"...Again Doshi refuses to think of functions as being discrete: the institute's activities flow freely into one another in a way that is deliberately ambiguous. The composition is distinguished by its studied contrast of regularity and irregularity. Axes are implied, denied, then rediscovered. The approach is along a diagonal which traverses the forecourt prior to mounting a shallow flight of steps flanked by a pool. The institution is 'de-monumentalised' to make it feel accessible to the public. One enters at the first floor under a transversal vault which then feeds laterally into the various departments by means of a lofty interior gallery. The interior route involves twists, turns and unexpected vistas, and is perhaps a metaphor of the Mahatma's past."

— William J.R. Curtis. Balkrishna Doshi, An Architecture for India. New York: Rizzoli, 1988. p136.