Achuyt Prakash Kanvinde1916-2002

Life and works of

Padma Shri Achyut Kanvinde occupied a unique position

in the history of contemporary Indian architecture. He was

an Indian architect , teacher, writer and a committed

modernist as he always desired to take Indian architecture

to be global and to the height of international style.

Kanvinde was born in 1916 in

a small village on the Konkan

coast. Raised in a joint family

in the village.

Kanvinde had the calling of a

painter and did enroll in an

art school but the family

decided that architecture

would be a better profession

for him. He entered the

Architecture Department at

Sir J.J. School of Art in 1935

then headed by Claude

Batley. In 1943, he joined the

newly formed Council for

Scientific and Industrial

Research as architect.

Achyut Kanvinde attended

Harvard Graduate school of

Design in 1945. In ‘47

appointed as the Chief

Architect of CSIR (the council

for Scientific and Industrial

Research).

He return to India in 1948 and worked on the

planning and design of several laboratories.

Formed Kanvinde and Rai in 1955.

He practiced perfectly for 55 years, he was

considered the pioneer of what may be

termed the modern movement in architecture

in India.

• Kanvinde plays with space and forms.

His designs are slender, balanced,

proportionate, neat and well crafted.

His Concepts and Philosophy

• He gave much more importance to the

natural light. He gave such a form to the

building that it can solve the problem of

ventilation as well as excessive heat .

• He believed that a grid of

columns forming a matrix

giving structural and spatial

aspect would turn a design to

more sophisticated and

faceted.

• He treated his building with

Vastushastra.

• Functionalist style of design

• logic of lightness

The complete focus on the

materials to be used in

construction kanvinde always try

to develop such an aesthetic

for a heavy mass construction

that looks light.

The institutional buildings he designed in the first five years, are conservative. All having:• similar facades.• Horizontal, clean volumes, • aesthetically pleasing proportions of

fenestration.• Ribbon windows.• A grid frame structure- unexposed, and

plastered exterior finish.

Followed by an experimental phase- in the course of the next five years he designed: (i)Harivallabdas House (ii) IIT Kanpur (iii) Doodhsagar Dairy

Each appears to be an exploration in a distinctly newdirection. The Harivallabdas House has been taken up indetail later on. The Doodhsagar dairy is monstrous, raw, andprobably one of the first outbursts of what can be calledKanvinde’s brutalism. The form is very rough, and blocky. Hehas always been described to be modest and approachable,and always has preferred to keep a low profile. This buildingpresents a stark contrast to his character.

His works

Nehru Science center, Mumbai

ISKCON Temple, New Delhi

IIT, New Delhi

IIT, Kanpur

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

IIT-Kanpur is located on the Grand Trunk Road, 15 km

west of Kanpur City and measures close to 420hectares.

Halls of residence, faculty and staff houses and

community buildings surround the central academic

area to provide flexibility in movement andcommunication.

The sprawling campus is spread over an area of 4.3km².

The Institute has a number of facilities , including the

National Wind Tunnel Facility.

• Elevated pedestrian walkway

• Sheltered and yet openness

• Protection from hot sun yet

allowing breezes

• Reveals the internal functions

in a building as separate

masses.

• Arranged in ways that were

functional from inside and

legant from outside.

Indian Institute of Technology

New Delhi

• It is established in 1961.

•“Nehru University” is adjoining at the southern edge.

• The site is available near “Qutab Minar Complex” which is a

landmark place in the colorful history of Delhi.

• The Institute campus is about 19 Km. away from the Delhi Main

Railway Station, 14 Km. from the New Delhi Railway Station, 21

Km. from the Inter-State Bus Terminal and 10 Km from Delhi

Airport.

• It is well connected to the major city centers by open and wide

roads.

Aerial view Hostel building

The site being longitudinal in shape, two academiczones have been located mid-way between the tworesidential zones in order to reduce walking distance.• The main academic building accommodates variousteaching and research activities.• Heavy engineering laboratories are placed

on the ground floor, light laboratories on the first floor.

Computer science blockMechanical blockMain Building

ISKCON TempleNew Delhi

•It is built in 1998 and it islocated in New Delhi.• The project is situated on asloping site and covers an areaof 3 acres with the slope of 8meters in relation to roadlevel.• Deity spaces are located atthe highest level.• It has assembly hall for 400people.• The building was constructedof reinforced concrete framestructure and clad with redand white stone finish.

•Services spaces like kitchen, dinning areas for

devotees, offices are located at the lower level.

• Other activities are :-

•Multimedia cultural center.

•Auditorium.

•Animistic presentation museum.

•Dormitory for devotees.

•Small shopping areas.

•Restaurant and offices.• Temple is around an informal court with sunk garden

spaces.

•There are cascades all around and waterfalls to

create ambience.

Nehru Science centerMumbai

Nehru Science Centre is Situated on Dr. E. Moses Road, Mumbai

-400018, in between Worli Naka and Mahalaxmi Railway Station

and spread over 14 acres of land.

The Centre provides a natural and free environment for

students to learn, familiarize and spend creative holidays and

for professionals in the field of science education to have a

glimpse of innovations in science education.

Close to 1,20,000 school children alone participate in the

activities of the Centre.Nehru Science Centre, the largest Science Centre in the

country has a sprawling 8 acres of science park with varieties of

plants, trees and shrubs .

More than 50 hands-on and interactive science exhibits on

energy, sound, kinematics, mechanics , transport, etc . are

installed in the science park.

The NSC building with its unique architecture houses severalpermanent science expositions on various themes.

The complex is worked out of a series of repetitive

multidimensional modules, creating a variation of spaces with

the building in a way that the units do not create monotony of

space, but a quality that creates surprises and stirs the minds of

visitors as the move with the complex .

Visitors approaching the museum enter at the second storey

atrium through a landscaped approach.

From there they can take a route and visit the exhibit areas bynegotiating one floor. At the lowest level, where the lecture

hall, the library and the cafeteria area are located for leisure,

half way through the movement from where the visitors can

return back to the entrance atrium area after completing the

tour.

Thank you

Abida Ansar

Shahul Shibili