IIM-Ahmedabad Scraps Plan To Raze Iconic Buildings; Know Why

Picture courtesy: The Indian Express

Ahmedabad: The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is set to withdraw the proposal of demolishing 14 of its dormitories designed by iconic American architect Louis Kahn in 1960s, according to an official on Friday.

The institute’s Board of Governors (BoG) said they are “sensitive to the feedback from some stakeholders” who opposed razing the student dorms and building new ones, for which, the institute issued an Expression of Interest.

“We are therefore withdrawing the Expression of Interest that was put out. We will deliberate on the feedback received, re-evaluate the options, consult the best global conservation structural experts, and chart out a course of action, which the institute will communicate in due course,” a statement from the institute was quoted by news agency PTI.

“We seek your support as we try to find the best answer to the issues of how to cater to our responsibility to a significant legacy, the safety of those who utilise the buildings as well as being in tune with the needs of the future,” the statement added.

Explaining the reason for the plans to “reconstruct” the unsafe dormitories, the BoG said although the IIMA recognises that it has to nurture a cultural legacy, there can be “no compromise on the safety of residents of the dorms”, reported PTI.

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