The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) Friday released the first part of the Monograph series, Not Yet 25—a nostalgia piece on the concept, design and construction of the institute built by architect Louis Kahn, through the photographs taken by legendary photographer late Pranlal Patel, who was a frequent visitor to the campus in its early years.
The monograph series comes at a time when IIMA has decided to bring down most of the parts of the existing Kahn buildings citing safety concerns.
The collection of 60 images, prepared by Professor Vijaya Sherry Chand of Ravi J Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation and released by the IIMA Archives, is a combination of Kahn’s designs and Patel’s pictures of the campus taken during the nearly first 25 years of the institute between 1967 and 1985, and thus, justifies the title ‘Not Yet 25’.
The images, including those of the ‘demonstration’ arch that Kahn built, the grand central staircase of the Vikram Sarabhai Library, Harvard Steps and student dormitories, offer a glimpse of the thought that went into building the campus and the challenges that had to be overcome.
The monograph is based primarily on the records maintained by IIMA Archives. IIMA Archives plan to bring out two or three parts of the Monograph series annually. The next one—most likely on Vikram Sarabhai Library—is expected to be released in July or August.
Nearly two years after IIMA witnessed strong global resentment, including from Kahn’s children, for their decision to not restore but pull down dorms on its old campus and opposed floating an Expression of Interest for the demolition works of the historic dorm buildings, the institute, in November last year, announced that it will not continue with any further restoration but reconstruct dorms, faculty blocks and classroom complex to upkeep Kahn’s legacy.
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