N Swarnavalli

AR3596

In December 2020, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) released an RFP (Request for Proposal) stating the demolition of its dormitory buildings designed by Louis I Kahn. The argument put forth by the management for the demolition of the dormitories addressed measurable concerns of use, safety, maintenance and cost while the architectural community pointed toward the immeasurable concerns regarding the historical significance and timeless nature of the Louis Kahn buildings. Both parties, however, looked at the conflict in isolation of space and time. In the whole debate, only Kahn’s campus was addressed without taking into account the incremented campus of IIM-A in 2020, and the changes in the urban landscape surrounding the institute. Moreover, the arguments put forth were also isolated in time. Either the significance of the buildings in the past was addressed or concerns about the present physical condition of the buildings were raised. The relevance of the aging buildings against the changed context of 2020, however, was never addressed.