“This building is a tribute to stone; a perfect blend of concrete, stone and grey stone that creates the feel of a semi-transparent screen that allows light and breeze to penetrate,” says the Master Architect of IIM Bangalore.
Professor MS Narasimhan, Dean, Administration, IIMB, says: “My first glimpse of IIMB left me in awe of the harmonious mixture of vision and design. An institution like this is a place when one wants to spend time reflecting, pondering and collaborating. This place makes me feel like a student again.”
Professor Rajalaxmi Kamath, faculty, Centre for Public Policy at IIMB, adds: “Dr. Doshi’s design offers students and faculty the ability to see and feel nature even when inside the classroom.”
Travelling back in time, Dr. Doshi says: “The campus was built over 20 years. I drew inspiration from the temples in Madurai. In 1976, when I first saw Bangalore it was full of parks and lakes. Later when I visited the Madurai temple, I was awed by the huge courtyards there. The architecture of Fatehpur Sikri and the courtyards of the Madurai temples majorly influenced me when designing this campus.”
The basic purpose of architecture, he declares, is to make us aware of who we are. “This is not a campus; it is a dwelling. The students who leave must take with them a sense of deep-seated peace. Seeing a building is like meeting a person. The process of education has no doors, no boundaries. It is about contemplating, prodding and interacting. And being an educational institution, it has to accommodate the changing and extensive academic programs and yet remain a cocoon,” Dr. Doshi explains.
Describing the sprawling nature-connected campus as one of his best creations, the master architect said ‘surprise’ was a key element while designing IIM Bangalore. “The design offers students and faculty the ability to see and feel nature even when inside the classroom; it helps beat the claustrophobic feeling that most of modern universities with air conditioned classrooms have,” he adds.
Dr. Doshi draws attention to the hallways built way back in 1982, the quadrangles that open up to greenery, sunlight streaming in through pergolas, the geometrical roofs and the rough texture finish of the walls. “These are the unique features of ‘glocal’ design. These elements don’t look dated because they were designed with natural resources and with utmost respect for nature,” he adds.
As the sun plays hide and seek, he stops to explain, “See the play of light and shadows here. This building can absorb and evolve with time. The pergolas and corridors bear references to ancient temples. If you walk these corridors, you feel no compulsion to reach anywhere –the essentials are revealed, conflicts get resolved and we know who we are. Students get glimpses of nature which helps them relax at times of duress when an assignment is not working out.”
The bare stone walls 20 years ago did not look “scenic” but now the very same walls are covered by thick ivy. “Can you see the walls? They are not visible because nature has taken over; you may see a wall here, a pillar there. This building has scale and density but also porosity. I try to create a sense of unexpected wonder like a sudden breeze that you come upon.”
Join Dr. BV Doshi as he takes students of IIMB on a campus walk
“This building is a tribute to stone; a perfect blend of concrete, stone and grey stone that creates the feel of a semi-transparent screen that allows light and breeze to penetrate,” says the Master Architect of IIM Bangalore.
Professor MS Narasimhan, Dean, Administration, IIMB, says: “My first glimpse of IIMB left me in awe of the harmonious mixture of vision and design. An institution like this is a place when one wants to spend time reflecting, pondering and collaborating. This place makes me feel like a student again.”
Professor Rajalaxmi Kamath, faculty, Centre for Public Policy at IIMB, adds: “Dr. Doshi’s design offers students and faculty the ability to see and feel nature even when inside the classroom.”
Travelling back in time, Dr. Doshi says: “The campus was built over 20 years. I drew inspiration from the temples in Madurai. In 1976, when I first saw Bangalore it was full of parks and lakes. Later when I visited the Madurai temple, I was awed by the huge courtyards there. The architecture of Fatehpur Sikri and the courtyards of the Madurai temples majorly influenced me when designing this campus.”
The basic purpose of architecture, he declares, is to make us aware of who we are. “This is not a campus; it is a dwelling. The students who leave must take with them a sense of deep-seated peace. Seeing a building is like meeting a person. The process of education has no doors, no boundaries. It is about contemplating, prodding and interacting. And being an educational institution, it has to accommodate the changing and extensive academic programs and yet remain a cocoon,” Dr. Doshi explains.
Describing the sprawling nature-connected campus as one of his best creations, the master architect said ‘surprise’ was a key element while designing IIM Bangalore. “The design offers students and faculty the ability to see and feel nature even when inside the classroom; it helps beat the claustrophobic feeling that most of modern universities with air conditioned classrooms have,” he adds.
Dr. Doshi draws attention to the hallways built way back in 1982, the quadrangles that open up to greenery, sunlight streaming in through pergolas, the geometrical roofs and the rough texture finish of the walls. “These are the unique features of ‘glocal’ design. These elements don’t look dated because they were designed with natural resources and with utmost respect for nature,” he adds.
As the sun plays hide and seek, he stops to explain, “See the play of light and shadows here. This building can absorb and evolve with time. The pergolas and corridors bear references to ancient temples. If you walk these corridors, you feel no compulsion to reach anywhere –the essentials are revealed, conflicts get resolved and we know who we are. Students get glimpses of nature which helps them relax at times of duress when an assignment is not working out.”
The bare stone walls 20 years ago did not look “scenic” but now the very same walls are covered by thick ivy. “Can you see the walls? They are not visible because nature has taken over; you may see a wall here, a pillar there. This building has scale and density but also porosity. I try to create a sense of unexpected wonder like a sudden breeze that you come upon.”
Join Dr. BV Doshi as he takes students of IIMB on a campus walk