Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi: India's most celebrated architect passes away

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, India's greatest architect who was the laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, passed away on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at the age of 95. A significant figure in Indian architecture, he had an immense impact on the development of architectural discourse in India.

Born on August 26, 1927, in Pune, Doshi studied architecture at the Sir JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai (then Bombay). He later travelled to Paris to study under the renowned architect Le Corbusier, who had a profound influence on his work. He worked with Le Corbusier as a Senior Designer (1951-54) in Paris for four years and four more years in India to supervise projects in Ahmedabad.

Doshi later worked with Louis Kahn as an associate to build the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. In 1956, he founded his own practice Vastushilpa with two architects. Today, Vastushilpa is a multi-disciplinary practice with five partners spanning three generations and has sixty employees.

Throughout his career, Doshi designed over 100 buildings, including educational institutions, low-cost housing, and cultural centres. He was known for his use of traditional Indian architectural elements in his designs, as well as his commitment to creating sustainable and livable spaces for the people of India.

Some iconic architectural designs of BV Doshi

• Gandhi Labour Institute, Ahmedabad
• CEPT Campus, Ahmedabad
• IIM Bangalore
• Tagore Hall, Ahmedabad
• NIFT Delhi
• INTACH Delhi
• Amdavad ni Gufa, Ahmedabad
• LD Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad
• Bhabha Atomic Township, Khota
• Nalanda University, Bihar

Impressed by Doshi's work, Corbusier had once 'specially' recommended the Indian architect to the father of the Indian nuclear programme Homi Jehangir Bhabha, who is also the founding director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

Corbusier had also recommended Balkrishna Doshi to Harvard School Design while citing his 'excellent moral values, intellectual capacities and good technical sense'. "I lay emphasis on moral values as (I believe) that people of good (moral) character are rare to be found."

Doshi was the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the Padma Shri in 1976, the Padma Bhushan in 2020, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2018.

Doshi became the first Indian architect to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is considered the most prestigious prize in architecture, in 2018. He was conferred the Royal Gold Medal 2022, one of the world’s highest honours for architecture. The celebrated architect is also the recipient of France's highest honour for arts the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, 2011.

In addition to his architectural work, Doshi was also a teacher and mentor to many young architects. He was the founder and director of the School of Planning and Architecture in Bhopal, and also served as a visiting professor at several universities around the world.

In 2007, Doshi received a Global Award for Sustainable Architecture for his work on the reunification of Indian and English cultural heritage in his architecture. The award acknowledged Doshi's significant contribution towards an alternative development model.

Doshi's passing is a great loss to the architectural community, but his legacy will continue through the buildings he designed and the many architects he trained and inspired.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of noted architect Dr BV Doshi. The Prime Minister called him a 'brilliant architect' and a 'remarkable institution builder'. The coming generations will get glimpses of his greatness by admiring his rich work across India, the PM said.

Doshi was considered one of the most important architects in Indian history and his contributions to the field of architecture and urban planning will be remembered for many years to come. His work and ideas will continue to inspire architects and urban planners for generations to come.