The Great Revitalisation

Very often, in an old city, there are sudden discoveries of hidden treasures; more so, when we search for the significance, origin and virtuousness of places of historical importance. When we work towards revitalization of a place, we refer to it as renewal, a reliving of the cycle of our ancient past. The place becomes a treasure during this exploration and such is the case of Ahmedabad, a city inhabited since the 11th century.

Centre of attraction

On the eastern bank of the River Sabarmati, like a continuum, a small enclosure in the citadel of Sultan Ahmed Shah-I (the founder of Ahmedabad) was slowly transforming into a cultural hub for the city. By the 14th century, the nerve center of this citadel was consolidated in an axis formed by the Bhadra Fort, its entry gate Teen Darwaja and the bazaar street that connected it to the Friday Mosque and the tombs of the royal family.

The Bhadra Fort is amongst the foremost buildings constructed in the complex. It is believed that an ancient temple of the Hindu goddess Bhadra Kali acted as an anchor for this fort. Bhadra Plaza, the heart of old Ahmedabad also known as Maidan-e-Shahi (*), connects the major historical monuments. It is a place for cultural gatherings and religious processions that often occur in the dense social fabric of the old city. The magnificent proportions of the open square are comparable to Piazza San Marco in Venice, making Bhadra Plaza unique in its scale and size in the country.

(*) Maidan-e-Shahi - In the historical texts, the Maidan-e-Shahi is described to be the outer court of the Bhadra Palace, surrounded by fragrant trees, a fountain – karanj - and a raised platform in the center, where in the cool of the evenings the courtiers would sit and the ambassadors would be received before approaching the presence of the sovereign.

WITNESS TO HISTORY

Over 600 years of transformation, the city is still expanding on both the banks of the Sabarmati to accommodate the rising population. The new city of Ahmedabad is a labyrinth of developing infrastructure but, on the other hand, evolution and adaption have brought a lot of intervention into this part of the old city. The initial landmarks were overshadowed by encroachments, additions and alterations, imprinting a chaotic image on the contemporary Bhadra Plaza. Still the plaza has retained the order of its making. The series of mutations give it a sense of timelessness, incorporating the dialogue that must have taken place over the centuries between the users and the space. The character and form of such buildings, streets or clusters is like old trees with their weathered roots, trunks and branches expressing vitality, vigour and a will to survive.

REFLECTIONS OF PROFESSOR DOSHI

In 1955 Professor Balkrishna V. Doshi returned to India from Paris to supervise the works of his mentor, Le Corbusier, in the new capital of Punjab, Chandigarh. Later, he settled in Ahmedabad, a city governed by the textile mill owners referred to as the Mahajans. 

The nostalgia contained within the old monuments of the city fascinated Professor Doshi. The variations in the scale of commercial and residential spaces, the hustle and bustle of street markets filled with hawkers daily carrying goods of varying sizes, forms and shapes and the juxtaposition of rituals and customs of the residents with other details of life filled the diary of the architect. He observed how lifestyle and culture, activities and habitat are woven together in one fabric giving the old city a unique identity.

FIRST PROPOSAL

In 1961, Doshi started his first office near the citadel complex. A decade later he sculpted a new auditorium for the city, Premabhai Hall. This building facing the Bhadra Plaza, became a design opportunity in the first proposal for revitalization of the region. A massive vocabulary in concrete opposing the richness of stone used in the surrounding monuments marks the beginning of a radical change. The envisioned plaza was thought to take in diverse activities distributed at different levels. This was his first attempt to synthesize the existing and the new by making use of material and technology of the existing architecture.

A FIRST FOR INDIA

In 2009, the plaza, whose original outline was still traceable but had been greatly encroached upon, suffered from intense traffic congestion with no demarcated areas for pedestrians. The disorganized informal activities, neglected open spaces, haphazard parking, questions of hygiene, along with constant increase in the level of noise and air pollution were some of the predominant problems. In a bid to reconstitute the old glory of the plaza, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation commissioned Vastu Shilpa Consultants and CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) to redevelop the Bhadra Precinct, as part of their vision for the future of the city, under JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission). The project became the first of its kind as a redevelopment and pedestrianization project of a public space in an old Indian city. 

Pedestrian plaza 

The objectives of this proposal are to make the historic core of the city a walkable precinct, promote the use of public transport, develop existing parks of the area, conserve the built heritage and make Maidan-e-Shahi a true city center of Ahmedabad. Along with the pedestrianization of the plaza, public access by pedestrian friendly lanes and enhanced connection across the Sabarmati River through a pedestrian bridge has been proposed. The project also includes the conservation of the Bhadra Fort by the Archaeological Survey of India and the redevelopment of the Lal Darwaja Bus Terminus, which is close to the Plaza. The improvement of the bus terminus also provides an opportunity to meet the parking requirements within the congested walled city.

SECOND PROPOSAL

There is an attempt to redefine the spatial quality of the plaza by reorganizing and demarcating different types of activities, such as religious, cultural and leisure based. They follow a centripetal pattern formalized as the Karanj Baag, an existing park. An arrangement of 200 seats and 100 trees has been added to the karanj, which is now accessible to the public. On the other hand, towards the Teen Darwaja the activities are rearranged to follow a centrifugal pattern. This allows the central space to be free for gatherings and celebrations. The ground floors on the periphery of the plaza have been earmarked for shopping activities, recreating the image of a lively and colourful street market. 

A series of portal columns have been designed along the market space for a central vista of the avenue. These vertical elements will guide the location of the stalls, the restructured zones for vendors and will provide light and structure for the awnings required in the monsoon or summer seasons. Along the longitudinal axis, in the center of the open space, a fountain in memory of the Karanja is proposed along with a museum illustrating the history of Ahmedabad, creating a node for visitors and tourists from Gujarat, the rest of India and abroad.

Some of the other issues the project addresses are improvement of elements concerning signage, lighting, landscaping and street furniture. The material chosen is granite in various forms that will maintain character of the heritage area. Over time, revitalization of the area will flourish into consequent improvements of existing buildings in the surroundings, contributing with their renovated facades to the spatial framing of the plaza.

SCOPE FOR EXPANSION

The design will allow the possibility of growth, devising a system that would establish a dynamic dialogue between the activities and the users focusing primarily to retain the echo of the old with the existing. The Bhadra Plaza will then become one of the true great public centers in India, an open living room for people to meet, gather, celebrate, shop and recreate.