Aryakin2021 at 11:43, 4 May 2026

2026-05-04T11:43:52Z

New page

{{short description|Indian architect (born 1929)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox architect
| name = Iftikhar M. Kadri
| image = File:Saab Photo.17.11.17.jpg
| practice = I.M.K Architects
| significant_buildings = [[Nehru Centre]], [[National Judicial Academy]]
| occupation = Architect & Civil Engineer
| significant_projects =
| awards =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1929}}
| website = {{Official website}}
}}'''Iftikhar M. Kadri''' (born 1929) is an Indian architect, civil engineer, and founder of I.M.K Architects in the city of [[Mumbai]], India.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|last=D'Souza|first=Ornella|date=3 April 2016|title=I don't like to name my buildings: IM Kadri|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/interview-i-don-t-like-to-name-my-buildings-im-kadri-2197472|access-date=30 December 2020|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":92">{{Cite web|title=Projects By Imk Architects|url=https://ebuild.in/imk-architects-projects|access-date=30 December 2020|website=ebuild.in|archive-date=15 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615145049/https://ebuild.in/imk-architects-projects|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has been a key figure in contributing to landmark buildings in several cities of [[India]], [[United States]], [[Russia]], [[Middle East]], [[Hong Kong]] among others.

== Early life and education ==
I.M. Kadri was born in [[Ahmedabad]] in 1929. He attended [[Jamia Millia Islamia]] University in [[Delhi]] and completed his civil engineering degree with honours at the Engineering College of the [[Savitribai Phule Pune University|University of Pune]] in 1953.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The Gentle Creator- I.M. Kadri : Pree1301 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/scrbokadri_2568|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>

After graduating, he married Vipula Kadri a social worker from Karachi, and settled in [[New Delhi]]. He has 1 son, architect Rahul Kadri<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rahul Kadri, Principal Architect & Partner, I.M. Kadri Architects|date=13 December 2015 |url=https://thepropertytimes.in/rahul-kadri-principal-architect-a-partner-imkadri-architects/|access-date=30 December 2020|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 December 2021 |title=Rahul Kadri - the Architecture of Sustainability |url=https://media.biltrax.com/rahul-kadri-the-architecture-of-sustainability/}}</ref> who is also the principal architect and director of IMK Architects, and 2 daughters, Isha Mehra<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trustees – PrideIndia|url=https://www.prideindia.org/category/trustees-team/trustees/|access-date=30 December 2020|language=en-US}}</ref> and [[Mana Shetty]] ([[Sunil Shetty]]'s wife).<ref>{{Cite web|title=People still call me Amdavad no jamai all the time: Suniel Shetty - The Times Of India - Ahmedabad, 1/18/2018|url=https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIA/2018/01/18&entity=Ar01903&sk=52F98CCB&mode=text|access-date=31 December 2020|website=epaper.timesgroup.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2 December 2019|title=Malavika's Mumbaistan: Adrenaline Rush|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/malavika-s-mumbaistan-adrenaline-rush/story-D2b6z2Ee5kbjOXMo8uAxUP.html|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
[[File:Nehru_Centre_11.jpg|thumb|[[Nehru Centre]]]]
Kadri started his architectural practice I.M. Kadri Architects in 1958 in [[Churchgate]], [[Mumbai]]. In 1971, he expanded his establishment to another company called Kadri Consultants Private Limited with its head office in [[Mumbai]] followed by branches in [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]] and [[Muscat]].

In the 1960s, I.M. Kadri was selected by Hilton senior management as an architect to build the proposed Bombay Hilton hotel in Worli, Mumbai, and was sent on a world tour to study all of Hilton's hotels around the globe. However, the Bombay Hilton Hotel was never built, and instead, Kadri went on to design many Indian hotels in the 1970s and 1980s, including many Taj hotels built in that era like the Taj Mahal (Mansingh) and Taj Palace Hotels in New Delhi.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Divan's Bungalow|url=https://www.cityshor.com/ahmedabad/divan-s-bungalow/|access-date=31 December 2020|website=www.cityshor.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=29 July 2011|title=Hilton: Back with a bang|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/hilton-back-with-a-bang/story-mWVtQJNLDPo1ETjkoQOqEK.html|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

