Louis Kahn’s dormitories at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (IIMA) are currently under threat of demolition. The school announced in mid-December back in 2020 that it plans to demolish 14 out of 18 of the dormitories on campus. The announcement came as a surprise especially because the restoration of the library of the IIMA by Somaya & Kalappa (SNK) was given an Award of Distinction for the 2019 UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards that marked a milestone for raising awareness about modern heritage in India. The dormitories were supposed to follow similar restoration works by SNK, but the abrupt announcement put a halt to any plans for the site.
Following the announcement a couple of weeks ago, architectural historian William JR Curtis wrote an Outrage piece for The Architectural Review, and architect Prem Chandavarkar drafted an open letter addressed to IIMA director Errol D’Souza, asking for the decision to be reconsidered. Both texts insist on the cohesiveness and integrity of the campus, and the importance to preserve it as a whole.
Docomomo Hong Kong urges the local and international community members to sign the petition initiated by the Architectural Review in order to show support and formalise a global demand to preserve this unique piece of modern heritage.