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Published: January 12th 2007
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Mr. B. V. Doshi.. - Conference Center
Not kept in a great condition, the building is falling apart, but still is impressive. Ok, this one is for the architects, some of you may find this a little boring but finally I found some interesting buildings of international recognition (please note I am yet to visit the Taj), in the strangest most unexpected city as well. But before we get into the architecture talk, let's just recount the journey to our current destination, Ahmedabad. A grueling 16 and a half bus journey, and mind you not via highway, but the ‘short cut’ being the back end of no-where on a road that doesn’t even class as a dirt track. Now the buses we’ve been traveling on are sleeper coaches, meaning there actual beds on the bus, which is brilliant because you actually get to sleep lying down, far more comfortable than the reclining seats. Further the sleeper beds come in upper and lower, kind of like bunk beds. Now this is where the fun starts as well, and well we’ve had our first casualty of the India experience. John (mate traveling with me) had just a minor accident, which we can laugh at now (sorry mate) but at the time, was a little bit ‘what the f@ck’. So I woke up at about 4.30am
as the bus pulls in for a pit stop, when suddenly as John is getting down from his upper bunk bed for a stretch of the old legs, in his dazed 4.30(am) morning stagger, slips and falls. I hear this thud, as I turning to look up, asking if John is ok (mind you with a cheeky laugh as I thought you twit), the reply I get is this….”um no” with john standing there, bloody dripping down his face, after cracking his head on the steel bed, splitting his forehead. Just what you need at that time of the morning! So the poor bastard is standing there, I’m running about trying to find the bus driver (who has buggered off to get some food), so I can access the trunk of the bus, to get to my bag, to get the first aid kit, to get some bandages, to help. Mean while, John on the bus has passed out twice to the floor, a few people helping him but not really, and after finally getting the medical kit the bus driver kindly informs me that I have five minutes to clean John up before the bus is off again, oh
how sincere. Anyway long story short, we managed to tape up his fore head, get to our destination, check into a hotel and get to the doctors. 2 stitches later, a little dazed, confused and highly embarrassed, John was as good as new and will have a brilliant souvenir from his travels in India. I keep telling him-chicks dig scars. Not that he’ll appreciate this one bit but there is a photo attached at the end, couldn’t resist.
Now Ahmedabad, in the state of Gurjarat was just a stop over destination on the way to Rajasthan, but turned out to be a bit of an architects delight, as it is home to quite a few works by Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and Balkrishna Doshi. Now the city itself is pretty much like any other Indian city, rough, ragged - same, same but different. But huddled between the back streets, over the bridge, hidden behind the mountainous rubbish piles were some brilliant works. Not that we got to see all of them, due to time restraints, poor maps which meant we walked around in circles for hours, and tuk tuk drivers that don’t speak or read English, but we squeezed
in what we could. Useless information but the buildings we did miss out on were, Kahn's India Institute of Management, Corbusier's Shodan house which is meant to be beautiful but the ones we did see were a mix bag of spectacular and dismal.
Le Corbusier’s Museum at Ahmedabad turned out to be a real disappointment, the building was that run down and decrepit it is insulting. The building didn’t look great by any means but they have made no effort in maintaining the building and looked like an abandoned warehouse or factory. Anyway I didn’t even bother taking any photos that’s how uninspiring it was. Next door was another building now used as a conference center designed by Mr. B. V. Doshi (admittedly i thought this was a Corb. building but i have since been corrected). This was interesting in a slightly better condition, and the strong bold lines and concrete form were impressing from a distance. Getting to close just showed how much care or lack of, was given to such beautiful works. Hence the black and white photos, they add to the dramatic effect and hide the true state of the building. Worst of all the shanty
towns and dwelling are located basically next door, the front gardens to the center are a rubbish tip to the street dwellers (I feel that’s a more politically correct term for homeless bum).
The most prolific building that we happened to stubble across (or maps showed it in a different position), was Corbusier’s Millowner’s Association Building. The building is now used as a suite of offices for the textile office, while the rest of the building is open to the public and is kept in superb condition. It’s a brilliant display of classic Corbusier, highlighting clean lines, warm light and bright spaces with hints of color against the textured concrete. I think the photo’s speak for themselves.
We also visited the Ahmedabad School of Architecture, another Doshi building housing a number of international students obviously drawn here to study in the building. The School was a fascinating place and it felt like you could be anywhere in the world, shut away from the world of India, encapsulated in a modern European University. Again the design was all about light and space, and the Architectural Studio’s had brilliant light filtering in from above while the studio timber doors and
Le Corbusier - Millowners association building
Second floor and a floating stair case. Love it. windows opened to the courtyards sunken below.
Ahmedabad also was the home of Gandhi, so no visitor should miss the Sabarmati Ashram, which was the headquarters during the struggle for Indian Independence. The spiritual retreat is located on the banks of the river a few kilometres from the town center, and now houses a museum and shine to Gandhi and his work. A beautiful space, with interesting displays none more so than the letter written by Gandhi to Hitler.
But other than the run around tour that we completed the city didn’t have too much appeal. Same Same - But Different, and from here we are heading to the heart of India to the state of Rajastan. Although there are some interesting photos of daily life around the city, not your typical city shots.
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Timmy Cox
non-member comment
Puff.
Hey Tucks, Love the photographs of Corb, beautiful stuff (but i'm sure they photograph themselves - its not you that makes them look so good) keep pumping out those entries they make a great break from the grid here in the office - only 42 weeks to go!