Eyes on the River
Among all the bridges that have been built along the river, none of them provide any kind of visual connection to the river. There is no continuous physical access to the river, barring citizens from cherishing this resource in the city.
The vast demographic & various non-intrusive activates have been studied & documented. The area shaded in yellow in map 3, highlights the demonstration area while the zone marked in red denotes the study area.
The confluence of both the tributaries; the Mula & the Mutha has religious as well as ecological significance, with the presence of many temples & Ghats (steps leading to the river) & a rich, diverse & ecologically sensitive Riparian Zone.
The design intervention site is along the banks of the Mula river. Zoning across & along the river helps to analyse activity mapping, keeping in mind various aspects like flood line restrictions & municipal development control rules.
The background study as well as the site analysis provided clues to the need for a riverfront institute that would help to fill the information gap about the river among the citizens.
The Riverfront Institute acts as a melting pot of ideas for the citizens. Workshop spaces will encourage NGOs & Forums to organize sessions & discussions, providing information while encouraging conversations The roof of the Institute is accessible all throughout, providing views to the river. A walkway connects the institute to the river bank & leads to continuous walking trails along the river. The trails along the river are designed in a way to provide direct access to the river with benches & gazebos along the way for groups to gather. The main materials are clay bricks for the walls & arches & concrete for the roofs. The aches in the spaces are a nod to the architecture & design of one of the oldest bridges that was built across the river, depicting the importance to acknowledge history while moving towards a sustainable future.
The sections depict the various design features of the institute that aim to ensure better, healthier interaction of the citizens with the river.
Section AA & BB aim to highlight the use of brick as a primary building material & arches as a primary design element. It is also clear from these sections that the accessible roof enables citizens to get better access & views to the River.
Section CC highlights the relation of the Institute with respect to the River. One can gauge the scale of the Institute with various Riverfront activities along the interactive edge of the River.
A physical 3D printed model showing the buildings of the Institute juxtaposed against an existing photograph of the River & the surrounding context.