Some notable buildings designed by Kadri include the Shivsagar Estate,<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal|last1=Rupali Gupte|last2=Anuj Daga|last3=Karan Dalal|last4=Shivani Dave|date=2017|title=Mumbai Modern|url=https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-184549|journal=ABE Journal|language=en|volume=01|issue=9–10}}</ref> [[Nehru Centre|Nehru Center]],<ref name=":52">{{Cite news|last=Kulkarni|first=Srinivas Krishna|date=6 June 2018|title=Newsletter Vol: 19 Issue: 6|work=Nehru Centre Newsletter|url=http://www.nehru-centre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/June_2018.pdf|access-date=30 December 2020}}</ref> Ceat Mahal,<ref name=":62">{{Cite news|last=Ganesan|first=Ranjita|date=24 January 2015|title=Art for work's sake at Ceat's Mumbai office|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/art-for-work-s-sake-at-ceat-s-mumbai-office-115012201022_1.html|access-date=30 December 2020}}</ref> Happy Home and School for the Blind<ref name=":72">{{Cite web|title=Retrospective: The Unprecedented Architectural Contribution of IM Kadri|url=http://www.houzz.in/magazine/stsetivw-vs~94267299|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Houzz}}</ref> and Otter’s Club<ref name=":82">{{Cite web|last=Karkare|first=Aakash|title='Mumbai is in worst shape': Architect IM Kadri speaks of his love and recent hate for the city|url=http://scroll.in/magazine/810781/mumbai-is-in-worst-shape-architect-im-kadri-speaks-of-his-love-and-recent-hate-for-the-city|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Scroll.in|date=10 July 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> in Mumbai.<ref name=":92" />

The [[Government of Maharashtra]], in recognition of his extensive social work, appointed I.M. Kadri the [[Sheriff of Mumbai|Sheriff of Bombay]] for the 1994 term.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|date=29 April 2002|title=Do you remember any of our sheriffs? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bombay-times/Do-you-remember-any-of-our-sheriffs/articleshow/8279245.cms|access-date=30 December 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> The [[Government of Maharashtra]] also appointed him as a member of the Steering Committee on Slums<ref name=":32">https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/154056/13/13_chapter%204.pdf{{Dead link | date=November 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Mid Day 1982- I.M. Kadri: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/dsc-25091|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref> in the year 1981, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the [[Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority|Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority]] in 1994.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=March 1995|title=Minutes Of The 160th Meeting Of The Executive Committee of BMRDA|url=https://mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in/documents/10180/1163902/MINUTES+EXC+160+10031995_1.PDF/c552f7c0-1ab9-44bd-9007-448e8f8a9f1b?version=1.0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007033257/https://mmrda.maharashtra.gov.in/documents/10180/1163902/MINUTES+EXC+160+10031995_1.PDF/c552f7c0-1ab9-44bd-9007-448e8f8a9f1b?version=1.0|archive-date=7 October 2022|access-date=30 December 2020|website=PDF|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He served as vice-president on the Board for the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)|url=https://cjp.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/who.htm|access-date=30 December 2020|website=cjp.org.in}}</ref> formed in 2002 to promote communal harmony in India.

In 2016, Niyogi Publications published his book, ''The Architecture of I.M.Kadri''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mehta|first=Kaiwan|title=The architecture of I. M. Kadri|year=2016|isbn=978-93-85285-30-1|location=Mumbai and Delhi|oclc=944474336}}</ref>

=== Architectural Influences ===
At a young age, I.M. Kadri was largely influenced by the Diwan's Bungalow in which he lived. The residence had a garden, terraces and apparent interwoven visual connections, and was situated in a century-old palatial haveli in the historical quarter of [[Ahmedabad]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Exploring India: 3 Heritage Stays In Ahmedabad, Gujarat|url=https://www.femina.in/life/travel/3-heritage-stays-in-ahmedabad-165677-2.html|access-date=31 December 2020|website=femina.in|date=19 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Kadri cites [[Mughal architecture|Mughal Architecture]] and [[calligraphy]] as influences, which can perhaps be seen in all his projects.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":82" />

