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.
 FAMOUS WORKS

 Mountain Lodge for Jal Gobhai

.Lonavala  Residence for Rustom
Mehta at Korlai, Alibag

 Residence for Kishore

Bajaj at Karjat
 JAIN HOUSE at lonavla
oResidence for Asha Parekh at
Juhu, Mumbai
oFarm house for S H Daya at
Alibag
oGateway to mosque at Kolgaon
oTejani house at Lonavala
oPatel 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
o Brick , Stone , steel and timber as structural materials.

o Grey Kota stone flooring.

o Polished teak wood ceilings.

o Slanting windows and leather furniture.

o Jaipuri chunna was used for walls

o Coconut and Almond trees cover the entire site .

o Paintings , Sculptures and pottery is used extensively.

o Low ht. height furniture .

o Dim lighting , which is not harsh .

o 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 Lonavla 1989-1992
 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 Maharashtra
1986-1988  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.
 Interior view of the living space

Exterior side view of pavilion Interior view of upper level of pavilion

Pavilion looking at the dining area View of a bedroom

The only sketch that Nari
has done for Rustom Mehta
“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.