Release of the book ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’ during IIMB’s Golden Jubilee Foundation Week celebrations on 26th October
The book authored by Kiran Keswani, telling the story of how the IIMB campus came into being and how it has been experienced over time, will be released by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu
29 September, 2023, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a grand Foundation Week, which will include the release of the book: ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, authored by Kiran Keswani, by none other than the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on 26th October 2023.
In India, in the last 50 years, there have been institutional campuses designed and built by architects from within the country and abroad. In addition to being places of learning for the student communities that they were planned for, a few of these have been learning grounds for design as well. In particular, the campus of IIM Bangalore has been a creative endeavour that has influenced the lives of hundreds of management students. It has been shaped over the years by different administrative heads, faculty, staff and students.
The book, ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, tells the story of the architecture of IIM Bangalore and of the people who have inhabited its ‘spaces’ and made it into the ‘place’ that it is. It shares how this campus came into being and how it has been experienced over time. The book includes narratives built from talking to IIMB’s faculty and staff as well as tells the story of the design and planning efforts of Chief Architect Dr. Balkrishna Doshi, Architect Achyut Kanvinde and Architect Sanjay Mohe towards the making of this campus.
The book is designed as a visual commentary on the architecture of the IIMB campus and is illustrated with colour photographs. It aims to be an interesting read for both those who have been a part of its growth as well as the architectural community who would admire it immensely for the creative inputs. The photographs depict different phases of development – a time when the canopies and creepers had not yet entirely enveloped the buildings.
The author of the book, Kiran Keswani, says, “The book shares how this campus with its buildings and landscape continues to ‘celebrate life’, just as architect Dr. Balkrishna Doshi always wanted it to.”
Today, as one walks through the campus, one sees that the architecture is foregrounded by the trees, the shrubs, and the creepers on the stone walls. One experiences it as a ‘garden’, one that is not outside of the architecture, but that is interlaced with it. The book tells us what Dr. Doshi had shared: “The garden city must have a garden campus – a green campus; but, will it be a campus or will it be an ashram?”
The book also talks about how a campus built entirely in stone came about. It shares how IIM Bangalore was adapted to be a disabled-friendly campus. As Prof. Rajluxmi V. Murthy of the Decision Sciences area of IIMB points out, “How much the architecture can affect somebody’s life is beyond our imagination, unless you are the person who is affected or closely working with someone who is.”
A message from the Project Team of the institute says: “The iconic architecture of IIMB is much celebrated; it combines the lofty design elements of historic monuments and temples, and the bounty of nature, in the creation of this temple of learning. Generations of students, faculty and administrators have imparted a human element to the campus, and have in turn been inspired by its living presence. This book project is an effort to capture how the IIMB campus came into being and what it means to those who were part of the IIMB journey in the last 50 years.”
The narrative of the book continues to be interspersed with excerpts from conversations with faculty, staff, start-ups and alumni. They talk about their “hallway conversations” in the Pergola corridors of the institute; about not having to “sit inside anymore” for study and discussions; about the “formidable water tank structure” which could become a place for quiet reflection; about how the spaces of the campus lent themselves to “having open conversations within closed networks” and about how an institution and its spatial environment might facilitate “those serendipitous interactions” that often generate conversations, that may or may not have taken place otherwise.
A host of activities, led by the institute’s students, alumni and staff, are in store to commemorate the momentous occasion of IIM Bangalore’s Golden Jubilee. The institute is proud and honoured to host the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on 26th October 2023, who will inaugurate the celebrations with an address and the launch of the aforementioned book as well as a film on IIMB. She will flag off the Golden Jubilee Run on campus by students, faculty, staff and alumni. The Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, will participate in the inauguration and address the gathering. The event will include addresses by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, and Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore.
American Economist Professor Rebecca Henderson of the Harvard Business School will deliver the Foundation Day Lecture on, ‘Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire’, on the 50th Foundation Day of IIM Bangalore, on 28th October. Other highlights include ‘Suvarna Sangeet’ – a grand music presentation by IIMB’s PGP alumna and noted classical vocalist Manasi Prasad and her troupe later on the same day. A Hindi play titled, ‘Gagan Damama Bajyo’ will be presented by the troupe ‘TheatreNama’, on 29th October, written by actor-playwright-poet Piyush Mishra and directed by Aashish Rana. The celebrations also include scholarship awards, achievement awards, felicitation of former employees, Staff Recreation Committee (SRC) prize distribution, cultural programs, quiz, and more.
