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- Born – 19 June 1950
- Indian architect
- He has designed many skyscrapers in India, primarily in the city of Mumbai
- As of 2019, he is the architect of the three tallest buildings in India – The 42 in Kolkata, and the Twin Towers of The Imperial in Mumbai
- He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in January 2016 by the Government of India
- Hafeez is by far the most controversial in the Indian built environment industry, with glorification come immense amounts of critique. He’s one to not pay much heed. Architect Hafeez contractor is fond of creating structures that not only had functional values but also included aesthetic qualities in them

EARLY LIFE
- Hafeez Contractor was born at Bombay (now Mumbai) in a Parsi family.
- He studied at Boys’ Town Public School Nashik then later Academy of Architecture at the University of Mumbai in 1975
- Won a scholarship to Columbia University, where he completed a master’s degree
CAREER
- Hafeez Contractor started working in 1968 as an apprentice with his uncle T. Khareghat while working toward his architecture degree
- In 1977, he became an associate partner in the firm
- In 1991, Contractor was enlisted to add buildings to Infosys’ Bangalore campus
- He went on to design that firm’s first software-development park outside Pune, and its corporate educational facility near Mysore
- His most famous project is Hiranandani Gardens, a township in Powai, a suburb of Mumbai
- In 2005, Contractor designed the twin-tower residential skyscraper, The Imperial, whose 254 metre-tall tower I became the tallest residential buildings in India (with Tower II slightly behind) upon completion in 2010 – a distinction it held until it was displaced by One Avighna Park (266 metre) in 2017. That building was, in turn, displaced by The 42 in Kolkata, which was also designed by Contractor and architecturally topped out at 260m
- He also designed 23 Marina in Dubai, which was briefly the world’s tallest all-residential building, and is currently third behind the nearby Princess Tower and 432 Park Avenue in New York City
- Contractor’s other projects include the domestic terminal at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport and the DY Patil Stadium, which serves as the home stadium for both the Mumbai Indians cricket team and Mumbai City FC football team. He also designed the Turbhe railway station in Navi Mumbai and in 2018 offered to 19 railway stations for free
- He was the architect for Chief Minister of Telangana’s official residence, Pragathi Bhavan completed in November 2016
- He has been assigned to design the campus of Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy, Visakhapatnam
- Ar. Sanjay Puri was trained under him, in his early days of practice
PHILOSOPHY
- The architects believe that a company’s beliefs, visions, and values can be epitomized in a 3-D built form and its interior ambiance.
- His designs are provocative and unpredictable.
- Hafeez is full of surprising and revolutionary ideas. His uncanny ability to change his architectural style from one commission to the next is also a significant reason why his work is sought after by so many.
- He explains “architecture can give form to beliefs, and can make the building into a real and arresting symbol of brand intent.”
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
- Contractor has referred to the standardized ratings used in Western countries for certifying green buildings as a “joke”
- In his view, conditions in India require a rating system that takes into account the unique problems faced by that country, such as the loss of farmland
- In a New York Times profile, he was described as Bollywood’s “Starchitect”. The article described the Contractor’s style as having “no signature, save a penchant for glitz.” Contractor said of his own work, “You definitely like a woman with lipstick, rouge, eyelashes. So, if you make your building more beautiful with some appliqués, there’s nothing wrong.“
- Previously he was more inclined towards a form-based architecture but later on, he designed in a very mathematical manner. ( site condition, client’s requirements, construction methodology, and economics.)
- He has no style, he works according to clients’ needs; if the client wants work according to Vaastu then he incorporates that in the design.
- He doesn’t do many details (but he wants) because of time and cost his forms so powerful that the building still looks detailed.
- He believes that your building should really reflect your socio-economic and climatic relations.
- Extensive use of glass and metallic panels on the facades confirms the high-tech expressions business seek to achieve.
- Never fixed plan
- Have axis but not always.
- Give stress on the landscaped terrace.
- He picks elements from various typologies and uses them as adornments for the exterior skin of the building.
- He always treats the corner of the building
ARCHITECT HAFEEZ CONTRACTOR [AHC]
- His firm, Architect Hafeez Contractor [AHC] is the leading architectural design consultancy firm, of India. The company has grown from a modest three-person firm in 1982 to having a team strength of over 550 plus people consisting of 24 Associates, 60+ Senior Architects, 90+ Architects, 5 Senior Project Managers / Coordinators, 20+ Interior Designers, 10+ Site Engineers, 10 3D Visualizers & Photoshop Artists, 190+ Draughts men, 40+ Support / Technical staff and Student Interns
- The firm prides itself on unique design concept and bold execution, while remaining responsive to the clients’ diverse requirements, solutions are crafted appropriately to the needs of each client.
- The rapid growth, massive body of completed work and impressive clientele bear testimony to the firm’s commitment to produce the best in every project commissioned
- AHC has successfully designed and executed works for clients ranging from large real estate developers, public sector undertakings, large corporations and institutions to health care entrepreneurs. In addition, large residential complexes, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels, resorts and large town and city planning schemes have all been undertaken and completed in record time.
- AHC’s substantial experience and the large and well-resourced team puts the firm in the enviable position of being better equipped to successfully deliver designs for jobs of any size, nature or complexity
- Hafeez Contractor himself designs every project and then hands over to his 20 extremely well qualified, experienced and specialized Associates, who further develop the designs with their teams. They, with their teams focus deeply on the design potential of each work, converting them into built reality, within the time frame and budget provided, ensuring quality and on time delivery from the drawing board to the project completion stages, of each project
- The unique “one window facility” based on the project profile, enables the firm to work with other eminent consultants, both Indian and International, to provide consultancy for structural, mechanical, engineering, tendering, landscaping, statutory approvals or any other services the client may require. This allows the firm to single-mindedly focus on their core competence of conception, creation and realization of great design projects

RECOGNITIONS
- Awarded with Padma Bhushan in 2016
- Recognition for Architecture in 2012
- Best Hospitality Project of the year, New Delhi
- Best Interior Hospitality of the year, Aces Space
- Top Architect of the year, Construction World Award, Mumbai, 2011
- Society Interior Design Building Award, recognition for Contribution in Architecture
- Excellence in Design with copper, IIID copper award
- Top architect award of the year, construction world award
- Best Residential scheme, Reality plus award
- Best architect, CNBC awards (23 MARINA, DUBAI)
CONCLUDING WORDS
- Hafeez Contractor is full of surprising and revolutionary ideas
- His uncanny ability to change his architectural style from one commission to next is also a significant reason why his work is sought after by so many
- He picks elements from various typologies and uses them as adornments for the exterior skin of the building
- He is full of surprising and revolutionary ideas
- His uncanny ability to change his architectural style from one commission to next is also a significant reason why his work is sought after by so many
- He believes that your building should really reflect your socio- economic and climatic relations
To be continued…
Also read about –
- Charles Correa
- Le Corbusier
- Zaha Hadid
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Walter Gropius
- B.V. Doshi
- Laurie Baker
- Ar. Sanjay Puri
Few of the main research sources –
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