Achyut Purshottam (A.P.) Kanvinde and His Works

1. Submitted by: -
Sameer Mohindru (27)
Shivang Madaan (42)
Rajvir Singh (51)
Jasiqbal Singh (53)
Aabha Gautam (54)
Aaditya Chaudhary (71)
Divyanshu Aggarwal (75)
Achyut Purshottam
Kanvinde

2. CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Life and Career
01
02
03
04
ISKON TEMPLE, NEW DELHI
IIT KANPUR
NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE,
NEW DELHI
05
DUDHSAGAR DAIRY COMPLEX

3. INTRO
● AP Kanvinde was one of the pioneers
of Modern Architecture in India with
a professional career spanning five
decades.
● He worked in functionalist
approaches with elements of
Brutalist architecture.
● His body of work contributes to the
Modern heritage of
post-independence India.
● He received the Padma Shri, the
fourth-highest civilian award in the
Republic of India, in 1974.

4. Achyut Kanvinde with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
looking at the model of Lalit Kala Akademi | Photo Credit: The
Hindu Archives

5. LIFE
● He was born in 1916 in a small village
on the Konkan coast.
● His mother died when he was two
and his father was an arts teacher in
Mumbai.
● Enrolled in an art school but family
decided that architecture would be a
better profession for him.
● Studied at the Architecture
Department at Sir J.J. School of Art
b/w 1935-41.
● Joined Harvard School of Design in
1945 (sent by the gov. Of India).

6. LIFE
● He worked under Walter Gropius at Harvard and was influenced by his
thinking and teaching.
● Some of his famous contemporaries at Harvard were Paul Rudolph, I. M.
Pei and John Perkins.
● Kanvinde returned to India in the late 1947, and joined the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research. Here, he was involved in the design
and setting up of new research laboratories all over the country.
● He served as President of the Indian Institute of Architects from 1974 to
1976.

7. ● The Temple took 880 tonnes of steel, 5,500 tonnes
of cement, 25,000 sq ft of marble, 75,000 sq ft of
stone to build.
● Sitting on a hill, its red-and-white latticed towers
rise high.
● It sits in the middle of two equally important
religious sites, the Lotus Temple, with its
modernist twist to the Baha’i faith and the
Akshardham temple, which recalls the traditional
designs of Gujarat.
● When Ar. Kanvinde accepted the commission to
design the temple complex in 1993, he was
conscious that traditional form and modern
technology would exist side-by-side.
● Kanvinde believed that a temple is not just a
sacred space but also where people congregate as
a community, and, therefore, the design had to
synthesise those needs.
Radha Parthsarthi Temple
(ISKCON TEMPLE, NEW DELHI)

8. ● The basic requirements included the temple with space for its
deities, parikrama and sabha mandaps, with a prasadam hall.
● There would also be an auditorium, a library, dormitories and a
guest house, restaurants and shops.
● Spread across nearly 2.9 acres, the undulating rocky site was
landscaped by architect Kanvinde and his team, with water
features and gardens.
● Stone pergolas and gateways provide the pause spaces on site.
Kanvinde, who loved to sketch and doodle, did extensive
freehand drawings in his study of the temple shikharas.
● The project had become an internal journey for him. He didn’t
believe that philosophical rootedness should take on superficial
forms in a building.
● He once said: “When we don’t believe in it ourselves, it’s like
taking one’s great grandfather’s clothes in the name of
culture.”

10. ● The temple is built in the
contemporary architectural style
and pays tribute to the builders for
the design and outlay of the
structure.
● The artistic splendor of the temple
is evident starting with the spires
soaring into the sky to a height of
90 feet.
● The interiors are beautifully
decorated with the works of several
devotees depicting pastimes of
Radha-Krishna and Sita-Ram.
● The expansive central hall houses
attractively sculpted idols of
Radha-Parthsarthi.
● The ambience is exhilarating and a
feeling of peace and calm pervades
the entire temple complex.
● The chanting of the Maha Mantra
rents the air and everyone present
is taken in by the charm the temple
exudes.

