The restoration of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India, represents a primary focus of Sunita Kohli’s extensive architectural career. Since establishing her firm in 1971, she has influenced the preservation of significant structures across New Delhi, Bhutan, and Pakistan, while simultaneously developing a manufacturing business centered on historical furniture reproductions and contemporary classic designs.
Early Development and Academic Training
Born in Lahore in 1946 to parents Indar Prakash and Chand Sur, Sunita Kohli spent her formative years in Lucknow. Her exposure to antiquities began during childhood outings to auctions and sales with her father, where they searched for vintage lamps and furniture. Her formal education included studies at the Loreto Convent in Lucknow, followed by a degree in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women at the University of Delhi. She later earned an M.A. in English from the University of Lucknow.
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Following a period as a teacher at Loreto Convent, Kohli moved into the antiquarian trade. During her travels through Rajasthan and the hill resorts of Dehradun and Mussoorie, she sourced 19th-century English furniture, including Davenport desks and Regency wine tables. She expanded this interest by learning restoration techniques from local craftsmen. In 1971, she founded Sunita Kohli Interior Designs in New Delhi. A year later, she launched Sunita Kohli & Company to produce Biedermeier, Art Deco, and Anglo-Indian colonial furniture reproductions.
Institutional and Civic Restoration Projects
Kohli has been responsible for the restoration of several prominent governmental buildings. In New Delhi, her work included the Parliament House Colonnade between 1985 and 1989, as well as projects at the Prime Minister’s Office and Hyderabad House. She revisited the Rashtrapati Bhavan for conservation efforts in 2010, nearly two decades after her initial involvement. Beyond India, she designed the National Assembly Building in Thimpu, Bhutan, which was later updated by her firm for a 2010 SAARC summit, and oversaw the conversion of a late Sikh-period haveli in Lahore into a boutique hotel.
Professional Appointments and Awards
The Indian government awarded Kohli the Padma Shri in 1992 for her contributions to interior design and architectural restoration. That same year, she received the Mahila Shiromani Award from Mother Teresa. Additionally, she was a founder of the Museum of Women in the Arts, India, in 2005 and serves on the board of advisors at Rishihood University.
Fast facts
- Born: 1946, Lahore
- Citizenship: India
- Education: University of Delhi, University of Lucknow, Lady Shri Ram College for Women
- Award: Padma Shri (1992)
- Firm Founded: 1971
- Key Projects: Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House Colonnade, National Assembly Building in Thimpu
Questions readers ask
What is the scope of K2india?
Established in 2010, K2india is a firm formed by Kohli and her daughter that consolidates their design and manufacturing operations, including a collection of mid-century furniture.
Which governmental buildings in New Delhi has Sunita Kohli restored?
She has worked on the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Parliament House Colonnade, the Prime Minister's Office, and Hyderabad House.
Achievements
- Padma Shri in arts
- Trained at University of Lucknow and Lady Shri Ram College for Women
