“I am not an architect,” he says with a sparkle in his eyes, “I am merely a person seeking out their destiny.” To the late pioneer of Indian modernism, Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, architecture was a practice of self-discovery. The veteran’s stellar works of poetic functionality resulted from a humanist philosophy bearing the influence of modernist principles, Mahatma Gandhi, and Indian spiritual texts. Doshi believed that architecture was synonymous with life - a vehicle for constant celebration; a medium for heightened experiences. His greatest contribution to the architecture community was his powerful words of wisdom that echo the timelessness of his structures.
B.V. Doshi enjoyed an illustrious career, having completed over 100 projects spanning town planning programs, cultural hubs, institutional campuses, residences, and social housing. His professional journey began as a mentee of Le Corbusier, who set up Doshi’s foundation in space, form, light, and ventilation. The Indian designer soon gained an understanding of the fragility and ephemerality of architecture by working with Louis Khan at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
