
The great guru of Indian architecture has passed away and i was one of those lucky people who were fortunate to have studied under him
Vinay Gokhale
RIP. I had the opportunity to be an intern at his firm back in undergrad days, and he would talk to us lowly "trainees" and make sure we were learning something every day. What a great person.
His work is just perfection. SO gorgeous. And by all accounts he was a lovely, generous person, too. RIP.
The thing that stuck me most about him, and is reflected in his lectures and writings is that he has always attributed his success and design sensibilities to his "Gurus" - Kahn and Corbusier. This attribution to precedent and teachers speaks volumes of his humility. Not too many "starchitects" that talk about their teachers or growing experiences
Beautiful article from one of his proteges:
The Man and Idea, Tribute to B.V. Doshi, by Christopher Benninger
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