Meet IIM Bangalore’s Architect B V Doshi: Pritzker Prize Winner Who Blended Nature, Learning and Bengaluru’s Heritage

Bengaluru, August 18, 2026: The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) campus, designed by renowned architect and Pritzker Prize winner Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, continues to stand out as an important example of architecture that blends education, nature and Indian cultural traditions.

Completed in 1983, the IIM Bangalore campus covers around 54,000 square metres within a 100-acre site. Its design draws inspiration from the historic city of Fatehpur Sikri, while incorporating the greenery and garden culture associated with Bengaluru.

According to IIM Bangalore, Doshi envisioned a campus where students and faculty could move freely through corridors, courtyards and outdoor spaces. The interconnected layout was also designed to accommodate future expansion.

The architecture was influenced by several Indian landmarks and landscapes. Dr Kiran Keswani, author of The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore, noted that Doshi was particularly inspired by the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, whose stone corridors and courtyards influenced his approach to the campus.

The design also brought together the courtyards of Fatehpur Sikri and the gardens of Bengaluru. Instead of creating enclosed academic spaces, Doshi introduced green corridors and open courtyards where students and faculty could interact beyond the classroom.

Classrooms were designed with doors opening towards courtyards, allowing learners to remain connected with the surrounding landscape. Doshi also organised classroom buildings into clusters, creating shared outdoor spaces that encouraged interaction.

His vision was for the campus to be green and walkable, with spaces where people could sit under pergolas, meet informally and spend time outdoors. The design drew inspiration from Bengaluru's Lalbagh and Cubbon Park, reinforcing the idea of a campus connected by walking paths rather than isolated buildings.

Keswani described Doshi's architectural philosophy as a balance between the constant and the variable. His aim was to create a timeless campus that could evolve while retaining its core character. The campus was conceived almost like a small village or town, where people could remain connected to the wider world while enjoying a relaxed environment.

The construction also reflected a strong regional character. Stone masonry was carried out by local artisans from Hampi and other parts of Karnataka, as well as Tamil Nadu.

Doshi deliberately kept the buildings relatively low, allowing them to remain visually connected with the surrounding trees and landscape. The result is an architectural environment in which stone, greenery, light and open space work together.

IIM Bangalore said the changing interplay of walls, openings, light and shadows gives the main building a different character at different times of the day and across seasons.

The institute describes the courtyards and corridors as reflecting the Indian tradition of community and sensitivity to the environment. The campus demonstrates how interior and exterior spaces can work together, allowing education, art, architecture and everyday life to coexist.

More than four decades after its completion, Doshi's design continues to make the IIM Bangalore campus an important reference point for architectural education and practice.