== Notable projects ==

# Brighton, Mumbai, 1959<ref name=":82" />
# [[Islam Gymkhana, Mumbai|Islam Gymkhana]], Mumbai, 1963<ref name=":42" />
# Shivsagar Estate, Mumbai, 1967<ref name=":42" />
# Jeevan Manek for the Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd, Mumbai, 1968<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=18 December 2018|title=Modern Heritage: Listing|url=https://thinkmatter.in/2018/12/18/modernheritage/|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Matter|language=en}}</ref>
# Otters Club, Mumbai, 1973<ref name=":82" />
# Happy Home School for the Blind, Mumbai, 1971<ref name=":72" />
# [[Lake Palace|Lake Palace Hotel]], Udaipur, 1972<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=15 December 2011|first=Bharat|last=Yagnik|title=I M Kadri: Giving Amdavadi touch to luxury world's razzmatazz|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/I-M-Kadri-Giving-Amdavadi-touch-to-luxury-worldamp39s-razzmatazz/articleshow/11113995.cms|access-date=31 December 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>
# [[Taj Hotels - Notable hotels|Fort Aguada Beach Resort]], Goa, 1973<ref name=":82" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=The Fountainhead 1992 : The Fountainhead : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/scrbokadri_2590|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>
# [[Taj Coromandel|Taj Coromandel for Oriental Hotels Ltd]], Chennai, 1974<ref name=":82" /><ref name=":4" />
# CEAT Mahal, Mumbai, 1974<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":72" />
# Hoechst House, Mumbai, 1975<ref name=":92" />
# Swapnalok, Mumbai, 1978<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pree1301|url=http://archive.org/details/modele-page-3|title=Modele 1979 Swapnalok|date=October 1979|publisher=|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>
# Taj Mahal (Mansingh) Hotel, New Delhi, 1979<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" />
# Kashmir University Projects, Srinagar, 1980<ref name=":92" />
# [[Nehru Centre]], Mumbai, 1982<ref name=":52" /><ref name=":72" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />
# Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, 1982<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" />
# Taj Krishna Palace, Hyderabad, 1984<ref name=":92" />
# Tata Fertilizers Ltd, Babrala, 1984<ref name=":72" />
# [[Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre|Kowloon Mosque]], Hong Kong, 1984<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" />
# The Oberoi Hotel, Bangalore 1986 &1996<ref name=":72" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oberoi Hotel Bangalore in Indian Architect and Builder : Indian Architect and Builder : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/iab-kadri|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>
# [[Haj House (Mumbai)|Haj House]], Mumbai 1987<ref>{{Cite web|title=Haj House Mumbai : The illustrated Weekly of India : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/haj-house-mumbai|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>
#Haveli House, Mumbai 1989<ref name=":72" />
# Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai 1991<ref name=":82" /><ref name=":5" />
# Owaisi Teaching Hospital, Hyderabad 1996<ref name=":92" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=19 December 2020|title=IMK Architects: Hospitals Then and Now|url=https://media.biltrax.com/imk-architects-hospitals-then-and-now/|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Biltrax Media, A Biltrax Group venture|language=en-US}}</ref>
# Sona College of Technology, Salem 1997<ref name=":92" />
# [[Breach Candy Hospital|Breach Candy Hospital & Research Centre]], Mumbai 1998<ref name=":4" />
# [[National Judicial Academy (India)|National Judicial Academy]], Bhopal 2005<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":82" />
# Ramada Hotel, Dubai 2006<ref name=":102">{{Cite web|title=361degrees|url=https://www.361degrees.net.in/i_m_kadri.html|access-date=30 December 2020|website=www.361degrees.net.in|archive-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128100819/https://361degrees.net.in/i_m_kadri.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

== Awards, Honours and Recognition ==

# 1970, Invited by the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Government of Iran]] to represent India in the Panel of ‘World Architect’s Conference' held in [[Isfahan]].<ref name=":102" />
# He served as a member of the Joint Committee on Tall Building, [[Lehigh University]], USA under [[UNESCO]].<ref name=":102" />
# 1979, International Recognition for being included in the ''' '''World Biographies of "Who's Who in the World Fourth Edition, published by Marquis Who's Who Inc., Leading Biographical Reference Publisher, [[Chicago]].<ref name=":102" />
# 1981, The [[Government of Maharashtra]] appointed him as Member of the Steering Committee on Slums.<ref name=":32" /><ref name=":2" />
# The world’s highest stained glass mural, 135 feet tall, at the Ramada Hotel in Dubai, won Kadri an entry into the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of Records]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramada Hotel Dubai by I.M. Kadri : Pree1301 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming|url=https://archive.org/details/dsc-2544|access-date=31 December 2020|website=Internet Archive|language=en}}</ref>
# International Biographical Centre, [[Cambridge|Cambridge, England]], in their Seventh Edition as "Men of Achievements".<ref name=":102" />
# 1993, The [[Institution of Engineers (India)|Institution of Engineers, India]], awarded I.M. Kadri a citation as an Outstanding Architectural Engineer.<ref name=":92" /><ref name=":102" />
# 1994, The [[Government of Maharashtra]] appointed him the Sheriff of Bombay in recognition of his extensive social work.<ref name=":12" />
# 1994, The [[Government of Maharashtra]] appointed him as a Member of the Executive Committee of the [[Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority|Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority]].<ref name=":22" />
# Winner of the Best Design Award at the International Competition for the “[[Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre|Kowloon Mosque]]” in [[Hong Kong]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":102" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Kowloon Mosque {{!}} General view over Kowloon Mosque|url=https://archnet.org/sites/508/media_contents/15320|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Archnet}}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
#2021, Awarded the Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Trophy, Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th CIDC Vishwakarma Awards 2021.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC) Vishwakarma Awards|url=http://www.cidc.in/support/12thVishwakarma/Awardees%20List_12th%20VKA%202021.pdf|access-date=19 March 2021|website=www.cidc.in}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kadri, I.M.}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian architects]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian architects]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:Indian civil engineers]]
[[Category:Indian company founders]]
[[Category:Qadiri order]]
[[Category:Sheriffs of Mumbai]]

I. M. Kadri - Revision history

Aryakin2021 at 11:43, 4 May 2026