Achyut Kanvinde-The Functionalist Architect

 

Achyut P. Kanvinde (1916 –2002), the Indian architect with functionalist approaches with elements of Brutalist architecture. He was born in Achra, in Konkan region of Maharashtra in 1916. He believed that a grid of columns forming a matrix giving structural and spatial aspect would turn a design more sophisticated and faceted.

·       1935: Studied architecture under Claude Batley in Sir J. J School of Arts

·       1945: Completed Masters from Harvard, student of Walter Gropius (Thesis on Science Laboratories)

·       1947: Chief Architect of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)

·       1955: Formed Kanvinde and Rai

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS

·        1976: Received the Padma Shree

·        1974-75: Became the president of IIA (Indian Institute of Architects)

·        1985: Winner of IIA “Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal”

·        1993: Awarded the Great Masters Award from JK Industries Ltd

·        Part of the jury on the competition for Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, along with B. V. Doshi

INFLUENCES

·        Claude Batley (1941): Avoided loud, revolutionary display of the machine age and a follower of functionalism.

·        Walter Gropius (1945): Used space as a tool for expressing universal human values

PHILOSOPHIES

Kanvinde represented an architectural expression that reflected the “culture and aspirations” and the rise of the Brutalist architecture. He was the “Father of Modern Indian Architecture”.

·        Functionalism

“Shape or form of the building should emerge out of logical arrangement of space not dominated by the idea of symmetry”

While designing, the first priority was given to the building’s function and the social values and non-functional decorations were excluded. Kanvinde rejected symmetry, his buildings were pale cuboid form with a repetitive arrangement of windows with elegance.

·       Modern Architecture and Brutalism

He used simplified form by the elimination of unnecessary detail. The visual expression of structure opposed the idea of hiding the structural elements. His buildings were typically very linear, fortress-like and blockish and often predominated concrete construction.

·       Regionalism

Kanvinde’s designs were based on local climate, availability of local materials, social conditions and sound climatological principles.

·       He played with spaces and forms yet his designs were slender, balanced, proportionate, neat and well crafted.

·       Believed in vernacular architecture and treated buildings with Vaastu Sastra (Ancient Indian Philosophy). He believed that the values and historical influences contribute toward good architecture.

·       Buildings were down to the human scale and building masses were arranged in such a way that they were functional from inside and elegant from the outside.

 

MATERIALS

Local availability of high-quality brick and prevalent labour and construction practices made Kanvinde go for RCC for structural frames and bricks for the infill. He made an aesthetic use of two materials.

 

Achyut Kanvinde, along with his friend Shaukat Rai, designed some of India’s most prominent buildings. Kanvinde’s designing skills were completed by Shaukat, who handled project execution and business aspects. Together they designed more than 500 structures- schools, colleges, hostels, hospitals, temples, residences, offices and high rise. Covering his career with a wide range of work in over five decades, Kanvinde took his last breath on 28 December 2002.  His son Sanjay Kanvinde along with wife Tanuja now manages the ‘Kanvinde and Rai’.

Some of his famous projects are: