Debate around IIM-A dorms' demolition underscores irony of emphasising heritage while ignoring history
January 29, 2021 09:57:58 IST
A few weeks ago, the debate amongst architects, as well as the popular press reporting was high on the proposed demolition of a large number of the dormitory buildings at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Ahmedabad. Within a few days, it was announced by the institute's Board of Governers that the expression of interest put out earlier has been withdrawn for the time being and that they would now "deliberate on the feedback received, re-evaluate the options".
The IIM-A campus was originally designed by the architect Louis Kahn, a much-reputed figure across the world and very highly regarded in India. Kahn’s design for the large institutional buildings, especially its library and the main plaza, are the iconic images of the campus in many discussions on modern architecture in India; the institution is a kind of pilgrimage centre for architects and students of architecture in India. It is also often visited by those from abroad interested in many histories of modernism — especially the regional-moderns such as the architecture we find in India across the twentieth century; there is even a label we go by — the “Indian Modern” — although today I would caution [against] the use and usefulness of this labelling.