The Complete Architecture of Balkrishna Doshi: Rethinking Modernism for the Developing World

The 40-year career of Balkrishna Doshi has been devoted to finding the proper balance between modern architecture and the rich indigenous traditions of India. As apprentice to Le Corbusier and friend of Louis Kahn, Doshi has worked with two of the most important pioneers of modernism on projects that have made a major contribution to both his own national tradition and the humane basis of modernism as a whole. The range of his ideas is fully explored in this book: adaptations of ancient Hindu geometry to contemporary town planning; the use of mythological figures, such as the Cobra King, as the inspiration for a free-form museum; and historical landmarks, such as the Ellora and Ajanta caves, as the basis for the design of a contemporary office building, the Diamond Bourse in Bombay. Illustrated with photographs and plans and complete with a comprehensive chronology of all the architect's works, this book should be influential not only in the developing countries themselves but also with the wider Western audience increasingly drawn to the principles of progress firmly rooted in tradition and of respect for human needs exemplified by Doshi's achievement.