11. ● There is a central prayer chamber which is a huge
room, extremely beautiful.
● The roof showcases painted triangular panels depicting
the life & journey of Krishna.
● A white shining chandelier hangs from the center which
adds glory to the ceiling and is there to light up the
paintings at night & endue them with a surreal glow.
● One can see several visitors sitting cross-legged on the
floor in peaceful way and reciting prayers &
invocations, some are found clapping their hands with
the beat.
● There are three chambers; each has a spacious niche in
which are set large shelter, they were golden painted.
● The idols are covered in glittery clothes & jewellery &
looking appealing sitting in their canopies.
● The golden look of the canopy attract many visitors, one
would have feeling of touching this glittering idols but a
barricade separates these niches from the visitors & a
large retinue of security men & women ensure that
visitors did not touch or roll on these barriers.

12. ● A water-fall has been
created with the help of 60
horsepower pumps in
various combinations,
which circulates 2 lac.
liters of water at a time.
● The main fall over the
prismatic red granites
blocks cover a total length
of 64 meters and the
secondary fall cascades at
various levels is most 38
meters in length.
● It is interesting to note
that this is the largest
manmade waterfall in the
country.

13. ● Also another innovation, which has been tried
for the first time in India for this project is the
creation of artificial fog by adopting high tech
hydraulic nozzles.
● The fog elements at the base at the base of the
fall by pushing the water at very high pressure
through micro fine sapphire nozzles.
● The simmering waters of the fall disappear in
the rising fog and create an ethereal
environment. The fog also helps in bringing
down surrounding temperature considerably
and achieves this using minimum amount of
water.
● For night effect appropriate artificial lighting
has been used to enhance the landscape
features.
● In the landscape areas indigenous long lasting
trees of religious significance have been used.
These trees will flower in different seasons
changing the environment at different times
● Extensive use of permanent groundcovers and
flowering shrubs has been used to avoid the
maintenance and changing of the plants every
season.

14. IIT KANPUR
LOCATION
IIT-Kanpur is located on the
Grand Trunk Road, 15 km
west of Kanpur City and
measures close to 420
hectares.
It was declared to be an
Institute of National
Importance by the
Government of India under
the Institutes of Technology
Act.

15. ● The IITK campus occupies a 1055
acre area.
● The Academic Complex is located
centrally at the site and free from
traffic noise.
● Academic buildings: 13 departments,
PK Kelkar Library, Computer
Centres faculty offices, laboratories
and administrative buildings
● Around 7000 students, 390 faculty,
and 1000 staff members (and their
families) reside on campus
● No. of buildings: 108
● 10 boys hostel and 2 girls hostel
● With Sports complex, Housing for
faculty
● The site is flat with the canal on one
side and transportation route on the
other side.
● Pedestrian and vehicular traffic are
completely segregated.
FEATURES

16. The Bauhaus influence in Kanvinde’s
style is clearly visible in the buildings
of IIT Kanpur: -
● cubic shapes
● smooth, flat plain,
undecorated surfaces
● complete elimination of all
mouldings and ornament
● ‘flat’ roofs

18. ● The residential campus is planned and
landscaped with a hope for environmental
freedom.
● Halls of residence, faculty and staff houses and
community buildings surround the central
academic area to provide flexibility in
movement and communication.
● Core Pedestrian island which consist of lecture
halls surrounded by landscaping and water
body forming the main focus of the campus.
● The academic area is well connected by a long
corridor which links all the major buildings
● The academic area is set up in vicinity of
Hostels to provide quick accessibility to
students
● Conventional type of buildings were designed
as isolated islands of departments
● Activities which students and faculties share
are designed to encourage meeting and
interaction
CONCEPT AND IDEOLOGY

19. ● The Institute's Academic Area comprises of
academic buildings and facilities including
the PK Kelkar Library, Computer Centre,
National Wind Tunnel Facility and SIDBI
Innovation and Incubation Centre.
● It also houses faculty offices, laboratories and
administrative buildings.
● The academic area is connected by a long
corridor which links all the major buildings.
● The library forms an important part of the
whole complex.
● It is a framed structure based on grid.
● The whole building is built in R.C.C with a
brick facade.
ACADEMIC AREA

20. SPLIT LEVEL CORRIDOR
SYSTEM
● Minimize the walking distance,
improving connectivity
● Create spatial expansion
● Give the impression of one large space
hence space is used as a tool
● Established in 1999 at IITK to meet the
national needs in areas of aeronautical
and non-aeronautical R&D activities
● Houses the most versatile and effective
wind tunnel in India.
● It has various simulation and
measurement systems,
interchangeable test sections and is
capable of testing at wind speed up to
80 m/s
NATIONAL WIND TUNNEL
FACILITY

21. Samtel Centre for Display Technologies
Department of Biological Sciences and
Bioengineering
Auditorium
Western Laboratories

22. THE NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE
IN NEW DELHI
● This project is located in the heart of Delhi
● Dates back to 1992 and is a popular tourist
attraction in the city.
● It is one of the largest science exhibits in
the world, as it showcases a plethora of
galleries all in a single establishment.
● The building is standing on a piece of land
measuring about 7000 sq.m with a total
built up area 14000 sq.m.
● A set of vertical volumes rise gradually. It has a
grand flight of steps on its entrance.
● The entry plaza to the Centre welcomes its
visitors with a huge exhibit spanning four
floors.

