KHUSHNU PANTHAKI HOOF & SÖNKE HOOF

In the wake of the Doshi Retreat's opening at Vitra, the architects behind the space for contemplation articulate a meditation on legacy, spatial consciousness and the evolving language of Indian architecture

- NAMRATA DEWANJEE

All eyes are on Vitra.

Yet what is perhaps the most anticipated structure in the world remains perplexingly silent. Therein lies its provocation. Patina-covered walls emerge from the lush terrain, warping, folding and curving into themselves. Within, an almost unbelievable quiet prevails, interrupted only by the treble of a gong, its resonance drifting through the ether and evoking the uncertain intangibility of spirit. The Doshi Retreat stands apart from its predecessors on the storied campus in Germany, distinct both in form and conception. Realised by Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof in collaboration with the much-revered Pritzker laureate Dr B.V. Doshi, this space for contemplation invites multiple readings, some provoked by its physical gestures, others more subliminal, discernible only through their spatial and temporal conditions.