Balkrishna Doshi is an Indian architect who is famous for his architectural works in India.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was born on Friday, 26 August 1927 (age 94 years; as in 2021) in Pune. His hometown is Ahmedabad. His zodiac sign is Virgo. He earned a degree in Architecture from Fergusson College, Pune, JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai and Polytechnic of North London.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 9″
Weight (Approx): 70 kg
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
Doshi’s father’s name was Vithaldas Doshi and mother’s name was Radha.
Doshi’s father
Doshi’s mother
wife and children
He is married to Kamla Parikh.
Doshi with his wife in 1955
They have three daughters Tejal, Radhika and Manisha.
religion/religious views
He follows Hindu religion.
signature/autograph
Doshi’s signature
livelihood
architecture
He began his career in 1951 assisting Le Corbusier, working to design the city of Chandigarh.
Doshi with Le Corbusier
Later, he worked with Le Corbusier’s team to design the High Court and the Governor’s Palace in Chandigarh. He also worked on the design of the Mill Owners Association Building and Refinery House in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He was also the supervisor of the design of Villa Sarabhai, Villa Shodhan and Sanskar Kendra. In 1956, he started his own architectural practice now known as Vastushilpa Consultants.
Doshi’s Architectural Consultant
In 1959, he joined with Japanese architect Yoshikatsu Tsuboi for an international competition for Toronto City Hall in Canada. In 1961, with American architect Lewis Kahn, he designed the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.
Guilty with Lewis Kahn
In 1970, he designed the Dal Lake area in Srinagar and in 1972, prepared a design for the Gulmarg-Tangmarg area in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1973, he received the contract to design the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.
Doshi designed the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.
In 1976, he founded the Vastushilpa Foundation for Studies and Research, a non-profit organization. In 1980, he founded his own studio, Sangath. In 1992, he was selected to design the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai.
Design of Bharat Diamond Bourse, Mumbai
In 2016, he gave a TED Talk at the TEDx Talk at Nirmala University, Ahmedabad.
In 2015, he appeared in the Tamil film ‘O Kadhal Kanmani’ and in 2017, he appeared in the Bollywood film ‘OK Jaanu’.
Doshi with the cast of the film ‘Ok Jannu’
teaching
He has given various lectures in many countries including UK, USA, Europe, New York.
Doshi giving lecture
He has been the Founder Director of the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad (1962–72), the first Founder Director of the School of Planning (1972–79), the first Founder Dean of the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (1972–81). Founding member of the Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad and first founding director of Kanoria Center for Arts, Ahmedabad.
award
- 1976: Padmashree by the Government of India
- 1993–1995: 6th Aga Khan Award for Architecture for Aranya Community Housing
- 2007: Global Award for Sustainable Architecture
- 2011: France’s highest honor for the arts, Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters
- 2017: Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award
- 2018: Pritzker Architecture Prize
- 2020: Padma Bhushan by Government of India
- 2022: Royal Gold Medal for Architecture for the year 2022 by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
- In 1954, he was appointed an Associate Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
- In 1993, JK Cement Limited, India named him Architect of the Year.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Doshi started getting attracted towards architecture, buildings and sculptors when he used to visit his grandfather’s house at the age of eight. His grandfather had his own furniture shop.
- When Doshi was 11 years old, he tried a trick to set the house on fire and because the trick failed, his leg got burnt. He did not get it treated and he developed a slight limp in his leg.
- In an interview, he had said that he likes to study in open spaces rather than closed classrooms.
- When he was in school, his art teacher Venkatesh Patil insisted that he study architecture in Bombay. After this he took admission in JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai. In an interview, he had revealed that he was not good at speaking English and he felt bad when all his classmates in college spoke in English.
- In 1951, he went to London to take the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) examinations. There he met a member of Le Corbusier’s team. He offered Doshi to work with him, but he was not paid for it. He accepted the offer and went to Paris for some time. Later, he returned to India and worked on the design of the High Court and the Governor’s Palace in Chandigarh.
- He saw his wife for the first time in 1955 and married her. His parents did not accept their marriage due to religious differences.
- In 1957, when he received an international fellowship from the Graham Foundation, he met famous architects such as Mies van der Rohe, Josep Louis Sert, Charles and Ray Emser, Frederick Kiesler.
- In an interview, he said that in 1959, when he participated in the international competition for Toronto City Hall, he learned the relationship between architecture and structural systems.
- In 1961, he was offered to design the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, for which he suggested the name of American architect Lewis Kahn. They worked together on the project.
- His article ‘Key Structure Concept’. ‘A Role for the Individual in City Planning’, which he wrote with the American architect Christopher Alexander, was published in a magazine in 1964. In 1967, the Japanese architecture magazine Kenchiku Bunka published his article “Architecture for Time and Change – A System”.
- In 1992, to complete the Bharat Diamond Bourse project in Mumbai, they opened a new branch of their office in Mumbai.
- His institute Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environment Design became a shelter for people affected by the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.
- A documentary based on the achievements and struggles of Doshi’s life was released on YouTube in 2008. The film was directed by Premjit Ramachandran.
- In 2014, Doshi’s first work ‘Celebrating Habitat: The Real, the Virtual and the Imaginary’ was exhibited at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. His work was showcased by architect Khushnu Panthaki Hoof.
Doshi’s work in exhibition
Congratulations to renowned architect Balkrishna Doshi for winning the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. This honor is a fitting recognition of his outstanding work, which has spanned decades and made significant contributions to society. https://t.co/vhKGegfeCv
-Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 7 March 2018
- In an interview, Doshi said that he was inspired by Indian monuments and the work of European and American architects.
- In an interview he talked about his feelings on being selected for the award. He said,
I am pleasantly surprised and very humbled to receive the Royal Gold Medal from the Queen of England. The news of this award brought back memories of my time working with Le Corbusier in 1953 when he received the news of receiving the Royal Gold Medal. I clearly remember his excitement at receiving this honor from His Excellency. He told me metaphorically, ‘I wonder how big and heavy this medal will be.’ Today, six decades later, I feel truly humbled to be honored with the same award as my mentor, Le Corbusier, honoring my six decades of practice.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn