Balkrishna Doshi wins Pritzker Prize

Legendary Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi (90), a pioneer of low-cost housing design has won the prestigious Pritzker Prize, considered architecture field’s Nobel. He is 45th Pritzker laureate and first from India to receive it.
He is one of the last living architects to have apprenticed with Franco-Swiss trailblazer Le Corbusier distinguished his work by committing to sustainable architecture and inexpensive housing.

Balkrishna Doshi

Born on  26 August 1927 in Pune, Maharashtra. He is considered as one of important figure of South Asian architecture and noted for his contributions to evolution of architectural discourse in India. He is alumnus of prestigious JJ School of Architecture in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
He had worked with legendary Le Corbusier in Paris in 1950 before returning to India to supervise architect’s projects in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. He established his studio Vastu-Shilpa (environmental design) in 1955 and worked with Louis Kahn and Anant Raje in designing campus of IIM Ahmedabad.
He also designed campuses of IIM Bangalore and Lucknow, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Tagore Memorial Hall, Institute of Indology in Ahmedabad, among other fine campuses and buildings across India, besides many low-cost housing projects.
He is also known as an institution builder. He is first founder Director of School of Architecture, Ahmedabad, first founder Director of School of Planning, first founder Dean of Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (also designed its building), founder member of Visual Arts Centre, Ahmedabad and first founder Director of Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad.
He was awarded Padma Shri in 1976 and 6th Aga Khan Award for Architecture for Aranya Community Housing, 1993-1995.

Pritzker prize

The international Pritzker prize was established by Chicago’s Pritzker family in 1979. It is considered to be one of the world’s premier architecture prizes, and is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. It is awarded annually and bestows laureates with $100,000 along with bronze medallion. Previous winners include world-renowned architects like Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, IM Pei, and Shigeru Ban.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2018