Why was Anant Raje called Louis Kahn of India? Louis Kahn personally invited him to work in his office in Philadelphia. From 1964 to 1969, Raje collaborated with Kahn on notable projects such as the Indian Institute of Management, the Indian Institute of Forest Management, the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology University, and the National Dairy Development Board. Beyond the collaboration, the design works of Anant Raje speak more than his words.

95th Birthday Anniversary of Anant Raje (1929-2009)

On 17th September 2024, we celebrate the 95th birthday anniversary of a well-known architect and teacher in post-independence India who attended the Sir J.J. School of Art and graduated in 1954. Drawn to Ahmedabad by his colleague Balkrishna V. Doshi, who influenced his career in a variety of ways. Collaborated with Doshi on a variety of projects, including rural housing studies and bids for the Toronto City Hall competition. Further, His legacy on the subcontinent focuses on improving institutions.

An interpreter and introvert partly, Anant Raje’s growing detachment from public recognition made him a happy misfit, distancing his work from mundane vocabulary. Over fifty years, he became comfortable with his methods and explorations.

Remembering 10 Architectural Projects of Anant Raje

1) ATIRA Staff Housing, Ahmedabad, 1984.

This staff housing development emphasizes a layout that maximizes tree preservation, with a concrete frame structure for terraces. Rooms are individually distinct, featuring open corners. Detached stairs and building setbacks create courtyards that integrate existing trees seamlessly.

2) Residence for Kanubhai Patel, Ahmedabad, 1987

A 450-square-meter single-family, three-bedroom house, built on a square lot, features deep verandahs for sun protection and cool breezes. Built after the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal, MP, it is the beginning of architectural thoughts based on plinths, superstructures, and roofs. The house’s horizontal thrust creates shadow pockets for interior window openings.

3) Wedding Wall at Villa Shodhan, Ahmedabad, 1990

In a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, her family receives the bridegroom in a compound. Wedding Wall, Anant’s temporary installation at Le Corbusier’s Villa Shodhan, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad.
In the folk culture, singing and storytelling accomplish everything. For this event, local women built the walls instead of ordinary contractors and laborers. They arrived with sun-dried bricks and mud plaster and began singing at the same moment.

4) Students’ Dining Halls and Kitchens, Ahmedabad, 1978

The building features two dining halls with separate kitchens for non-vegetarian and vegetarian meals. The dormitory is positioned away from the promenade, while the classroom porch connects the dining areas and auditoriums, opening to the porch, lower gardens, and a space for future activities across the street. Pilasters and hollow beams support the roof, and the faculty dining spaces are situated above the porch.

5) Management Development Centre, IIMA, 1982

A school within a school that trains managerial personnel in public and private enterprises. The building is an enlarged house, similar to a mahal, with a central court, rooms, corridors, classrooms, dining halls, and a lounge. An open-to-sky court indicates the centrality, surrounded by rooms, lounges, and concourses. The architecture follows Kahn’s previous order, with exposed brick masonry-bearing walls and reinforced concrete ties. Concrete aprons with clerestory light bring light to the basement, while strict geometry regulates elements and creates a tighter composition of spaces.

6) Ravi Mathai Centre, Ahmedabad, 1989

The Ravi Mathai Centre is a ‘C ‘-shaped structure with administrative offices forming a linear building connected to the auditorium via a circular corridor. The complete composition includes a court facing the Kahn-designed portion of the building, leaving a narrow linear area of approximately 10 meters wide. The courts connecting the Mathai Center Plaza to the Louis Kahn Plaza are formed by broken margins of faculty offices.

7) Galbabhai Farmers’ Training Institute, Banaskantha, 1983

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has established an institute in Palanpur, Gujarat, aimed at providing basic training in cooperative dairy farming to rural farmers. The institute, located in wheatfields, features courtyards enclosed by stone walls, two classrooms with residential rooms for 24 students, dining facilities, and a dairy plant. The builders use load-bearing stone for the buildings, install concrete lintels, and create deeply recessed openings for shade.

8) MAFCO Dairy for NDDB, Bombay, 1977

Raje’s Mafco dairy in Bombay reflects the productive cycle and emphasizes the importance of tradition in his work. However, Raje’s approach to tradition is not nostalgic or stylistic, but rather meaningful and meaningful use of each material. He seizes the expressivity of each material and discovers new potentialities, making it a great edifice in the history of construction. Raje’s focus on tradition is not about using futuristic materials or referencing “poor” technologies, but rather about meaningfully using each material and discovering new potentialities.

9) Minerals and Mining Museum, Nagpur, 1988

The hot and dry climate of Nagpur forces him to dig museum spaces into the ground to protect exhibits from extreme temperatures. The museum offers a unique experience by showcasing underground mine conditions. Raje conceived various scales and sizes, with each floor being a horizontal section. The building is linear, with one entrance for the museum and another for the auditorium. Stairs and an elevator connect the auditorium to the lower part of the museum. A nine-story office building is under construction, with two additional entrances.

10) Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, 1992

The institute’s plan aims to create a homogenous, cohesive structure for various activities. It avoids isolationist tendencies and promotes academic and social interaction. It aims to create a sense of community without contradicting the need for students to feel independent, ensuring a successful and flexible institute that promotes academic and social interaction. The academic area consists of faculty and research offices, student dormitories, a kitchen, dining areas, and group meeting spaces. The living zone includes student dormitories, kitchens, dining areas, and other spaces for group meetings. Each unit has a terrace-level living room, a terrace-level terrace view, and a bedroom/study room for individual students.

Conclusion

Ahmedabad is predominant, correct? Yes, Anant Raje designed several private dwellings in and around Ahmedabad that highlight his interest in the link between shape and void, as well as the permeable boundary between interiors and exterior areas. In the last essay, Anant Raje wrote, “Kahn would often talk about light, how light defines and characterizes space. Light itself would say ‘This is the domed room and not a flat-roofed room’, or an arch, or a vault. Light could enhance the character of a particular space or structure that encloses this space. These preoccupations of Louis Kahn were the lessons learned.”

This sums up Raje’s commitment to light and shadow!!

Content Writing And Research By: Ar. Baarat Krishna