Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi wins prestigious UK medal

NEW DELHI: Acclaimed Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi has won the Royal Gold Medal 2022, one of the world's highest honours for architecture, the Royal Institute of British Architects announced on Thursday.


With a career spanning 70 years, and over 100 built projects, 94-year-old Doshi influenced the direction of architecture in India and its adjacent regions through both his practice and his teaching.

The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Queen Elizabeth II and is given in recognition of a lifetime's work. It is awarded to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence on the advancement of architecture.

“I am pleasantly surprised and deeply humbled to receive the Royal Gold Medal from the Queen of England. What a great honour,” said Doshi, on hearing about his big win.

“The news of this award brought back memories of my time working with Le Corbusier in 1953 when he had just received the news of getting the Royal Gold Medal. I vividly recollect his excitement to receive this honour from Her Majesty. He said to me metaphorically, ‘I wonder how big and heavy this medal will be” he shared.

“Today, six decades later I feel truly overwhelmed to be bestowed with the same award as my guru, Le Corbusier – honouring my six decades of practice. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife, my daughters and most importantly my team and collaborators at

Sangath

my studio,” Doshi added.

Prime minister Narendra Modi congratulated the acclaimed architect for his big achievement and said that his contributions to the world of architecture are monumental.

"His works are globally admired for their creativity, uniqueness and diverse nature," the prime minister said in a tweet.



Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) remarked that his buildings combine pioneering modernism with vernacular and are informed by a deep appreciation of the traditions of India's architecture, climate, local culture and craft.

His projects include administrative and cultural facilities, housing developments and residential buildings. He has become 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.

RIBA President

Simon Allford

also said that "it was an honour and a pleasure to chair the committee in selecting Balkrishna Doshi as the 2022 Royal Gold Medallist. He has influenced generations of architects through his delightfully purposeful architecture. Influenced by his time spent in the office of Le Corbusier his work nevertheless is that of an original and independent thinker – able to undo, redo and evolve."

Born in 1927 in Pune, Doshi studied at JJ School of Architecture, Bombay, before working for four years with Le Corbusier as Senior Designer (1951-54) in Paris and four more years in India to supervise projects in Ahmedabad. He comes from a family of furniture makers.

He collaborated with American architect

Louis Kahn

for over a decade and worked as an associate to build the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Doshi's key projects in Ahmedabad include Shreyas Comprehensive School Campus (1958-63); Atira Guest House low cost housing (1958); The Institute of Indology (1962) building to house rare documents; Ahmedabad School of Architecture – renamed CEPT University in 2002 – which focused on creating spaces that promoted collaborative learning; Tagore Hall & Memorial Theatre (1967); a 700-seat Brutalist auditorium.

His other projects include Premabhai Hall (1976) theatre and auditorium.

Doshi founded his own practice,

Vastushilpa

in 1956 with two architects. Today, Vastushilpa is a multi-disciplinary practice with multiple partners spanning three generations and has sixty employees.

The practice invites dialogue and its philosophy of pro-active participation even applies to their office space – which has an open door.

He has also designed the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (1977-1992); Sangath (1981), the studio for his architecture practice, Vastu Shilpa; Kanoria Centre for Arts (1984), an arts and creative hub; and Aranya Low Cost Housing (1989), Indore.

(With inputs from agencies)