Renowned Mumbai-based architect I. M. Kadri’s body of work titled The Architecture of I. M. Kadri, was launched at Nehru Centre recently
If you were to list some of the most intriguing and uniquely built buildings of South Mumbai, chances are that you’d be listing structures built by legendary architect, Iftikhar M. Kadri. The renowned architect, known for his path-breaking work over the past five decades, has designed prominent commercial, residential and hospitality buildings in India and other countries. In Mumbai, some of his popular work includes Shivsagar Estate, Brighton Apartments, Islam Gymkhana, Nehru Centre, National Association for the Blind, and many others. At a recently held event at Nehru Centre, Kadri’s body of work was presented in the form of a book—a literary and visual masterpiece titled The Architecture of I. M. Kadri. The book, penned by Mumbai-based author, Kaiwan Mehta, was launched amongst esteemed company such as Satish Sahney, CEO, Nehru Centre, Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC Ltd.; Shirish Patel, Sr. Structural Consultant; R. D. Pradhan; apart from I. M. Kadri, Rahul Kadri and the author himself.
The architectural legacy
Mehta, who has studied architecture, literature, Indian aesthetics and cultural studies, shared how privileged he felt to have the opportunity to put together a volume representing Kadri’s work. “It is with great happiness that I stand here to present a celebration of architectural legacy, to produce a certain kind of understanding of the journey of a man’s work.” Kadri’s work marks and punctuates the architectural journey in India, believes Mehta. He asks, “What can a large body of work tell us about history?” going on to explain how Kadri extended the potential of architectural material—an example of that would be the curtain jaali wall of the Otter’s Club built in 1973, achieved by cutting against the grain of the stone.
A complete ecosystem
Apart from his talent for creating intriguing facades, Kadri is also known for the keen awareness that he is building for the masses and that his buildings contribute to the environment, and not compete instead. “Buildings should have an identity, not a placard” is a famous quote by the celebrated architect. One of the many examples of this philosophy is reflected in Nehru Centre with its expansive lawns, as explained by Satish Sahney, CEO, Nehru Centre.
The secret tool
A bit later, Rahul Kadri, the principal architect of IMK Architects, and son of I. M. Kadri, shared the “secret” to his father’s success by revealing how he would carry an A6 paper with him for drawing the masterplan or design of a building. This showed the focus, clarity and preciseness, with which I. M. Kadri worked. An exhibition of I. M. Kadri’s works were also displayed at Nehru Centre on the occasion of the book launch.
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 "Satish Sahney, Kaiwan Mehta, Deepak Parekh, R.D. Pradhan, I.M. Kadri, Shirish Patel and Rahul Kadri")
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