Louis Kahn's IIMA Dormitories in Ahmedabad Face Demolition

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) announced on Christmas Eve 2020 its decision to demolish most of the dormitories designed by Louis I. Kahn between 1962 and 1974. The news sparked global outrage among architects, art historians, and alumni, leading to a suspension of the demolition process in early 2021. The institute cited restoration costs and earthquake safety risks, but critics note that a restoration project by Somaya & Kalappa had been underway since 2014, with work on dormitory D15 completed and the library restored. A November 2020 lecture by architect Brinda Somaya showed no indication of demolition plans. The decision appears linked to a 2014 Master Plan by architect Bimal Patel, whose firm HCP Design also designed the Sabarmati Riverfront and other projects for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Patel's ARCOP Associates had already been commissioned for reconstruction. The case echoes previous controversial modifications to works by Le Corbusier and B.V. Doshi in Ahmedabad, raising concerns about nationalist rewriting of architectural heritage.