10 May,2026 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
Nuru Karim (left) and Sen Kapadia. Pic Courtesy/Architect & Interiors Baji Rao Pawar
He really enjoyed catching the sunset every evening, right at the edge where the city meets nature - by the beach," Nuru Karim reveals, of his guru, Sen Kapadia, master architect, planner, educationist and founder director, KRVIA (Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies) that he set up in 1992. Karim is picking up the pieces since the news of Kapadia's passing in April hit India's - and particularly Mumbai's - architecture and design community.
Having worked with eminent architect Louis Kahn in the US in his early days, the Sir JJ School alumnus' vision stood apart as his practice developed, be it his plans on the National Institute of Design campus, Gandhinagar, or his views on solar architecture well before green ideas were discussed in the architectural ecosystem. Apart from Kahn, Kapadia looked up to respected architect and urban thinker, BV Doshi as an influence on his body of work, and even collaborated with him on a book, In Conversation, on Contours of Contemporary Indian Architecture.
Karim, whose own flourishing practice, NUDES, imbibes Kapadia's ideals, sat down with us to celebrate his guru, as only a student would remember their mentor.
Extracts from an interview
Could you share Sen Kapadia's philosophy with us? What set him apart from the rest in the early days of independent India? Which of his works remain the most ground-breaking?
Sen Kapadia's design sensibility and philosophy can be understood as a "way of seeing" rather than "making." As a philosopher, theorist, author, architect and education reformer, Sen broke the stereotypical boundaries of practice and academia emerging in India since independence. Projects such National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar, and WALMI, Bhopal, demonstrate his range as an architectural designer grounded by research, narrative and context.
What were some of the most powerful lessons that he helped imbibe at KRVIA in those formative years, especially beyond the classroom?
Sen encouraged us to express "silence", embrace the "void", and perceive "sounds". Since then, we have attempted to reflect this in our work - by creating calm spaces, using emptiness meaningfully, and making the "invisible" visible.
He was a path-breaker across sectors, especially solar architecture. Please share your recollections about his visionary views on the subject.
Sen often referenced âSurya' as a universal energiser of life. An idea deeply rooted in Indian mythology where âSurya' is a fundamental force that shapes life, time, and consciousness. Sen demonstrated the principles of sustainability and passive cooling in his body of work serving as a directional compass to re-define architectural concepts that have evolved since Indian independence.
Most of his significant work is outside of Mumbai. What was the reason for this?
Mumbai is an island city driven by real estate pressure and is defined by land value, Floor Space Index, high density development and vertical expansion. Sen designed iconic architecture in Mumbai striving within constraints presented to him. He relished the challenge of creating a quiet syntax within the noise. However, over the course of his practice, opportunities and visionary clients presented themselves in several cities across the country, allowing him to explore his architectural philosophy deeply rooted in human life, experience and meaning. His role in Mumbai extended beyond buildings; through academia and research he contributed to ideas that could potentially shape policy.
What can young architects, beginning their career, learn from his school of thought?
I recall a conversation Sen had with us during a design studio review. He was sharing a Zen anecdote. The student asks the Zen Master, "What does enlightenment feel like?" The Zen Master replied "It feels like walking six inches above the ground."Sen wanted us to pursue "design enlightenment." and liberate ourselves from the weight of style, trends, and precedents that suffocate inquiry and innovation.
Personally, what learnings have left the maximum impression on your work?
Sen taught us to listen to silence and to ask many questions. People like Sen don't leave us; they become the questions we continue to ask. His influence lingers not only in memory but also through questions that he taught us to keep asking. In a way, Sen is a way of thinking that has reformed architecture practice and pedagogy.
