THEORY OF DESIGN

BV DOSHI

Rethinking
modernismBALKRISHNA
VITHALDAS
DOSHI

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 Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was born in Pune, India in

1927.
He did his bachelors from J. J. School of Art, Bombay in
1950.
He worked for four years with Le Corbusier as senior
designer (1951-54) in Paris..
And then, he worked on Le Corbusier's projects in
Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.
In 1956 he established a private practice in Vastu-Shilpa,
Ahmedabad and in 1962 he established the Vastu-Shilpa
Foundation for Environmental Design.
He also founded and designed the School of Architecture
and Planning in Ahmedabad. Doshi has worked in
partnership as Stein, Doshi & Bhalla since 1977.
His early association with two of the most influential form
givers in modern architecture in modern architecture, Le
Corbusier and Luis Kahn, has made an inedible
impression on him and provides the key to substantial
understanding of his approach

THEORY OF DESIGN
BV DOSHI

INTRODUCTION

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Doshis work is compelling mixture of

modern and the traditional, containing the
most fundamental aspect of each, without
being deflected by supernatural forms.
For those who feel that the most
significant cycle of modernism has just
begun, as well as for those attempting to
interpret tradition in a meaningful way,
Balkrishan Doshi presents a consistent
approach.
His work can be identified in 3 distinct
stages, beginning with modern influence
in 1960s and early 1970s, through the
search for indigenous Indian models until
the mid 1980s, evolving a current phase of
almost primal mystic studies related to
early Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic models
and a complete exclusion of western
influences.
Doshi himself has somewhat rejected
such tripartite staging because he has
continually attempted a synthesis, not
rejection of western influences with his
own culture.

1.

2.

1. Example of 1st stage - Institute of

Indology
Ahmedabad
2.Example of 2nd stage -Husain Doshi
Gufa
3. Example of 3rd stage - Sangath.

3.

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 Doshis work has done nothing less than refine and perpetuate
the central principles of modern architecture as they relate to
history, climate and diverse cultural mixture of India.
Rather than presenting that neat tripartite evolution from
Corbusian rationalism towards traditional mystic
architecture, Doshi's work has consistently revolved around
notions of interrelationship of indoor and outdoor space, an
appropriate and honest approach to materials, proper climatic
response and observance of hierarchy and order that has
always been present in the best modern architecture and
noticeably absent in poor imitations.
It is this so called filter between contemporary and traditional
architecture which Doshi has masterfully brought in.
And its intricate for the country like India, since it contain so
many closely woven historical, religious and social strands.
In speaking of internal and external segregation of space,
Doshi mentions the need to express a cosmic relationship and
insists that aesthetic consideration in design includes local
symbolism and associations.
His most recent work is replete with mythological and visionary
allusions; most notable are tortoises and cobras in Husain
Doshi Gufa. The free-form plan of Gufa, whose radical
departure from carefully ordered structures of the past has
surprised s many of Doshis followers and also raises the issue
of expressionism.

THEORY OF DESIGN
BV DOSHI

Doshis Approach to the works

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1)

Doshi has categorized 8 principles in traditional architecture which he

believes would greatly enrich contemporary practice.
And he has used all these principles in his style of architecture which are
clearly noticeable
Moving beyond historical examples of his own region, he first cites the
mythical sense space often evident in traditional architecture which is not
simply confined to open or closed areas. Doshi attributes what he describes
as the Hindu's ability to transfer by ritual substitution, or to transform the
function of space by ritual use, as the reason for the cosmic dimension
behind much of their architecture. Space can be modified according to the
desire of the perceiver and is never static.
Sangath presents one of the most uplifting progressions of interlocking
volumes of any of his projects, but almost at domestic level, and is the
Husain Doshi Gufa, whose residential component for the artist was
adapted during construction
The outdoor spaces like that of court and covered corridors of IIM, the
outdoor amphitheatre and water court protected by the office wings at
Sangath are appreciably treated.

Interior of Husain Doshi Gufa

Corridors of IIM

THEORY OF DESIGN
BV DOSHI

Philosophy and principles

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The kind of vibrancy found at Hindu temples as well as

mosques like Ahmedabad jami mosque, the transfer of energy
that takes place between the walls, columns and spaces of the
temple and worshippers passing through them, either alone and
passing through groups has led Doshi to infer 2nd principle of
transformation between the building and the people that
transcends the functional use. More accurately described as a
dialogue, this transfer underscores the important position that
people occupy in Doshis architecture.
The way the colonnades, porticoes, pilasters, stairs and roof
forms energize the edge of open courts of an Indian temple in
the same way he tried to energize the work environment in his
office Sangath by providing barrel vaults and taking the natural
light from above.
The treatment of outdoor spaces like that of corridors of IIM,
deep cuts in facade of Gandhi labour institute and projecting
beams in outer facade of School of architecture, Ahmedabad
reflects the transfer of energy from the structure to surroundings
and species around it.

SANGATH

IIM

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2)

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4)

Doshi has persisted a deep belief in importance of human

institutions, just as Luis Kahn did before him. This belief, which can
be taken as third principle, is amplified by his own deep cultural
experience and popular evolution of new institutions. The name of his
office itself, the Vaastu-Shilpa foundation, is a ringing affirmation of
Doshis faith in the dialogue between people and architecture of which
he speaks and powers of dialogue to bring about old institutions and
create new ones.
It is no surprise that Doshis inspiration for creation of institutions begin
with the interaction he witnessed while visiting a temple , moving him to
recreate the pauses and transitional spaces which act as catalytic
agents for the built form and individual and community to enter into a
dialogue and this dialogue gives rise to community at large. Built form
which generate such holistic experiences finally become human
institutions.
A fourth, more specific principle is to follow a flexible rather than rigid
approach to structure. This is how transformation of space from the
mere static container to a place where in which people actually feel a
psychic interchange is best achieved.
Here Doshi refers to the multiple mixed structural systems, of the type
found n Madurai temple and city of Fatehpur Sikri.

THEORY OF DESIGN
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3)

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6)

7)

8)

The notion of flexibility leads naturally to Doshis fifth principle, of

incorporating symbolism. He believes that such nuances can
only be accommodated by mixture of structural systems.
Symbolically charged space must be designed as receptacle for
human activity
To accommodate such nuances, as a sixth principle, Doshi also
advocates amorphous rather than finite forms used with
multiple structural systems so that experience with them may be
loose meandering and multiple.
The massing that results from the mixture of trabeated and
bearing wall systems at Madurai temple is one of the compelling
model for such forms
Such kind of contemporary work can be hypostyle entry at High
court Chandigarh.
Another example is that of LIC building in Ahmedabad and
Aranya low cost housing project at Indore.
The structural and formal systems that Doshi has adopted led him to
assimilate the 7th principle of Vaastu-Purusha Mandala to ensure
minimum standards of health and hygiene in each project .
Vaastu (environment), Purusha (energy) and Mandala (astrology)
are combined in the diagram that has evolved to assist builders in
determining proper orientation. North relates to the lord of wealth,
south relates to the lord f death , east to the lord of light (the rising
sun), and west to the lord of wind. The centre is attributed to the lord
of the Cosmos . Following this chart has generally indicated a
southwest orientation , favoring he prevailing breeze and also has
defined the use of central courtyard.
As an 8th and final principle, Doshi seeks timelessness in his
architecture much as Luis Kahn did when describing this quality in
historical precedents as open endedness.

THEORY OF DESIGN
BV DOSHI

5)

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