Hafeez Contractor

Hafeez Contractor was born in Mumbai on 19 June 1950 into a Parsi family.{{Cite book |last=Veer |first=Peter van der |title=Handbook of Religion and the Asian City: Aspiration and Urbanization in the Twenty-First Century |date=2015-05-19 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-28122-6 |pages=167}} He attended Boys' Town Public School Nasik before moving on to the University of Mumbai's Sir J.J. College of Architecture in 1975. He then won a scholarship to Columbia University, where he completed his master's degree.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/magazine/the-slumdog-millionaire-architect.html|title=The Slumdog Millionaire Architect|last=Brook|first=Daniel|date=2014-06-19|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-09-21|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622171203/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/magazine/the-slumdog-millionaire-architect.html|archive-date=22 June 2017|url-status=live}}

While pursuing his architecture degree, Contractor began working in 1968 as an apprentice under the supervision of his uncle and mentor Tehmasp Khareghat.{{Cite book |last=Manohar |first=Prathima |title=Architect Hafeez Contractor |date=2006 |publisher=Architecture Publishing |isbn=978-81-901758-0-7 |pages=61–62}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=43832635&privcapId=49531279|title=Hafeez Contractor AIIAGD ARCH. MS ARCH. & UD (USA): Executive Profile & Biography – Bloomberg|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=2017-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050533/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=43832635&privcapId=49531279|archive-date=22 September 2017|url-status=live}} He joined his uncle's company T. Khareghat in 1977 as an associate partner.

In 1991, Contractor was enlisted to add buildings to Infosys' Bangalore campus.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1792/garden|title=Infosys Bangalore|date=2017-09-21|website=The Future of Design|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922051054/https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1792/garden|archive-date=22 September 2017|url-status=live}} He went on to design that firm's first software-development park outside Pune,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1774/exterior-at-night|title=Infosys office at I T Park at Pune|date=2017-09-21|website=The Future of Design|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922051103/https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1774/exterior-at-night|archive-date=22 September 2017|url-status=live}} and its corporate educational facility near Mysore.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1809/exterior---infosys-global-education-school--mysore|title=Exterior – Infosys Global Education School, Mysore|date=2017-09-21|website=The Future of Design|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922051059/https://www.tfod.in/photo-space/1809/exterior---infosys-global-education-school--mysore|archive-date=22 September 2017|url-status=live}} 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,{{Cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/dubai/23-marina/247/|title=23 Marina – The Skyscraper Center|website=skyscrapercenter.com|access-date=2017-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922002712/http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/dubai/23-marina/247/|archive-date=22 September 2017|url-status=live}} 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{{Cite web|url=https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/85979-awardwinning-airport-renovation-relies-on-indian-granite|title=Award-winning airport renovation relies on Indian granite|website=stoneworld.com|access-date=9 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702230606/https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/85979-awardwinning-airport-renovation-relies-on-indian-granite|archive-date=2 July 2019|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite news |title=Architect Hafeez Contractor Offers To Design 19 Railway Stations For Free |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/architect-hafeez-contractor-offers-to-design-19-railway-stations-for-free-1816958 |access-date=16 December 2020 |work=NDTV.com |date=25 February 2018}} 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. An interview of his was published in the officialCBSE Class 8 English book.

Contractor has referred to the standardized ratings used in Western countries for certifying green buildings as a "joke".{{cite news | url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/chennai/Green-buildings-are-a-joke-Hafeez-Contractor/articleshow/9973928.cms | title=Green buildings are a joke: Hafeez Contractor | date=2011-09-14 | access-date=1 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021052903/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-14/chennai/30153762_1_green-buildings-rating-system-rating-agencies | archive-date=21 October 2011 | work=The Times of India | url-status=live }} 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 Contractor's style as having "no signature, save a penchant for glitz." Contractor said of his own work, "[Y]ou definitely like a woman with lipstick, rouge, eyelashes. So if you make your building more beautiful with some appliqués, there’s nothing wrong."

File:Colaba apartments.jpg|Buckley Court in Colaba, Mumbai

File:Saya Gold Aveune in Indirapuram Ghaziabad.jpg|alt=Saya Gold Avenue|Saya Gold Avenue in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.

File:Turbhe-Railway-Station.JPG| Turbhe railway station in Navi Mumbai

• 2016: Hafeez was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2016.{{cite news |title=Padma Awards 2016: Complete list {{!}} India News – Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/padma-awards-2016-complete-list-of-padma-vibhushan-padma-bhushan-and-padma-shri-awardees/articleshow/50719773.cms |work=The Times of India}}

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• {{Official website|http://www.hafeezcontractor.com/}}
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=IG85li6h8_0C Book: Architect Hafeez Contractor: Select works (1982-2005)]

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}

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Category:Architecture firms of India

Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:Artists from Mumbai

Category:Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation alumni

Category:University of Mumbai alumni

Category:20th-century Indian architects

Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in other fields

Category:Parsi people from Mumbai