NARI GANDHI( 1934 – 1993 )

NARIMAN DOSSABHAI GANDHI ARCHITECT , ARTIST and SCULPTOR

Pen Name : NARI Born : January 1, 1934, Surat , India.

Nationality : Indian Education : Sir J . J . College of Architecture, Mumbai.

Career : Worked for the American Ar. Warren Weber.

Residence for Kishore Bajaj at Karjat

Residence for Rustom Mehta at Korlai, Alibag

JAIN HOUSE at lonavla

Mountain Lodge for Jal Gobhai .Lonavala

Famous works Residence for Asha Parekh at Juhu, Mumbai Farm house for S H Daya at Alibag Gateway to mosque at Kolgaon Tejani house at Lonavala Patel residence at Surat

IDEOLOGY His works display a distinctive organic character.

Nari's works display highly skilled craftsmanship and structural ingenuity.

His architecture seeks inspiration from NATURE while accepting nature as his guide.

Most of Gandhi’s buildings in the countryside are exercises in balancing acts to hold roofs up and unique ways in ferrying loads down to the ground.

WORK STYLE Brick , Stone , steel and timber as structural materials.

Grey Kota stone flooring.

Polished teak wood ceilings.

Slanting windows and leather furniture.

Jaipuri chunna was used for walls

Coconut and Almond trees cover the entire site .

Paintings , Sculptures and pottery is used extensively.

Low ht. height furniture .

Dim lighting , which is not harsh .

Terracotta murals are used .

GEOMETRY The fusion of interior spaces to create Transparency within a structure are obtained by the means of geometry. Geometry was used not only as a means of organizing materials and spaces but also in the third dimension to give dynamism to form and tension to the space . Geometry was the underlying discipline of structure , a primary tool for ordering an architectural form.

Beach House at MADH ISLAND 1980-1993

Plot size 800 sq m. Vaulted stone arches rising 10m in ht. Each stone is around 3m in length and 5cm thk,used for the arches. each stone is selected by Nari himself. no doors were used. It has three cave like cells First cell has a living , dining and bedroom. Second has kitchen and bathrooms. The third has garage and servant quarters.

Stone is found in the form of broken chips, glued to cement-coated surfaces.

Unusual materials and design touches appear throughout the building: the garden's glass skylight domes were made from broken glass chips, marbles, stained glass, and broken beer bottles

The house also contains several terracotta sculptures and pots, as well as art works in media ranging from earthenware to metalwork. 

This house has rustic surface treatments and almost primitive, cave-like interiors. 

JAIN BUNGALOW AT LONAVLA1989-1992

It has a total of 9 rooms: a prayer room, a living room, a card room, a kitchen, a dining area, and four bedrooms.

structure consists of stone masonry walls of varying sizes and colors

A single large roof plane, dotted with dormer windows and covered with Mangalore tiles

Internal courts on different levels are covered in transparent corrugated roofing sheets

Dormer windows overlooking the landscape around the bungalow also serve to visually unify these rooms

Exterior view of the approach road to the bungalow from the gate

Interior view showing the play of light against a rough stone wall

Exterior view of the steel truss-supported roof that follows the terraced landscaping on site

Korlai Bungalow in Maharashtra1986-1988

Nari Gandhi selected the waterfront lot and designed an elevated open arched pavilion

facing the sea.

Two parallel arches form the structural frame of the pavilion and support the large pitched

roof.

These brick (wire-cut hollow brick) walls have punctures that were later filled with stained

glass.

lower levels of the pavilion contained service spaces, bedrooms, and kitchen areas.

The upper level dining and living areas have spectacular views of the sea.

Exterior side view of pavilion

Interior view of the living space

View of a bedroom Pavilion looking at the dining area

Interior view of upper level of pavilion

The only sketch that Nari has done for Rustom Mehta

CONCLUSION “Inspired by Yesterday Aspired for Tomorrow”

Simplicity , gentleness and purity are the words that describe

Nari Gandhi aptly , and also very appropriate for his architectecture.

He is one the great architects of his times .

He was unique in his own way and has his own understanding for architecture.

THANK YOU !