PAHA - Follow The Architect

Influential architects like U.M. Apte do not arise out of the blue. This story unravels how, from a young age, U.M. Apte’s creativity was nurtured by a family that pushed intellectual and creative boundaries. In an era when Pune was reclaiming its role as a cultural and educational centre, Vinayak Ballal Apte, Mahadeo Vinayak Apte and Uddhav Mahadeo Apte were remarkable professionals who have taken unconventional routes to contribute to society.

Uddhav Mahadeo Apte, better known as U. M. Apte, was a prominent Pune architect with many landmark buildings to his credit. He was active from the mid-30s to the 1970s, right when the modern architectural movement swept India.
Born in Pune in the year 1910, he designed several of the city’s reputed institutions such as the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC), the Bank of Maharashtra building on Bajirao road and the Western India building on Laxmi road to name a few.
While U.M. Apte’s life is fascinating by itself, understanding his family background gives us a more complete picture of what nurtured his creativity. His father, Mahadeo Vinayak Apte and grandfather, Vinayak Ballal Apte were torchbearers in their respective fields. In fact, like his father and grandfather before him, U.M. Apte left an indelible imprint on society. It all starts with Vinayak Ballal Apte.

U.M. Apte

Pushing Creative Boundaries Runs in the Family

A photographic portrait of Vinayak Ballal Apte probably taken by his son, M.V. Apte

M.V. Apte with his Magic Lantern and boxes of Slides

Uddhav Mahadeo Apte during his student days

U.M. Apte during his early practice

U.M. Apte during his later practice, U.M. Apte & Sons

Uddhav Mahadeo Apte (1910–1977)

Vinayak Ballal Apte (1877-1953)

Vinayak Ballal Apte in his later years

Vinayak Ballal Apte, the grandfather of U.M. Apte, was born in Ratnagiri district in the year 1852.
Even though he himself only studied till 4th standard, he started teaching in the local village school at a young age.
He pursued his interest in the subjects of agriculture and traditional medicines by following a certificate course of two years at the Poona Training College on Lakshmi Road. After this he returned back to his village in Ratnagiri where he practiced traditional medicine for 22 years. He was also the chairperson of the Ratnagiri Jilha Shikshan Sabha. He established a Vedshala (observatory) and a library in his village and was well-respected for his contributions to the fields of agriculture, education and traditional medicine.

The Poona Training College, where V.B. Apte took courses on agriculture and traditional medicines.

Mahadeo Vinayak Apte (1877-1953)

M.V Apte, the painter, with his easel painting a portrait

U.M. Apte's father, Mahadeo Vinayak Apte, was born in in Aadivare, Ratnagiri. On barely completing his primary education at the local village school he travelled to Bombay to earn a living as a commercial painter. An enterprising gentleman, he eventually studied Elementary Architecture at the Sir Jamshetji Jeejeebhoy (J.J.) School of Art in Bombay in the year 1899, which allowed him to supplement his income by draughting building plans.
At the J.J. School of Art he befriended the artist M. V. Dhurandhar who was faculty at the time.
Along the way, he also picked up photography, an expensive and exclusive practice at the time. M. V. Apte seemed to have been a talented and restless man, striving to equip himself with new skills and knowledge. Under the guidance of his mentor from J.J., Mr. Cecil Leonard Burns, he went to a vocational institute in Sindh to teach Drawing and Draughting subjects. Subsequently he relocated back to Maharashtra. He took photography commissions for private portraits as well as Government events. On Tilak road he set up his company, Messrs. Apte Brothers in Pune, which offered commercial, technical and educational photography. He established the Adult Education League (Praudh Shikshan Sansthan) in Poona in 1929 and made Magic Lantern slides for its lectures.

