23 Years Later: How an American Architect Shaped Modern Delhi’s Steinabad

Steinabad is a nod to Joseph Allen Stein, an American architect, who had designed many buildings in the Lodhi Estate Area. He also boasts a road, Joseph Stein Lane, in Delhi named after him.

As we observe Stein’s death anniversary on 6th October, we look back at the illustrious and influential career of this architect who shaped the modern architecture in Delhi.

Joseph Stein was born in America, and after his initial work in the country, he  moved briefly to Mexico, where he befriended the famous artist Frida Kahlo. In 1952, on the insistence of Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit, he moved to India which had got its independence recently in 1947. In the beginning, he was a professor of Architecture in West Bengal, before he was assigned to plan Durgapur, a city in West Bengal and then later came to Delhi in 1955 and set up his office in Old Delhi’s Asaf Ali Road.

Stein’s first major project in Delhi was Triveni Kala Sangam which opened in 1963. It remains a cultural hub in Delhi, and is known for its music and dance performance and classes. The two most architecturally famous structures in Central Delhi, India Habitat Center (IHC) and India International Center (IIC) were also designed and built by Stein. The Stein auditorium is named so to honor Stein’s contribution in building these spaces. Stein brought his unique style and helped shape the post-independence architectural style of India.

He was one of the earliest practitioners of green and sustainable architecture, incorporating gardens, pools and breathing spaces in his projects, his style came to be known as “Regional Modern Architecture”.

Both IHC and IIC are known to be green campuses, with gardens and even trees within the structures of the building amicably blending nature and modernity.

Some other lesser known projects that he was involved with included the Fords Foundation Headquarters and UNICEF building amongst others. He was also responsible for the landscaping of Lodhi Garden, which houses Mughal architecture and gardens in the heart of Delhi. Apart from this, Stein also built the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode in Kerala. Even here, his architectural style incorporated local elements with slanted rooftops and gardens.

In 1992, he was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in the category Science and Engineering for his contribution to architecture in post-Independence India. He passed away on 6th October, 2021. And while he is gone, he has left an indelible mark on modern Delhi’s architectural landscape that carries his legacy forward with his style and name imprinted on them.