AHMEDABAD: Celebrated American architect Louis Kahn’s daughters Sue Ann Kahn, Alexandra Tyng and son Nathaniel Kahn have written to IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) director Prof Errol D’Souza on December 22, requesting India’s premier Bschool to reconsider their plan to raze the dormitories, part of the larger ‘heritage campus’ designed by Kahn.
The institute has been in the eye of the storm for the past few days after it sent a letter to the alumni informing them about the decision to demolish 14 of 18 dormitory buildings.
Kahn’s children termed the destruction of the dormitories a “disaster” for their father’s legacy, adding that they were shocked and dismayed to learn of the abandonment of the conservation plan and issuance of expression of interest for the demolition. “The buildings in question are the heart of our father’s universally acknowledged masterpiece at IIM-A. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to reconsider this decision,” stated the letter, adding that the action would unleash powerful reactions not only from architects but also from alumni, leaders of culture, business and industry.
The letter added that the demolition move is more shocking in the light of restoration of Vikram Sarabhai Library, which even received the Unesco Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2019. It mentioned a meeting with Prof D’Souza at the University of Pennsylvania in the summer of 2018 — “As you recall, the purpose of the visit to Richards (Medical Research Laboratories) was to see first-hand how a great Kahn building could be reimagined to suit changing needs. We might add that the Richards Building was also at one time in peril of demolition. It is now considered a very useful structure and a desirable address on campus,” said the letter, drawing parallels with the current discussion around the 14 dorm buildings.
IIM-A officials on Sunday confirmed receipt of the email and said that Prof D’Souza, in his response, wrote: “We are thinking along the lines you hint at which is to redesign the buildi ngs to provide new functionalities whilst preserving the grammar that your father had visualized for the campus.”