23. The building consists of: -
● Auditorium
● Seminar hall
● Lecture hall
● Cafeteria
In addition to it laboratories,depositories work,etc.
The shape of the site is in the form of trapezium.
● The visitors first enter the main atrium
at the second storey level through
landscaping.
● Then escalator takes them to fourth
storey atrium.
● The exhibits are exhibited here ; the
observer now slowly descends to lower
storey.
● The ground level consists of lecture
hall , conference hall, and common
facilities like cafeteria.
● This is the last stage from there the
visitors can depart.

24. ● The site is surrounded by historical surroundings.
● The purana qila is in the vicinity of the building.
● Terraces have been introduced at different levels.
● It has done in order to get relief from movement within
closed places and see outdoor exhibits.
● Since the site has an association with historical
surroundings of the city,an element form of heritage
plaza at the point of entry has been proposed depicting
certain outstanding elements associated with past,from
where people could enter the building in order to help
them orient to the past with present.
● Terrace garden also became a part of design philosophy
and form.
● They tend to present cascading green planters supported
by vertical tower shaft system in the form,expression and
design

25. DUDHSAGAR DAIRY COMPLEX

27. ● The plant is a postmodern brutalist building designed by Achyut Kanvinde
● The plan separates the milk reception building and the processing plant which resulted in a simplicity in design.
● The plan also uses the slope of the site to create the multi-level building to take advantage of gravity instead of the use
of pumping system. It results in energy and cost savings. The milk received via trucks is collected at the concrete decks
at the highest level. Then milk is transferred to the pasteurization level followed by the condensation and powder plants
respectively at lower levels.
● The plan uses seven metre-long square concrete grids to form various orthogonal spaces. The walls are built by bricks
and the plant machinery stays framed within these grids. The different levels of these machinery is reached by bridges,
walkways and stairs. Instead of exhaust fans to evacuate heat, the ventilation ducts are built around the milk reception
building and the processing plants linking all spaces. These ventilation ducts rise as the shafts from the roof at various
levels and have angular caps on the top. The slit windows in the walls bring in natural light and air while the spaces
with machinery are artificially lighted to maintain hygiene.

28. A clear separation between the milk reception and powder processing areas makes the plan deceptively simple, as it
becomes evident that the section is the core generator of the design. This takes us to the second important aspect—the
use of sloping site to evolve a multi-level design. A raised concrete deck where the milk trucks bring the milk from
village collection centres marks the entry from which milk goes to the lower level for pasteurisation. It is then
transferred to the condensation plant and further to the large multi-storeyed space which houses the powder plants.
Instead of conventional pumping system, gravity feed is implemented in the milk collection, storage and processing,
using the site slope; a design decision which had a bearing on cost and energy saving.

29. A three dimensional exploration of the structural grid
and rendered brick-skin walls bear an imprint on the
functional as well as the formal aspects of design. While
the equipment remains framed within the grid, it also
provides access to the different levels with the help of
walkways or bridges. To evacuate the heat generated
out of milk condensing and spray drying equipment, a
system of ventilation ducts linking all the working areas
runs around the periphery of both the buildings
eliminating the ineffective exhaust fans. These are
expressed on the exterior as rhythmic shafts soaring
above the roof, capped with an angular profile. Natural
light and air drawn in through slit windows is
combined with artificial lighting in the machinery
dominated interiors, enabling a better working and
hygienic environment for milk processing.

30. CURRENT STATE OF THE BUILDING
In the past four decades the brick skin and concrete frame factory has continued to function without any substantial
alterations and is still a landmark entity in the non-descript townscape. But compared to its earlier singular presence, it has
now grown into a large institution with two additional processing plants (1983, 1991); a seven storey office building (1985), an
auditorium (1985) where Kanvinde used the similar design vocabulary to maintain continuity.