IM Kadri’s work immortalised in print

Although Iftikhar M Kadri, founder and principal architect of IMK Architects has been a stalwart in the field of architecture in his own right, not often has his deep involvement with architectural thought in India been recognised or, for that matter, recorded and analysed. This thought led architect Kaiwan Mehta to research and author the new book The Architecture of IM Kadri – which traces the body of work of Kadri, who began his practice in the 1950s. “As an architect who shaped his practice largely in the early decades after India’s independence, in the commercial capital of a young nation, Kadri contributed greatly to the design of emerging typologies like the high-rise apartment, the office tower and the hospitality industry in Mumbai and India, going on to build in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Malaysia, and so on. Kadri’s career charts not only an important journey in India’s history, but he is also someone who contributed to the discourses on modern and traditional architecture in India, working within the forces of real estate and commerce, and with state, private, and corporate clients. The book is a critical review of the work of Kadri, who was instrumental in designing and building some prominent landmarks in India and abroad – such as the Nehru Centre in Bombay, the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, the Taj Coromandel in Chennai, the Ramada Hotel in Dubai. The book has special photographs by Rajesh Vora, and has been published by Niyogi Books.