Who is Padma Shri Architect Bimal Patel Behind Central Vista’s Design: 5 Facts to Know

The Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which started in December 2020, has reached a special milestone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the new look of Central Vista Avenue in the Capital on September 8. It includes a 2-kilometre path from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, now renamed ‘Kartavya Path’. PM Modi will also unveil a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose near India Gate.

Scheduled to be ready by 2024, its development is being led by architect Dr Bimal Patel, who also worked on the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Gujarat High Court, IIM Ahmedabad’s new campus, the Sabarmati Riverfront Development, among several other projects.

Dr Bimal, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019, has a long list of achievements to his name.

Here are five facts to know about him:

1. The Ahmedabad-based architect studied at St Xavier’s School. As a child, he wanted to be a physicist. But a senior Jesuit at school soon steered him toward thinking about social and national development. 
2. His late father Hasmukh Patel was also an architect. When his father had prospective clients over, he would often see his father explain their home’s design to the guests.
3. After class 12, he chose to study architecture and topped the CEPT University’s entrance exam, going on to earn a Diploma in Architecture. He then did a Master’s in Architecture, a Master’s in City Planning, and a PhD in City and Regional Planning from Berkeley’s University of California.
4. Today, he’s President of the CEPT University. He is also the Managing Director of HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd, a design firm.
5. Over the years, he has won several awards like the World Architecture Award, UN Centre for Human Settlements Award of Excellence, the Prime Minister’s National Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design, the Padma Shri, and more.

Sources:

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open new-look Central Vista Avenue and unveil Netaji statue today by Abhinaya Harigovind, Indian Express, 8 September 2022

Multiple award winning architect, urbanist and academician, Dr Bimal Patel gives insights into his profound and collectivistic approach to his profession by Elle Decor, 6 May 2021

Architect and urban planner, Dr Bimal Patel to be conferred the Padma Shri Award by Aakanksha Dasgupta, Entertainment Times, 28 January 2019

The Architect Behind Rs 14,000 Crore Central Vista Project Once Aspired to be a Physicist by Swati Bhan, News18, 15 March 2021

Dr Bimal Patel, CEPT University