Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India
Published 31 August 2020
The gist: At the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, Louis Kahn gives institutional life a strong material and geometric framework. Exposed brick, concrete elements, arches and circular openings organise the academic buildings and dormitories. Generous corridors extend the architecture beyond individual rooms, connecting a modern campus with traditional and vernacular influences.
Location: Sargam Marg, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, India
Year built: Built between 1962 and 1975
Architect: Louis Kahn
The Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad is known around the world for its distinctive style of architecture. Comprising of numerous arches and circles, IIM-A is defined by its exposed red brickwork and concrete slabs, beams and lintels.
Built between 1962 and 1975, the first buildings to be constructed were the facility houses, student dorms and the main academic complex. Louis Kahn’s unique geometric shapes can be seen in the academic blocks and dorms, and there are vast corridors outside all classrooms.
Kahn was chosen for the project by the National Institute of Design due to his ability to skill-fully combine traditional and vernacular Indian architecture with modern construction. In recent years, sections of the campus have undergone renovation work, and a campus-wide wall made of bricks has also been built. From 2001 to 2009, a new site at IIM-A was erected using different materials to Kahn, but architects followed his broad philosophy of design.
Photos by @stewy6, @building_pics, @jpcovai
