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

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. Example of 1st stage - Institute of Indology Ahmedabad 2.Example of 2nd stage -Husain Doshi Gufa 3. Example of 3rd stage - Sangath.

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Doshis Approach to the works

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.

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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.

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Interior of Husain Doshi Gufa

Corridors of IIM

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Philosophy and principles

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SANGATH

IIM

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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.

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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.

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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.