What master builder Doshi did in our city

Balakrishna V Doshi, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, is a man clearly in love --- with the art of architecture.

An Indian sensibility finds pride of place in his designs.

Every grey stone, hallway or corridor of the Indian Institute of Management campus in Bengaluru, which he completed building in 1983, vouches for that.

Doshi's vision of imparting education in the lap of nature is reflected across the campus. In his saga, light is the protagonist as it plays peekaboo with the roofs, corridors, and stones, not to mention the students.

Built on a 100-acre campus, the 54,000 sq ft complex is based on the design of the town of Fatehpur Sikri. When he designed the campus, he linked corridors, courtyards and external spaces to allow for extensions in future.

Conducting a guided tour of the campus in 2014, Doshi had said he made green corridors, which allowed academic exchanges to be carried beyond the classroom.

"Three-storied hallways, open quadrangles with ample greenery, sunlight streaming in through pergolas, geometrical roofs, and a rough texture finish are the unique features of this 'glocal' design. IIM-B's design therefore symbolises a deep understanding of the past and a comfortable relationship with the present," he had said.

His idea was "to create an atmosphere where you don't see divides and doors".

Doshi's work of art -- the IIM-B -- continues to be a temple of learning. In more ways than one.    

About Prizker

Founded in 1979 by American  architect Jay A. Pritzker and  his wife Cindy, the award is  funded by the Pritzker family.  It is often referred to as the Nobel
Prize of architecture.  The recipient gets a cash  prize of one lakh dollars (about
Rs 70 lakh), a citation certificate,  and a bronze medallion.  B V Doshi, 90, is the first Indian  to win the accolade.

KHUSHNU PANTHAKI HOOF, granddaughter of Doshi and
architect-partner, Vastu Shilpa Consultants:

"The design of IIM-B for me is very much like Doshi's  temperament: open-ended, grounded and humble... it  almost merges into the landscape while simultaneously  enriching the experience through movement and a play  of light and shadows. The spaces that the build form creates  informally induce interactions between the students  and faculty, resulting into an environment where learning  begins to happen naturally."

Praise from jury

"Doshi has always created  an architecture that is never  flashy or a follower of
trends. With a deep sense of  responsibility and a desire  to contribute to his country  and its people, he has  created projects for public  administrations and utilities,  educational and cultural institutions,  and residences for  private clients."

Light and shade
* The interplay of light and  shadows changes the character  of the main building  through the day and through  the seasons.
* The width of the corridors  is modulated to allow for  casual seating.
* The central courtyard gives  one the feeling of being in a  place not unknown to one's  inner being.
* The design conserves energy  (human and mechanical),  optimises technologies, and  uses alternative materials.
(Courtesy: IIM-B)