Balkrishna Doshi Wins The Pritzker Architecture Prize, First Indian To Achieve This Feat

Balkrishna Doshi, one of the most eminent and noteworthy architects in India, won the highest ranking accolade in the field of Architecture, The Pritzker Architecture Prize, tantamount to the Nobel Prize as reported by The Times of India. It was announced on Wednesday.

B.V Doshi (90) was born in Pune and has been working in this field for the past 70 years. He is the first Indian to win this distinguished award. Followed by the attainment of his education from J. J. School of Architecture in Mumbai, he left to Paris to work under another reputed Swiss-French Architect Le Corbusier. He has supervised Le Corbusier’s work in India.

Doshi’s notable works include The 1996 Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner – Aranya low-housing project in Indore, occupied by 88000 lower and middle-class people. The Life Insurance Corporation in Ahmedabad, a duplex consisting of 324 units. The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. His studio – Vastu-Shilpa, among others. His works depict the coexistence of environmental and budget sustainability, merged with the influence of culture, climate, traditions, techniques, and with a gist of modernism. He is also known to build low-cost housing and city planning in the most creative and innovative way, also adding the elements above to the designed structures as a testament of his understanding of the philosophy of the people living under such circumstances.

He has also been the first founder Director of the School of Architecture, Ahmedabad, first founder Director of the School of Planning, first founder Dean of the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, founder member of the Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad and first founder Director of the Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad. He will travel to Toronto in May to receive the Prize and give a public lecture.

The jury of the Pritzker Architecture Prize has thereby rightly selected Balkrishna Doshi as their 2018 Laureate for his exemplary and exceptional work, suitably building institutions considering the situations and circumstances of the territory, and for his numerous contributions to the field.

The Logical Indian community congratulates Balkrishna Doshi for achieving this feat. This is a proud moment for all of us.