Certificate for Elementary Architecture awarded to Mahadeo Vinayak Apte in 1899

Photography assignment for the Government for 'Baby Week Exhibition' which spread knowledge about
maternity homes and creches with life-sized models, 1925

Projecting Magic Lantern slides was a novel educational tool

This was the Apte family home, photo studio and the office of the Adult Education League (Praudh Shikshan Sansthan) on Tilak road, Pune

Blueprints of the proposed extension to the Apte family home.
The top floor was built as a sanatorium for M.V. Apte's daughter
who was suffering from tuberculosis

A photograph of U.M. Apte's wedding procession showing the family home
with the first floor extension

U. M. Apte - Education and Early Practice

Architecture and photography were two interests that carried over to M.V. Apte's son, U.M. Apte. After completing his matriculation examination, Apte moved to Mumbai (then, Bombay) to pursue a Government Diploma in Architecture from the J. J. School of Art, which he received in the year 1937. Here he met R. G. Anand, with whom he started his practice Messrs. Anand and Aptay in Lahore - Anand's hometown. Apte first moved to Lahore to work as an architectural assistant with the British architect, Jones Rae Anderson and he continued to work there even as he founded his practice with Anand and successfully completed architectural projects such as the Rattan theatre. After the independence of India in 1947 and the subsequent partition, the young architects had to leave Lahore for Delhi.

Class photograph of the J. J. School of Arts, Batch of 1937 including architects U.M. Apte, and Perin Mistry. Claude Batley was the Principal at the time

Anand and Aptay along with the team of the Shahjehan Theatre after completion of construction in Lahore

U.M. Apte’s letter of application to N.W. Railways, Lahore. It describes his qualifications and perhaps his intent to work at a permanent job

A model and plan of a proposed National Independence Memorial by M/s Anand & Aptay

Business card of U.M. Apte after moving from Lahore

A letter by the Minister of road works, mines and Power department informing the young architects that there is as yet no call for a National Independence Memorial design

U. M. Apte, practice in Maharashtra

After leaving Lahore, Messrs Anand and Aptay had offices in New Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay) and Pune (Poona).
Apte didn't stay in Delhi for very long, however and moved to Pune where his family network could help to set up his practice.
While in New Delhi, Anand and Aptay submitted a design for a National Independence Memorial and proposed the same to a Government Official just a few days after Independence was declared.
U.M. Apte consequently moved his practice entirely to Maharashtra and worked independently of Mr. Anand though the latter kept working under the name Anand & Aptay.

Construction site of The Western India Life Insurance building on Laxmi road in the early 1950s

Work in Pune

U. M. Apte (right) on site along with engineer R.W. Nene (middle), who was his wife's cousin, and the contractor Mr. M.R. Phadke (left). Mr. Nene was a structural engineer from the College of Engineering Pune

Photograph of labourers passing on material from the bottom to the top. These rare photographs taken by U.M. Apte are an indicator of the influence that his father's photography career had on his life

Model of U.M. Apte's United Western Bank Ltd. building in Satara

Advertisement announcing a new waterproof facade cladding, Snowcem, for the Bombay Bharat Scouts and Guides Pavilion in Dadar, Mumbai; building designed by M/s. Godbole and Apte

Rendered view of Apte's design for the Sathe Biscuit Factory building in Pune

Thesis on the works of Architect U.M. Apte by architecture student Ravindra Nene. He was the son of R.W. Nene, the structural engineer who worked with Apte

The Index of the thesis reveals the diversity of U.M. Apte's projects

U.M. Apte & Sons and Prakash U. Apte

U.M. Apte had two sons who started their professional career by joining their father. The name of the firm then changed to U.M. Apte and Sons.
Prakash Apte, U.M.Apte’s elder son, was an architect who graduated from the Sir J.J. School of Art in 1966. In in the 1970s, Prakash Apte started his own firm which was based on Jangali Maharaj road, Pune.
Kiran Apte was a civil engineer and continued working at U.M. Apte & sons. He initially worked as a draughtsman and went on site visits to outstation sites to keep track of the work.

Prakash U. Apte Architects

The Apte Family Legacy

Today, Ashwini Abhyankar, U.M Apte’s granddaughter, also an architect, is collecting and preserving the family legacy. The contributions of this family transcend the business of architecture, delving into education, photography, and painting. The Apte family members worked hard and found innovative ways to channel their passions, but their contributions are relatively unknown today. PAHA is committed to making their work available to a larger public.