The last building designed by renowned Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi has officially opened at the prestigious Vitra Campus in Germany, marking both the end of an illustrious career and a significant addition to one of the world's most celebrated architectural sites. The Doshi Retreat, featuring a distinctive snake-like form crafted from weathered steel, represents the Pritzker Architecture Prize winner's first and final project to be completed outside of India.
Located in Weil am Rhein, the retreat sits on a plot adjacent to Tadao Ando's concrete Conference Pavilion, offering visitors a dedicated space for solitude and contemplation. The project was developed in collaboration with Doshi's granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and her partner Sönke Hoof, who are the founders of Indian architecture practice Studio Sangath. This partnership ensured that Doshi's vision was faithfully executed even after his passing.
The retreat's unique design comprises two interwoven pathways that descend below ground level as they cross over each other, guiding visitors toward a central pavilion described by the design team as a "contemplation chamber." This winding configuration evolved from a sketch based on a dream that Doshi had about two intertwining cobras, revealing the deeply personal and spiritual nature of his final architectural work.
"What we realized is that the retreat cannot be a place which you just enter into, it has to be a place that you arrive at," Khushnu Panthaki Hoof explained during a tour of the building. She revealed that the team showed Doshi five different pathway iterations, and when he saw the one with somewhat intertwined paths, he stood and kept looking at it before saying, "This reminds me of a dream I had in my ancestral home of these intertwined serpents." She added, "In that instance, somehow intuitively, we all knew that something had resonated and the path had kind of revealed itself."
The walls of the sunken pathways and the sculptural pavilion are entirely crafted from weathered steel, which was made from a high proportion of scrap steel and donated by manufacturer ArcelorMittal. Sönke Hoof explained that weathering steel was partly chosen for its aesthetic quality that changes with the weather, making the structure "feel alive" and responsive to its environment.
The pavilion itself is accessed through a short, arched tunnel and contains a large gong and two semicircular stone benches. These elements are partially sheltered by a hand-hammered brass mandala crafted by artisans in India, connecting the German site to Doshi's cultural heritage. A carefully designed gap around the mandala allows rainwater to enter, which is collected by a basin that encircles the pavilion, creating a dynamic and ever-changing backdrop.
While clearly referencing snakes in its form, the Doshi Retreat also draws on the concept of Kundalini, an ancient Sanskrit term that refers to primal energy at the base of the spine, conceptualized as a coil or spiral. As visitors move along the route, they pass raised areas built thoughtfully around existing trees, while an embedded audio system plays the sounds of gongs and flutes, enhancing the meditative experience.
The project originated in 2020 when Vitra's chairman emeritus Rolf Fehlbaum, the mastermind behind the architectural landscape of the Vitra Campus, asked Doshi to create this unique space. Fehlbaum had visited a small shrine at the Modhera Sun Temple in India and wanted to create a space that could emulate the same feeling of solitude and contemplation he experienced there.
During a preview of the building, Fehlbaum emphasized that space for reflection felt particularly important amid an era of growing global instability. "A tranquil counterpoint, a place of contemplation, felt timely," Fehlbaum explained. "Confrontation, polarization, war and authoritarianism have become increasingly prevalent. So in this climate, we felt that a place representing Doshi's values feels even more appropriate."
Fehlbaum continued to praise Doshi's character and approach to architecture, noting, "His world was one of humility, generosity, humor and reconciliation. We're happy to have his presence on the campus." The retreat's location was specifically chosen for its distance from the rest of the campus buildings, requiring visitors to make a conscious effort to reach it.
"You have to make an effort to come here," said Khushnu Panthaki Hoof. "You just don't walk into it. You have to consciously think that you're walking. You have to make an effort to arrive there." This intentional placement builds on Ando's similar philosophy for his conference center, where the journey to reach the space helps "your mind get free."
The Doshi Retreat now joins several landmark buildings by internationally renowned architects on the Vitra Campus. Among the most iconic structures are Zaha Hadid's Vitra Fire Station, Frank Gehry's Vitra Design Museum, and Herzog & de Meuron's VitraHaus, which serves as the campus's flagship store. Recent additions to the campus include Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum's Khudi Bari house in 2024 and Japanese architect Tsuyoshi Tane's thatch garden house in 2023.
The completion of the Doshi Retreat represents more than just another architectural addition to the Vitra Campus; it serves as a lasting testament to Balkrishna Doshi's philosophy of creating spaces that nurture the human spirit. With its innovative use of weathered steel, incorporation of traditional Indian craftsmanship, and thoughtful integration of natural elements like rainwater collection, the retreat demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor both cultural heritage and environmental consciousness while providing a much-needed sanctuary for contemplation in our increasingly complex world.
