NARI GANDHI

( 1934 1993 )

Nariman Dossabhai Gandhi

ARCHITECT , ARTIST and SCULPTOR

Pen Name : NARI Born : January 1, 1934 Surat , India. Nationality : Indian Education : Sir J . J . College of Architecture, Mumbai. Career : Worked for the American Ar. Warren Weber.

FAMOUS WORKS

Mountain Lodge for Jal

.Lonavala

Gobhai

Residence for Rustom

Mehta at Korlai, Alibag

Residence for Kishore

Bajaj at Karjat

JAIN HOUSE at lonavla

oResidence for Asha Parekh at

Juhu, Mumbai

oFarm house for S H Daya at

Alibag

oGateway to mosque at Kolgaon oTejani house at Lonavala oPatel residence at Surat

IDEOLOGY
His works display a distinctive organic

character. Nari's works display highly skilled craftsmanship and structural ingenuity. His architecture seeks inspiration from NATURE while accepting nature as his guide. Most of Gandhis buildings in the countryside are exercises in balancing acts to hold roofs up and unique ways in ferrying loads down to the ground.

Work Style
o Brick , Stone , steel and timber as structural materials. o Grey Kota stone flooring.

o Polished teak wood ceilings.

o Slanting windows and leather furniture. o Jaipuri chunna was used for walls o Coconut and Almond trees cover the entire site . o Paintings , Sculptures and pottery is used extensively. o Low ht. height furniture . o Dim lighting , which is not harsh . o Terracotta murals are used .

GEOMETRY
The fusion of interior spaces to create Transparency within a structure are obtained by the means of geometry.

Geometry was used not only as a means of organizing materials and spaces but also in the third dimension to give dynamism to form and tension to the space . Geometry was the underlying discipline of structure , a primary tool for ordering an architectural form.

Beach House at MADH ISLAND 1980-1993

Plot size 800 sq m. Vaulted stone arches rising 10m in ht. Each stone is around 3m in length and 5cm thk , used for the arches. each stone is selected by Nari himself. no doors were used. It has three cave like cells First cell has a living , dining and bedroom. Second has kitchen and bathrooms. The third has garage and servant quarters.

 Stone is found in the form of broken chips, glued to cement-coated surfaces. Unusual materials and design touches appear throughout the building: the garden's glass skylight domes were made from broken glass chips, marbles, stained glass, and broken beer bottles

The house also contains several terracotta sculptures and pots, as well as art works in media ranging from earthenware to metalwork. This house has rustic surface treatments and almost primitive, cave-like interiors.

Jain Bungalow at Lonavla

It has a total of 9 rooms: a prayer room, a living room, a card room, a kitchen, a dining area, and four bedrooms. structure consists of stone masonry walls of varying sizes and colors A single large roof plane, dotted with dormer windows and covered with Mangalore tiles Internal courts on different levels are covered in transparent corrugated roofing sheets Dormer windows overlooking the landscape around the bungalow also serve to visually unify these rooms

1989-1992

 Exterior view of the approach road to the bungalow from the gate

Interior view showing the play of light against a rough stone wall

Exterior view of the steel trusssupported roof that follows the terraced landscaping on site

Korlai Bungalow in Maharashtra

1986-1988
Nari Gandhi selected the waterfront lot and designed an elevated open arched pavilion facing the sea. Two parallel arches form the structural frame of the pavilion and support the large pitched roof. These brick (wire-cut hollow brick) walls have punctures that were later filled with stained glass. lower levels of the pavilion contained service spaces, bedrooms, and kitchen areas.

The upper level dining and living areas have spectacular views of the sea.

Interior view of the living space Exterior side view of pavilion Interior view of upper level of pavilion

Pavilion looking at the dining area

View of a bedroom

The only sketch that Nari has done for Rustom Mehta

Inspired by Yesterday Aspired for Tomorrow

Simplicity , gentleness and purity are the words that describe

Nari Gandhi aptly , and also very appropriate for his architectecture. He is one the great architects of his times . He was unique in his own way and has his own understanding for architecture.