Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, an accomplished architect from Ahmedabad, was awarded the Royal Gold Medal 2022 on Tuesday, one of the world’s greatest honours for architecture.
Adding another feather to his cap, BV Doshi is among the rare people to have been awarded both the Royal Gold Medal and the Pritzker Architecture Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture, in their lifetime. He has been credited with designing some of the most iconic structures in Ahmedabad.
The Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Queen Elizabeth. It is given in recognition of a lifetime’s work and conferred to the person who have had a significant influence on the advancement of architecture. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President Simon Alford especially arrived at BV Doshi’s Ahmedabad residence in order to bestow this honour and present the medal. He expressed his happiness on receiving the honour and expressed his gratitude.
“I am pleasantly surprised and deeply humbled to receive the Royal Gold Medal from the Queen of England. What a great honour! The news of this award brought back memories of my time working with Le Corbusier in 1953 when he had just received the news of getting the Royal Gold Medal. I vividly recollect his excitement on receiving this honour. Today, six decades later, I feel truly overwhelmed to be bestowed with the same award as my guru, Le Corbusier – honouring my six decades of practice. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife, my daughters, and most importantly my team and collaborators at Sangath, my studio,” said Mr. Doshi.
The 2022 Honours Committee that selected the Royal Gold Medallist was chaired by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President Simon Allford and comprised architects Alison Brooks and last year’s Royal Gold Medal recipient Sir David Adjaye OBE, architect and academic Kate Cheyne, and cultural historian and museum director Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford OBE.
“It was an honour and a pleasure to chair the committee in selecting Balkrishna Doshi as the 2022 Royal Gold Medallist. At 94, he has influenced generations of architects through his delightfully purposeful architecture. Influenced by his time spent in the office of Le Corbusier, his work nevertheless is that of an original and independent thinker. His outstanding contribution to the art of architecture, the craft of construction and the practice of urban design establish him as a most deserving recipient of this award,” said RIBA President Simon Allford.
Over his momentous career spanning over 70 years, Doshi has been a part of over 100 projects. Through his practice and teaching, the revered architect has influenced the direction of architecture in India and its adjacent regions. His buildings consist of pioneering modernism with vernacular, informed by a deep appreciation of the traditions of India’s architecture, climate, local culture, and craft. His projects include administrative and cultural facilities, housing developments, and residential buildings. He has become internationally known for his visionary urban planning and social housing projects, as well as his work in education, both in India and as a visiting professor at universities around the world.
In 2020, he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, for his contribution to the field of architecture. In addition with three Honorary Doctorate from prestigious international universities including latest from the Boston Architectural College, the USA in 2021. He is also the recipient of the French ‘Global Award for Lifetime Achievement for Sustainable Architecture’ by the Institut Francais d’architecture, Paris.
All About Architect Balkrishna Doshi
Born to an extended family of furniture makers in 1927 in Pune, Balkrishna Doshi studied at the JJ School of Architecture, Bombay, before working for four years with Le Corbusier as a Senior Designer (1951-54) in Paris and four more years in India to supervise projects in Ahmedabad. He worked with Louis Kahn as an associate to build the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and founded his own practice, Vastushilpa in 1956 with two architects. In 1956, he founded his own practice Vastushilpa with two architects. Today, Vastushilpa is a multi-disciplinary practice with five partners spanning three generations and has sixty employees.
Doshi’s key projects include Shreyas Comprehensive School Campus (1958-63); Atira Guest House low-cost housing (1958); The Institute of Indology (1962) building to house rare documents; Ahmedabad School of Architecture – renamed CEPT University in 2002 – which focused on creating spaces that promoted collaborative learning; Tagore Hall & Memorial Theatre (1967); a 700-seat Brutalist auditorium. Premabhai Hall (1976) theatre and auditorium. Besides, he has also designed the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (1977-1992); Sangath (1981), the studio for his architecture practice, Vastu Shilpa; Kanoria Centre for Arts (1984), an arts and creative hub; and Aranya Low-Cost Housing (1989), Indore.