AHMEDABAD: Distinguished architect Balkrishna Vithaldas (BV) Doshi (95), who worked with architecture legends of the 20th century like Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, breathed his last at his residence in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Doshi is considered a pioneer of modernist and brutalist architecture in India.
Doshi was the first Indian to be awarded the Pritzker Prize — considered to be the Nobel Prize of Architecture — in 2018 and Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in 2020. PM Narendra Modi and leading Indian and international names from the architecture fraternity paid rich tributes to Doshi.
The PM tweeted: “Dr. BV DoshiJi 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.”
Born in Pune in 1927, Doshi made Ahmedabad his home, the city which houses some of his most celebrated works, including Faculty of Planning at CEPT, Amdavad ni Gufa, and Tagore Memorial Hall. He also assisted Corbusier and Kahn on projects like ATMA House and IIM Ahmedabad, respectively.
Doshi’s architecture was globally feted for its minimalism and ecofriendly approach. In his citation for the Pritzker Prize, the jury had noted, “Doshi has always created an architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends… all good architecture and urban planning must not only unite purpose and structure but must take into account climate, site, technique, and craft, along with a deep understanding and appreciation of the context in the broadest sense.”
Doshi was the first Indian to be awarded the Pritzker Prize — considered to be the Nobel Prize of Architecture — in 2018 and Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in 2020. PM Narendra Modi and leading Indian and international names from the architecture fraternity paid rich tributes to Doshi.
The PM tweeted: “Dr. BV DoshiJi 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.”
Born in Pune in 1927, Doshi made Ahmedabad his home, the city which houses some of his most celebrated works, including Faculty of Planning at CEPT, Amdavad ni Gufa, and Tagore Memorial Hall. He also assisted Corbusier and Kahn on projects like ATMA House and IIM Ahmedabad, respectively.
Doshi’s architecture was globally feted for its minimalism and ecofriendly approach. In his citation for the Pritzker Prize, the jury had noted, “Doshi has always created an architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends… all good architecture and urban planning must not only unite purpose and structure but must take into account climate, site, technique, and craft, along with a deep understanding and appreciation of the context in the broadest sense.”
