"Doshi explores the relationship between fundamental human needs and traditions — all of this takes place in the context of the environment, and most importantly — through the prism of modernism," the Pritzker Prize committee said in a statement.
Balkrishna Dosha is a 2018 Pritzker Prize laureate
Balkrishna Dosha never followed fleeting trends and fashion. Its architectural solutions take into account social, ecological and economic conditions and meet current sustainability criteria. Most of Dosha's work is social housing and public buildings.
"I have to take an oath and remember it for the rest of my life: to provide the lower class with proper housing"
Balkrishna Doshi was born in the city of Pune, 150 kilometers from Mumbai in 1927. After India gained independence in 1947, Doshi moved to London to study, and from there to France, where he worked under Le Corbusier. He named the Great Functionalist Dosha as his teacher today: "I owe this prestigious award to my guru Le Corbusier. His teaching inspired me to look for solutions to create a sustainable, holistic environment."
Returning to India, Balkrishna provided architectural supervision for Le Corbusier's projects in Chandigarh and Ahmadabad, and later collaborated with Louis Kahn on the Indian Institute of Management project in Ahmadabad.
A social housing project for Life Insurance Corporation in Ahmedabad by Balkrishna Dosha in 1973
In 1956, Doshi opened his own architectural studio, Vastushilpa Consultants. In his works, he uses concrete and brick, preferring laconic and functional forms, which he complements with regional accents. This gives its architecture a recognizable "Indian" style. For example, the building of his studio "Sangat" impresses with a combination of concrete arched vaults with gardens and water tanks, and the underground art gallery in Ahmadabad with mosaic baths is a unique combination of monumental art and architecture.
Amdavad ni Gufa underground gallery looks like an ancient cave, decorated with mosaics and frescoes
The gallery structure in Ahmadabad has a multi-domed roof supported by wooden columns
Vastushilpa Consultants studio building "Sangat"
Indian Institute of Management campus designed by Balkrishna Dosha in 1983
In India, Doshi worked on more than 100 social housing projects. His credo: "I must take an oath and remember it for the rest of my life: to provide the lower class with proper housing." The large-scale Dosha project in the city of Indore, implemented in 1989, provided housing for more than 80 people (in the large photo).
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Tradition and modernity. For which Balkrishna Dosha received the Royal RIBA Gold Medal in 2022
