Photo Credit: www.vitra.com
The Doshi Retreat, designed by Indian architects Balkrishna Doshi, Khushnu Panthaki Hoof, and Sönke Hoof, was officially inaugurated on October 25 at the world-renowned Vitra Campus, home to works by modern masters such as Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, and Frank Gehry. It is the first building on the campus designed by architects from India, marking a notable addition to the architectural dialogue between India and Germany.
The structure, commissioned before Doshi’s death in 2023, draws on elements of his acclaimed Sangath studio in Ahmedabad, combining Indian craftsmanship with the precision and restraint typical of the Vitra complex.
A Cross-Continental Collaboration
The idea for the project dates back to 2020, when Rolf Fehlbaum, former Chairperson of Vitra, visited India and the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat. Moved by the temple’s spatial experience, Fehlbaum reached out to Doshi, asking if he would consider designing a similar contemplative space for the Vitra Campus.
That proposal led to a collaboration between Doshi, his granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof, and her husband Sönke Hoof. “That’s how we came together and worked on the project,” said Khushnu, describing the retreat as the outcome of conversations that bridged cultures and generations.
Design: Between Craft and Contemplation
Constructed in weathered steel, with a ceiling handcrafted by artisans in Ahmedabad, the retreat carries forward Doshi’s belief in architecture as a living experience rather than a static object. Winding pathways, intimate courtyards, and natural textures guide visitors through what the architects describe as “a space that invites interpretation and dialogue.”
The project was supported by ArcelorMittal and the Mittal family, underscoring an industrial–cultural partnership that links India’s artisanal tradition with global materials and methods.
Vitra’s Continued Engagement with Indian Architecture
The Vitra Campus, located near the German–Swiss border, is recognized as a museum of contemporary architecture, featuring works by leading global architects. Its association with Doshi began in 2019, when the furniture company hosted his first international retrospective, “Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People,” curated by Khushnu Panthaki Hoof.
The exhibition showcased Doshi’s six-decade career, including projects such as the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, the Aranya Housing Project in Indore, and Amdavad Ni Gufa. At the time, Doshi described architecture as “a form of everyday theatre,” a view that echoes through the new retreat.
Legacy and Significance
For Germany, the retreat enriches the Vitra Campus with a design rooted in an entirely different cultural context. For India, it represents an international acknowledgment of Doshi’s lifelong exploration of human-centered architecture.
The Doshi Retreat thus stands as both a continuation of a modern Indian architectural legacy and a symbol of evolving Indo-German cultural exchange — one that places India firmly on the global design stage, not as an observer, but as a contributor of enduring ideas.
