The grounds of a furniture factory in the German countryside are maybe the last place you’d expect to find a newly built contemplation space by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Balkrishna Doshi, inspired by Indian spirituality. But this is not just any furniture factory – it’s the Vitra Campus, home to some of the brand’s manufacturing, yes, but also – since the 1980s – a renowned celebration of the work of some of the world’s best architects and the cherished project of Vitra’s chairman emeritus Rolf Fehlbaum.
‘Although it remains an industrial site, the campus has become a public park that now attracts 400,000 visitors annually,’ says Fehlbaum when we meet in the autumn of 2025. ‘People come to see its architecture, explore the collections and exhibitions of the Vitra Design Museum, and enjoy the gardens, restaurants and shops.’
After a fire at the plant in 1981, Fehlbaum decided to rebuild the facilities, with buildings by Nicholas Grimshaw, Frank Gehry and Alvaro Siza, and later expansions to the site including the first commission for then-upcoming talent Zaha Hadid and Japanese star Tadao Ando.
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Since then, these have been joined by more public-facing works, including the Vitra Design Museum by Gehry and the VitraHaus flagship and Schaudepot, both by Herzog & de Meuron. In many ways, it has become a theme park dedicated to the architectural talent that Fehlbaum wanted to make accessible to all.
‘While the expansion of the campus initially took a toll on the natural environment,’ points out Fehlbaum, ‘the area has been reimagined as a biosphere in recent years – with the planting of gardens and woods [some by celebrated landscape designer Piet Oudolf ], the creation of ponds and a reduction in paved surfaces.’
Given this more sensitive approach, it’s perhaps no surprise Fehlbaum decided the campus’s next addition should be something different to the previous works – a sanctuary space for solitude and peaceful repose. Following a trip to India, he approached the country’s greatest architect Balkrishna Doshi, who started his career working with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. ‘I showed Doshi a photo of a small shrine that I had seen when I was visiting the Modhera Sun Temple and asked him whether he would be willing to design a place of contemplation for the campus, and he accepted.’
Doshi conceived the vision for the space in collaboration with his granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and her husband Sönke Hoof with original drawings made in 2022. The importance of the project cannot be underestimated – it’s the first example of Doshi’s architecture completed outside of India and also the last design he worked on prior to his death aged 95 in 2023.
In an unassuming area of the campus, away from the hubbub of crowds visiting the museum and store, the Retreat takes the form of two intertwining paths walled in warm, patinated, environmentally produced steel, cutting through the earth, at times sinking below ground level and leading towards a central structure: a contemplation chamber at the end of a tunnel. Inside, there are two semicircular stone benches and a gong, its ceiling is adorned with a hand- hammered mandala (a sacred design with intricate patterns radiating from the centre) crafted in India, which refracts the light. This structure doesn’t fully enclose the space, allowing an opening for air, precipitation and light to enter.
Panthaki Hoof explains the process: ‘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.’
These paths were conceived with the idea of inviting both physical and metaphorical exploration, the sinuously shaped walls guiding visitors along a pathway full of unexpected turns and shifting perspectives, enhancing the sense of discovery. Gentle sounds of gong and flute music can be heard, adding to the sense of transition.
‘It is sound – resonating through the visitor’s body – that erases the boundary between self and structure. The building reflects the sound back towards you, transforming both the journey and the chamber into resonant instruments,’ explains Panthaki Hoof. ‘To my grandfather, this sense of getting lost and then going on a journey to find your way and yourself was so important.’ Therein lies the significance of this addition to Fehlbaum’s architectural playground, a structure that is timeless, with a foundation in ancient philosophy, yet also completely perfect for the here and now, when we’re all craving sanctuary and meaning. vitra.com
