TO TREASURE

Architect ASHIESH SHAH speaks about his love for Art Deco and his recent showcase at the G20 exhibit.

- NANDINI BHALLA

Nandini Bhalla: Tell me your earliest memory of architecture...

Ashiesh Shah: “I grew up in a simple family of mostly doctors. Having spent my childhood at Marine Drive [Mumbai], my first recollection of architecture is Art Deco—it is also where my obsession with lines stems from.”

NB: What inspired you to become an architect?

AS: “Now that I look back, it is hilarious because whilst practising dentistry, I decided to attend architecture classes with my friends (who studied the subject), and my family was unaware about this. I took the exams, and I excelled in them! Later, I decided to follow my passion...my life would have been unfulfilled without architecture.”

NB: In many of your designs, there exists an underlying spirituality. What does spirituality mean to you?

AS: “I believe spirituality comes to me because of the strong influence of doctors in my family...they are healers. I heal multiple things when working on a space. Bringing spirituality to architecture does not need to stop at temples or mosques; it is also about correcting a space with negative energy. The Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi is embodied in my personal practice. The cleanliness of lines, spaces, and aesthetics creates an aura of beauty that makes certain things classic. I want to believe that I will make classics.”