Release of the book ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’ during IIMB’s Golden Jubilee Foundation Week celebrations on 26th October
The book authored by Kiran Keswani, telling the story of how the IIMB campus came into being and how it has been experienced over time, will be released by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu
29 September, 2023, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a grand Foundation Week, which will include the release of the book: ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, authored by Kiran Keswani, by none other than the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on 26th October 2023.
In India, in the last 50 years, there have been institutional campuses designed and built by architects from within the country and abroad. In addition to being places of learning for the student communities that they were planned for, a few of these have been learning grounds for design as well. In particular, the campus of IIM Bangalore has been a creative endeavour that has influenced the lives of hundreds of management students. It has been shaped over the years by different administrative heads, faculty, staff and students.
The book, ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, tells the story of the architecture of IIM Bangalore and of the people who have inhabited its ‘spaces’ and made it into the ‘place’ that it is. It shares how this campus came into being and how it has been experienced over time. The book includes narratives built from talking to IIMB’s faculty and staff as well as tells the story of the design and planning efforts of Chief Architect Dr. Balkrishna Doshi, Architect Achyut Kanvinde and Architect Sanjay Mohe towards the making of this campus.
The book is designed as a visual commentary on the architecture of the IIMB campus and is illustrated with colour photographs. It aims to be an interesting read for both those who have been a part of its growth as well as the architectural community who would admire it immensely for the creative inputs. The photographs depict different phases of development – a time when the canopies and creepers had not yet entirely enveloped the buildings.
The author of the book, Kiran Keswani, says, “The book shares how this campus with its buildings and landscape continues to ‘celebrate life’, just as architect Dr. Balkrishna Doshi always wanted it to.”
Today, as one walks through the campus, one sees that the architecture is foregrounded by the trees, the shrubs, and the creepers on the stone walls. One experiences it as a ‘garden’, one that is not outside of the architecture, but that is interlaced with it. The book tells us what Dr. Doshi had shared: “The garden city must have a garden campus – a green campus; but, will it be a campus or will it be an ashram?”
The book also talks about how a campus built entirely in stone came about. It shares how IIM Bangalore was adapted to be a disabled-friendly campus. As Prof. Rajluxmi V. Murthy of the Decision Sciences area of IIMB points out, “How much the architecture can affect somebody’s life is beyond our imagination, unless you are the person who is affected or closely working with someone who is.”
A message from the Project Team of the institute says: “The iconic architecture of IIMB is much celebrated; it combines the lofty design elements of historic monuments and temples, and the bounty of nature, in the creation of this temple of learning. Generations of students, faculty and administrators have imparted a human element to the campus, and have in turn been inspired by its living presence. This book project is an effort to capture how the IIMB campus came into being and what it means to those who were part of the IIMB journey in the last 50 years.”
The narrative of the book continues to be interspersed with excerpts from conversations with faculty, staff, start-ups and alumni. They talk about their “hallway conversations” in the Pergola corridors of the institute; about not having to “sit inside anymore” for study and discussions; about the “formidable water tank structure” which could become a place for quiet reflection; about how the spaces of the campus lent themselves to “having open conversations within closed networks” and about how an institution and its spatial environment might facilitate “those serendipitous interactions” that often generate conversations, that may or may not have taken place otherwise.
A host of activities, led by the institute’s students, alumni and staff, are in store to commemorate the momentous occasion of IIM Bangalore’s Golden Jubilee. The institute is proud and honoured to host the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on 26th October 2023, who will inaugurate the celebrations with an address and the launch of the aforementioned book as well as a film on IIMB. She will flag off the Golden Jubilee Run on campus by students, faculty, staff and alumni. The Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, will participate in the inauguration and address the gathering. The event will include addresses by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, and Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore.
American Economist Professor Rebecca Henderson of the Harvard Business School will deliver the Foundation Day Lecture on, ‘Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire’, on the 50th Foundation Day of IIM Bangalore, on 28th October. Other highlights include ‘Suvarna Sangeet’ – a grand music presentation by IIMB’s PGP alumna and noted classical vocalist Manasi Prasad and her troupe later on the same day. A Hindi play titled, ‘Gagan Damama Bajyo’ will be presented by the troupe ‘TheatreNama’, on 29th October, written by actor-playwright-poet Piyush Mishra and directed by Aashish Rana. The celebrations also include scholarship awards, achievement awards, felicitation of former employees, Staff Recreation Committee (SRC) prize distribution, cultural programs, quiz, and more.