Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi: Teacher above all

At a time when words like lsquolegendrsquo are very lightly used and phrases like lsquoend of an erarsquo are bandied about simply because they sound good architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi deserves all that and moreIndiarsquos celebrated architect alumnus of Mumbairsquos JJ School of Architecture passed away on Tuesday January 24 Architects across the world have gone beyond the oeuvre or accomplishments of Doshirsquos the winner of architecturersquos highest honourthe Pritzker Prize or Nobel Prize of architecture as it is calledMumbairsquos Nitin Killawala practising architect said Doshi ldquowas a living legend for architects I am awestruck most about how he passed on his learning to the next generation He pioneered architectural education through his school CEPT in Ahmedabad If you ask my generation about the biggest influences in the field it would be Charles Correa and B V DoshirdquoNitin Killawala Mumbaibased architect said Doshi was a living legend for architectsFor Killawala it was remarkable that architects like Doshi ldquowere as proud of their works done nearly 50 years ago as they are of their recent work You do not see that so much in any field where once accomplished people do not refer to their earlier work that muchrdquoKillawala who had visited Doshi at his home in Ahmedabad and hosted him at his home in Mumbai spoke about how ldquohumble and accessiblerdquo Doshi was He ldquoremained engaged with architecture throughout his long life Just like we remember Nani Palkhivala when the budget comes around we will remember B V Doshi when there is an event of significance in the architecture worldrdquo he finishedArchitect Saurabh Dakshini from Delhi who is now the principal architect of Studio Organon said paying tribute to Doshi ldquoI think his life should be celebrated His has been a complete life and for me what absolutely stood out were his lowcost urban housing projects and his contribution to educationrdquoEducation is a recurring theme in fact for all who spoke about Doshirsquos influence CEPT University alumnus Dinesh Mehta from Borivli remembers him as a teacher ldquowho taught in the gurushishya tradition He taught us to question and told us lsquowhen you are looking for answers you will find the solutionrsquordquoMustansir Dalvi professor JJ College of ArchitectureMehta an architectural photographer recalled that the curriculum was intellectually stimulating as ldquoDoshi had brought in the best minds not just from here but internationally to help shape it In fact he was so invested in teaching that he would ask me about my work too I once showed him my architecture photography He was truly inspirational as he showed me how to visualise the worldrdquoAlso read Thane Two die after speeding scooter shoots past railing on flyoverMustansir Dalvi professor at JJ College of Architecture said ldquoDoshi had a very long practice of nearly seven decades and that itself is a very important pointer to his influence We must remember that he was practicing at a very important point in history the first two decades post our Independence Habib Rahman Achyut Kanvinde Charles Correa and B V Doshi together defined the modern era Do not forget his influence as a teacher and the hundreds of students who hold him in reverence are attest to a sterling stirring legacyrdquo