Doshi Retreat: A Haven on the Vitra Campus

Inspired by Indian spirituality, it offers a sensory journey of sound and serenity. Reflecting on the remarkable transformation of the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein over recent decades, Vitra’s chairman emeritus Rolf Fehlbaum notes: ‘Although it remains an industrial site, the campus has become a public park that now attracts 400,000 visitors annually. People come to see its architecture, explore the collections and exhibitions of the Vitra Design Museum, and enjoy the gardens, restaurants and shops. While the expansion of the campus initially took a toll on the natural environment, the area has been reimagined as a biosphere in recent years – with the planting of gardens and woods, the creation of ponds, and a reduction in paved surfaces.’

With the inauguration of the Doshi Retreat, the Vitra Campus gains an architectural addition whose purpose is as novel as it is unexpected: a sanctuary for peaceful solitude and repose.

After visiting the Modhera Sun Temple in India, Rolf Fehlbaum recalls, ‘I showed Balkrishna Doshi the photo of a small shrine I had seen there and asked him whether he would be willing to design a place of contemplation for the campus.’ Balkrishna Doshi accepted the proposal, and the vision for what would become the Doshi Retreat emerged through an intimate dialogue between Doshi, his granddaughter Khushnu and her husband Sönke Hoof.

Together, they shaped its form and spatial rhythms in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The Doshi Retreat is the first project by Balkrishna Doshi to be completed outside of India – as well as the last design he worked on prior to his passing in 2023. He was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2018.

The Doshi Retreat unfolds as a winding path, inviting both physical and metaphorical exploration. As one moves along the route – which descends below ground level, leading along walls that resonate with the gentle sounds of gong and flute – there is a growing sense of transition.

Khushnu Panthaki Hoof explains: ‘This architecture was born from a dream Doshi had of two interweaving cobras. From this subconscious vision emerged a written narrative, followed by a sketched concept composed of notes and evocations. It then evolved into an invitation to embark on a journey of discovery.’

In kinship with the sensory environments found in Eastern temples or Christian sacred spaces, sound plays an integral role. A subtle audio system – embedded within concave recesses in the ground – diffuses a sequence of gong and ceramic flute sounds along the path. As one approaches the central structure, the sound is dispersed across the metal walls and interacts with the body in motion. This sensorial experience culminates in a short, arched tunnel that channels visitors into the contemplation chamber. The organically rounded space contains a rainwater basin encircling its base, two wide semicircular stone benches, and the gong in the centre.

Above, the ceiling only partially encloses the chamber, creating an aperture for light, air and precipitation. A hand-hammered brass mandala – crafted in India – adorns the ceiling, casting refracted light. The structure of the Doshi Retreat is built from forged and formed XCarb® steel, an innovative low-carbon-emissions material made with a high proportion of scrap steel and produced entirely with renewable energy. Generously donated by ArcelorMittal, the steel naturally develops a warm patina over time through controlled corrosion. The sinuously shaped walls guide visitors along a pathway full of unexpected turns and shifting perspectives, enhancing the sense of discovery throughout the retreat.

Doshi and his partners drew upon the spiritual philosophy of Kundalini, a Sanskrit term meaning ‘coiled’ or ‘spiralled’, referring to latent energy at the base of the spine. In yogic and tantric traditions, the awakening and ascension of this energy through the chakras is considered essential to achieving spiritual transformation. Central to this experience is sacred sound, which serves as a catalyst for expanding consciousness. While the retreat does not feature a specific musical soundtrack, the soundscape undergirds its flowing spatial geometry.

Khushnu Panthaki Hoof observes: ‘It is sound – resonating through the visitor’s body – that erases the boundary between self and structure. The building reflects the sound back toward you, transforming both the journey and the chamber into resonant instruments.’ She continues: ‘In the final decade of his life, Doshi shifted somewhat from architecture to art. But with this project, he returned to the drawing board – first to write, then to guide us in shaping the design. It was the memorable experience of Rolf Fehlbaum and his wife Federica Zanco during their visit to a small Indian temple near the Temple of the Sun that inspired the project’s genesis. Then came Doshi’s dreams and intentions – texts, sketches and a visual brief full of layered concepts and dualities.’

Neither Doshi nor Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof ever assigned a formal label to the Doshi Retreat. Instead, it was meant to present itself freely – as a space for solitude and contemplation, encouraging the perception of unseen presences, a sojourn that admits disorientation, encounter and the search for meaning.