90-year-old Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi has been announced as the winner of this year’s prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. 

The stated purpose of the Pritzker Architecture Prize is “to honour a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of talent, vision and commitment; and has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture”.

Doshi has worked as an architect, educator and urban planner for the past 70 years. He cites international modernist influences such as Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, which mix with local traditions, in his ethical and personal approach to architecture. 

Doshi’s practice Vastushilpa Consultants has completed more than 100 projects since its inception in 1956. The company now employs five partners and sixty employees.

Among an enormous range of works over the years, some of his most influential projects are Aranya Low Cost Housing (Indore, 1989), the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore, 1977–1992), his personal studio Sangath (Ahmedabad, 1980), Amdavad Ni Gufa (Ahmedabad, 1994) and the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT University) (Ahmedabad, 1966–2012).

“Every object around us, and nature itself – lights, sky, water and storm – everything is in a symphony,” says Doshi. “And this symphony is what architecture is all about. My work is the story of my life, continuously evolving, changing and searching… searching to take away the role of architecture, and look only at life.”

The 2018 jury citation states, in part: “Over the years, Balkrishna Doshi has always created an architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends. With a deep sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to his country and its people through high quality, authentic architecture, he has created projects for public administrations and utilities, educational and cultural institutions, and residences for private clients, among others.”

The jury citation continues, “Doshi is acutely aware of the context in which his buildings are located. His solutions take into account the social, environmental and economic dimensions, and therefore his architecture is totally engaged with sustainability.”

Doshi is the 45th Pritzker Prize Laureate and the first to hail from India. Previous Laureates include Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta of RCR Arquitectes, Spain (2017), Alejandro Arevana of ELEMENTAL, Chile (2016), Frei Otto, Germany (2015) and Shigeru Ban of Shigeru Ban Architects, Japan (2014).