Becoming Hafeez Contractor: The Making of an Architect

The ABC of Success: Architect, Building and Creativity From doodling on the edges of his schoolwork as a child to designing some of the iconic buildings in the country, Hafeez Contractor has had an outstanding career. Offices, residential complexes, hotels--he has done them all. From the trendsetting buildings at Hiranandani Gardens at Powai and the Imperial Towers at Tardeo, both in Mumbai, the futuristic Russi Mody Centre for Excellence in Jamshedpur and the ITC Grand Central hotel in Mumbai to the swanky apartments at DLF Gurgaon, Apollo Hospital in Delhi, the corporate offices of ONGC in Dehradun, IL&FS in Mumbai, and Infosys in Bangalore, Hafeez's creations have altered the physical profile of architecture in urban India. They may be loved or loathed, admired or avoided, but these monuments of modernity cannot be ignored. So, who is the man behind the architect? What drives him to continually outdo himself with each of his designs? What contributes to his brilliance and eccentricity? Based on extensive research and personal interactions with Contractor, Harshad Bhatia brings us a fascinating book on the life and work of India's most widely acclaimed architect-designer.