Ambuja Neotia Group’s second edition of the B.V. Doshi Memorial Exhibition which opened at Kalavaani, Swabhumi in Kolkata, last week, has brought together leading minds from India’s design fraternity in a tribute to the legacy of late architect Balkrishna V. Doshi, the nation’s first Pritzker Laureate.
Titled ‘Celebrating the Life and Work of Architect Girish Doshi’, the exhibition was inaugurated on August 28. It paid homage to Doshi’s philosophy and influence on contemporary Indian architecture, through sketches, models, photographs, and essays. The curated show invited visitors to explore how Girish Doshi—mentor and protégé—carried forward the veteran’s legacy.
The inaugural day also witnessed the institution of the Prabir Mitra Memorial Award, dedicated to the late architect Prabir Mitra, presented by a jury comprising Partha Ranjan Das, Subir Kumar Basu, Abin Chaudhuri and Vivek Singh Rathore. The inaugural award honoured SQUARE, an architectural consultancy credited for merging cultural heritage of Bengal and Kolkata with contemporary global trends.
The attendees included architects, cultural theorists, design enthusiasts, and admirers of the Doshi legacy.
Said Harshavardhan Neotia, chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group: “Through the B.V. Doshi Memorial Exhibition and the Prabir Mitra Memorial Award, we aim to celebrate not only great architecture, but also the humane and enduring values that shape the profession, values of integrity, restraint, and purpose.”
“Architecture rests on Shraddha and Saburi — respect and patience. It is a slow profession, where even after decades at the drawing board, one keeps searching for new ways of doing things,” he added.
Said Girish Doshi: “My years at B.V. Doshi’s studio taught me that true architecture is not about speed or demand, but about creating spaces that transcend the practical and honour the human experience.”
The exhibition will remain open till September 14, from Monday to Thursday (4pm to 8pm) and Friday – Sunday (12pm – 8pm).
