On 23^rd December 2020, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), through a letter to its alumni, made public plans to replace (demolish and rebuild) fourteen buildings on its campus. The buildings are dormitory housing for students designed by the late American architect Louis Kahn, and are widely considered to be among the best works of his late career. IIMAs announcement was followed by national and international concern. Appeals for reconsideration, poured in from famous and emerging architects, academics, historians, students, from the alumni of IIMA, the World Monuments Fund (WMF), The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), The Getty Foundation, The International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement (Docomo), from Councils of Architecture, and from the children of Louis Kahn. 

Upon hearing the news of this impending demolition, we began an appeal to the IIMA in the form of an online letter addressed to its Director and members of the institute's Governing Council urging reconsideration. We believed these buildings embody a collective memory for a local and global community of architects, academics, cultural critics, historians and other stake holders. This includes people who had visited the campus building first-hand, and those who have studied it from a distance. We appealed to the IIMA to recognize this collective memory and legacy, to abandon its plans for demolition of the dormitories, and instead to expand upon existing conservation efforts to include the entire east campus. We stressed that doing so could be visionary, and allow for new uses, modern amenities, and structural compliance. The work of IIMA’s restoration architects Somaya and Kalappa had already received UNESCO recognition for work done on the campus. 

We used a simple Google document to solicit signatories by writing personal emails and through a word-of-mouth campaign. The response was overwhelming. In two days since our letter went public on December 27^th, we had collected 177 signatures. By December 31^st we reached 669 signatures, across 30 countries and 118 universities. The list included 3 Pritzker Prize winners, deans, heads and academics from institutes of global repute, established and emerging architects. We were told the IIMA would be convening shortly for a meeting to consider next steps. We knew time was of the essence and hence on December 31^st, five days into the campaign, we decided to send the letter with the entire list of signatories to Director and the Governing Council.

January 1 brought some encouraging news. The IIMA heard the multitude of voices calling for reconsideration, and the Governing Council of IIMA withdrew the Expression of Interest to demolish and rebuild, with a letter to ‘stakeholders’.  The letter says the IIMA will “ deliberate on the feedback received, re-evaluate the options, consult the best global conservation and structural experts, and chart out a course of action”. 

On January 11^th, as a response to IIMA’s decision to withdraw the call for demolition, we wrote a second letter to the institute. We heartily welcomed the decision and urged for transparency of process in appointing experts that will deliberate on the future of what we consider to be our shared legacy. Transparency would also entail allowing the existing conservation team of Somaya and Kalappa to be heard and respond to key findings - to be participants in the process of reconciliation and conservation, particularly since their work was referenced and implicated by the institution. Meanwhile, our appeal to the institute has now been signed by 1200 ‘stakeholders’ in over 200 universities and 60 nations. This overwhelming support speaks to the intangible and collective legacy this architecture, its place in an important phase of post independence, institution building in India, and its continued ability to inspire people across the world.

Both letters and all signatories are included in what follows.