Doshi Retreat – Vitra Campus – BV Doshi
The Doshi Retreat on the Vitra Campus is a contemplative structure designed by Balkrishna Doshi together with Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. Inspired by Indian spirituality, it offers a sensory journey shaped by sound, movement, and light. The retreat unfolds as a winding, partially sunken path, where subtle tones of gong and flute resonate through the space, dissolving boundaries between body and architecture.
Drawing on the philosophy of Kundalini and a dream Doshi described as two interweaving cobras, the design invites slow exploration and inner reflection. At its heart, a brass mandala crafted in India crowns the contemplation chamber, casting shifting light across the interior. Completed shortly before Doshi’s passing in 2023, and his first project outside India, the retreat stands as a quiet, poetic testament to his lifelong belief in architecture as a spiritual and human experience.
