IIM-A seeks to restore, not demolish, iconic Louis Kahn-designed buildings in rethink

Ahmedabad The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is considering restoring its storied Louis Kahn-designed red-brick campus, instead of demolishing the buildings as previously planned, several people directly involved in talks about a proposed restoration said, asking not to be named.
“We plan to restore as many buildings as possible. The fundamental essence of Louis Kahn’s visionary design and architecture principles will be preserved as best as possible,” said a top IIM-A official.
The new plan comes a little more than three years after the institute’s governing council initially proposed the reconstruction of student dormitories and other structures within the revered campus, hailed as a marvel of modern architecture. Despite encountering widespread global resistance, the administration made a concerted push for consensus, including a town hall meeting last year that engaged various stakeholders.
It isn’t clear what prompted the rethink.
The institute’s chairman Pankaj Patel declined a request for comment.
An email sent to IIM-A director Bharat Bhaskar and his office for response remained unanswered till the time this paper went to print.
HT learns that, as a first step, the institute plans to have a team of three experts conduct a thorough survey of the campus, assessing the possible need for additional specialists, and overseeing the tendering process for the restoration and conservation efforts.
The team comprises three well-respected experts, according to two other people familiar with the plan: KB Jain, renowned for his collaboration with the American architect Kahn in Philadelphia and known for his expertise in urbanism and conservation; Marina Tabassum, an architect famous for her innovative brick projects from Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Arun Menon, a structural engineering professor from IIT Madras,who worked with a team of architects earlier to restore the IIM-A library.
The two people added that a preliminary meeting involving the three experts and IIM-A officials took place less than a month ago. Jain is likely to be named as the master architect for the IIM-A campus, they said.
One of the three experts confirmed being in discussions with the institute regarding potentially being brought in as part of the team.
In December 2020, the IIM-A governing council proposed to tear down 14 of the 18 student dormitories and replace them with newly constructed dormitories but a global outcry from experts and former students forced the institute to put its decision on hold /
Organizations such as the World Monuments Fund (WMF) called for the IIM-A to re-evaluate the partial demolition of the visionary building complex.
“Conceived as an ensemble, the Kahn campus must be preserved in its entirety to protect the aesthetic, functional, and symbolic values imbued within,” WMF said on December 30, 2020.
Critics of the demolition expressed deep concern about the loss of architectural heritage and the erasure of Louis Kahn’s vision. They emphasize the historical and cultural value of the buildings, which are considered emblematic of Kahn’s design philosophy and should be preserved for future generations to appreciate and learn from architectural history.
“These are living buildings after all should be restored to meet today’s requirements. It is a complicated process. The term conservation can mean many things – sometimes it may also require some demolition. But overall, it has to remain in tune to the architect’s vision. I think that IIM-A will find out a solution a year’s time from now,” said an architect aware of the development.
American architect Kahn, at the invitation of scientist Vikram Sarabhai and industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai, began work on the campus for IIM-A in 1962 with Indian architects BV Doshi and Anant Raje. The project, realised in brick masonry, was nearly complete when Kahn died in 1974.
Kahn created the architectural masterpiece on about 25 hectares of land in Ahmedabad that constitutes the “heritage campus” of IIM-A today. It has 18 buildings that were constructed between 1962 and 1974. Some of the notable buildings in the IIM-A campus include the Main Building (also known as the Louis Kahn Plaza), Faculty Block, Dormitories (Dorm 1 to Dorm 18), Library, and the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Management Development Centre (KLMDC).
The restoration work in the campus started in 2014 when IIM-A appointed Mumbai-based firm, Somaya and Kalappa (S&K) Consultants to restore Dorm-15 that was in the most dilapidated state. The work was completed in 2017. Meanwhile the same firm also restored the Vikram Sarabhai Library at IIM-A in 2018 and received an award of distinction at UNESCO Asia Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage.
In November 2022, the IIM-A governing council decided that restoration work at the heritage campus would cease altogether. While the Louis Kahn design with brick façade was to be replicated for a few of the outer dorms, other residential dorms were slated to be redeveloped based on new designs by commissioned architects.
An independent committee that reviewed the IIM-A last year listed key challenges faced by the institute in wake of global competition had pulled up the institute for demolishing iconic dorms “without consulting” the alumni.
The committee, led by former Nasscom president Kiran Karnik (also an alum), in its 71-page report, underscored several imperative recommendations, including enhancing inclusive decision-making and alumni involvement, improving rankings, prioritising world-class research, ensuring affordability for students, and preserving architectural heritage.
“Many alumni are concerned about possible damage to IIM-A’s reputation as an eminent institution of repute because of its slippage on global rankings and some negative coverage in the media,” said the report dated May 12, 2023, which was made public a few months later.
“If the management wanted to demolish the buildings and replace them with newer ones, they could have done so in the last 10 months, especially after the townhall event on June 4, 2023, where a team of engineers from IIT-Roorkee highlighted structural soundness and integrity issues in the dormitories and other buildings at multiple locations. The fact that they haven’t taken such action is evidence enough that there is a reconsideration of the issue,” said an IIM-A 1987 batch student.
Supporters of the demolition contend that sentimental attachments to the past should not impede the growth and advancement of IIM-A. They argue for embracing the evolving educational landscape by integrating modern amenities and technologies to enhance the learning experience. From their perspective, the demand for additional space and enhanced functionality outweighs the historical significance of the current structures.
Another student from the 1997 IIM-A PGP batch, shared that they were given assurance by a governing council board member that the institute’s priority lies in restoring the buildings rather than demolishing them and replacing them with entirely new designs.
A second architect familiar with the situation said, “Conserving modern buildings presents unique challenges compared to heritage structures. Additionally, while significant conservation efforts have been made in stone or steel, there is a noticeable lack of expertise in India regarding brickwork. Established protocols are sparse, and there are few architects equipped to handle such iconic buildings. Furthermore, the complexity of the task often leads management to fatigue, prompting them to resort to short-cuts due to the considerable associated costs.”