IIM-A said some bedrooms have suffered damage beyond repairs over the years.
Ahmedabad:
The Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad has decided to demolish 14 of its dormitories designed by American architect Louis Kahn in the 1960s, saying they have become “unsafe” due to “structural deterioration and deterioration.”
The IIM-A said these bedrooms have suffered damage beyond repairs over the years, such as during a 2001 earthquake and water leaks.
Louis Kahn was commissioned by scientist Vikram Sarabhai to design buildings and the IIM-A was one of the iconic buildings he built in the 1960s.
In a letter to alumni, IIM-A director Errol D’Souza shared photos to show the state of the nearly 60-year-old brick structures.
“We felt it was necessary to keep them informed, as we are the custodians of Louis Kahn’s buildings who have the potential to inspire future generations. Over the past two decades, buildings have suffered from dilapidation and structural deterioration,” said the director. of the IIM-A said.
“The earthquake at the beginning of the millennium and the seepage of water from the aging and deterioration of exposed brick walls has caused large cracks in the masonry and periodic shedding of the masonry in fragments. They are not safe to live on,” he said.
“We have faced questions about why we should assume that the past is unchanging and why we should assume that future generations will value things in exactly the same way as past generations. We wonder if it is appropriate for us to colonize the future perceptions of living spaces, “said Errol D’Souza. “It has not been easy to deal with the problems that have arisen as we try to restore these buildings,” the IIM-A director said in the 11-page letter.
“As is well known, Kahn did not use concrete liners to protect the rebar embedded in the masonry and this has led to rusting of the bars and cracks in the masonry. The bricks used were not the best in their class and had a embedded efflorescence, “said Errol D’Souza.
“The bricks used by Kahn were what the architects call second class bricks according to IS 3102-1971 with an average compressive strength of 4.89 N / mm2 and with built-in efflorescence,” the letter says. “The pointer that was used to hide the blunt edges of the bricks was damaged and allowed water to collect, resulting in entry into the masonry. The 2001 earthquake, among other things, posed challenges to the structural stability of the bricks. buildings “. He said.
“We have tried to address these issues with the best team of conservation architects anyone could ask for – SNK (Somaya and Kalappa Consultants). We invited international restoration consultants Peter Inskip and Stephen Gee for advice and they suggested that we first restore a building and then, based on our findings, we could continue work on other buildings, “said the IIM-A director.
After lengthy deliberations, it was decided to commit to doing whatever was necessary to restore the core of the Louis Kahn buildings, the library, the faculty wings, the classroom complex, and the dormitories on the periphery of the building system. however, it was decided to be guided by three imperatives: (1) functional needs, (2) cultural heritage and (3) available resources, “said Errol D’Souza.
“After much circumspection, we have decided to restore Dorms 16 to 18. Together with the restored Dormitory 15, as you will recall, they constitute the periphery of the constructed campus and are the first buildings that people entering the campus see and understand together with the LKP. and associated buildings such as the grandeur associated with Kahn’s work. For the other bedrooms (1 to 14) found in the inner core, we will invite architects from around the world to present us with options on how we should make new bedrooms. ” Errol D’Souza said.
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