"Doshi explores the relationship between fundamental human needs and traditions - all this happens in the context of the environment, and most importantly - through the prism of modernism," - said the statement of representatives of the Pritzker Prize committee.
Balkrishna Dosha is a laureate of the 2018 Pritzker Prize
Balkrishna Dosha never followed fleeting trends and fashion. His architectural solutions take into account social, ecological and economic conditions and meet the current sustainability criteria. Most of Dosha's works are social housing and public buildings.
"I must 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. Today he called the Great Functionalist Dosha his teacher: "I owe this prestigious award to my guru Le Corbusier." His teaching prompted me to look for solutions for the creation of a sustainable and integrated living environment."
Returning to India, Balkrishna carried out the architectural supervision of Le Corbusier's projects in Chandigarh and Ahmadabad, and later collaborated with Louis Kahn in the construction project of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmadabad.
A social housing project for the Life Insurance Corporation in Ahmadabad designed 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 supplements with regional accents. This gives its architecture a recognizable "Indian" style. Thus, the building of his studio "Sangat" impresses with a combination of concrete arches with gardens and water tanks, and the underground art gallery in Ahmadabad with mosaic domes 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 structure of the gallery in Ahmadabad has a roof made of several domes, which are supported by tree-shaped columns
Studio Vastushilpa Consultants "Sangat"
The campus of the Indian Institute of Management, designed by Balkrishna Dosha in 1983
In India, Dosha 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." Dosha's large-scale project in the city of Indore, implemented in 1989, provided housing for more than 80 thousand people (in the main photo).