Gira Sarabhai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gira Sarabhai
|
|
|---|---|
Gira Sarabhai in 1951
|
|
| Born | 11 December 1923 |
| Died | 15 July 2021 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Designer, curator, entrepreneur |
| Known for | National Institute of Design, Calico Museum of Textiles, Calico Dome, B. M. Institute of Mental Health |
| Movement | Modernism |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Gautam Sarabhai (brother) Vikram Sarabhai (brother) Gita Sarabhai Mayor (sister) Anasuya Sarabhai (aunt) Mrinalini Sarabhai (sister-in-law) |
Gira Sarabhai (born December 11, 1923 – died July 15, 2021) was an amazing Indian architect and designer. She also taught others about design. She was the youngest of eight children in the famous Sarabhai family. Gira helped a lot with many important building and education projects in Gujarat, India.
She also represented the Sarabhai Foundation, which is a group that helps people. Gira and her brother, Gautam Sarabhai, were super important in starting and planning the courses for the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (NID).
Contents
Gira Sarabhai's Early Life
Gira Sarabhai was born on December 11, 1923, in Ahmedabad. Her parents were Ambalal Sarabhai and Saraladevi Sarabhai. She was the youngest of their eight children.
Gira and her siblings were taught at home and did not go to a regular school. Later, when she was a teenager, she moved to New York with her family. In the United States, she trained with the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. She learned from him at his Taliesin West Studio in Arizona from 1947 to 1951.
Her Career and Work
Gira Sarabhai worked closely with her brother, Gautam Sarabhai. They worked together at Calico Mills and on many other building and design projects. Gira also started Shilpi, which was the first advertising agency in India.
Gira and Gautam made big contributions to modern architecture in India during the 1950s and 1960s. Their work was greatly inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. They wanted to create buildings that fit the local area and used local materials.
They also invited famous designers and architects like Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller, Louis Kahn, and Frei Otto to Ahmedabad. These experts helped develop architecture and design education in India. Gira and Gautam were key in setting up several important national schools in Ahmedabad. These included the National Institute of Design, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and the B. M. Institute of Mental Health.
In 1949, Gira Sarabhai started the Calico Museum of Textiles. She designed its building and put together its amazing collection. The museum has a historic collection of Indian fabrics. It is also a place for learning about design, doing research, and publishing books. From 1951 to 1955, Gira also advised the famous architect Le Corbusier when he designed the Villa Sarabhai.
Gira and Gautam worked with Buckminster Fuller to create the experimental Calico Dome. This was the first "space frame" structure in India. It later collapsed, but in 2019, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation began rebuilding it as a heritage site.
Later in her career, Gira started using traditional Indian designs and patterns in her modern work.
National Institute of Design
Gira and Gautam were very important in starting the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad in the 1960s. They held regular meetings at the Sanskar Kendra Museum. Experts like Dashrath Patel, James Prestini, and Vikram Sarabhai joined these meetings. They brainstormed ideas for the school's teaching model. The first group of designers trained in India graduated under Gira and Gautam's guidance.
Gira Sarabhai also helped design the main NID building. Kurma Rao, a design expert and NID alumni, says Gira shaped the Textile Design Program at NID. She would visit the school, watch the students, and give helpful advice. She also made sure students could use the Calico Museum, which was a special privilege.
Gira Sarabhai also helped choose a wide range of books, magazines, and videos for NID's library. This library is now called the Knowledge Management Centre.
In 1964, Gira Sarabhai invited George Nakashima to NID. He designed various pieces of furniture for the institute. The school continued to make these designs based on Nakashima's plans until Gira left in 1975. Sarabhai also invited many people from the Royal College of Art in London to be consultants for NID.
Students at NID remembered that she always stressed being disciplined and paying close attention to details in their work.
Her Death
Gira Sarabhai passed away on July 15, 2021. She died at her home in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad.
See also
- Sarabhai family
- Achyut Kanvinde
In Spanish: Gira Sarabhai para niños
