THE RENOVATION OF `GHATS' AN URBAN INITIATIVE IN CALCUTTA

Ref.: 54
Key theme: 01 Physical integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 14/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

NANDI, Chandan * (India) - Interdesign International
GUPTA, RANAJIT (India) - INTERDESIGN INTERNATIONAL

ABSTRACT

Functional Obsolescence and Heritage

Calcutta, the Metropolis on the Hooghly is at odds with the very river that assured its rise to commercial success. Three hundred years of of haphazard development and wrenching economic, political, and social changes has led to a marginalization of the river front. The rich socio cultural life and a priceless heritage of the ghats and its environment is totally neglected, functionally obsolete and in dire need of restoration and revival.

The City and its Ghats a New Lease of Life

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) proposed a restoration work of these stepped piazzas along the river , better known as "Ghats" with the underlying intent to rehabilitate the immediate blighted areas. Interdesign to whom a part of the project was awarded considered this a rare opportunity, not only to restore but to reinvent this historical strip :

· Restore the river links with its historical areas and remove obstacles
· Allow access to the entire riverine strip while connecting Ghats
· Check pollution and manage solid waste .
· Create links, open Trails (Historical), Greenways and create visual connections.
· Create new infrastructure to support new Functions and adaptive reuse


The ghats, an opportunity for Urban renewal:

Though an agenda for the historical conservation of ghat is in order, the logical extension would be the overall urban integration of the river side with the city.

The main Urban Renewal Objectives are:

· Relocate/elevate the existing train line and restore Ghats , surrounding areas. Penetrate the old historical cores from strategic ghats. Trail identification.
· Create multi level promenades to open the entire riverside with centres of new activities
· Installations of physical infrastructure, including new drainage and control river shore pollution. Supply much needed water and plan for new service corridors and hubs.
· Identify existing green and open space and knit them in the urban fabric as Greenways.
· Propose integrated Conservation planning with new activities, retrofit and public participation and responsibility (Maintenance).

The initiative will take into account:

Individual Architectural Context of the Ghats and their Pavillions :­

· Structural Integrity
· Design Integrity
· Material Integrity

Urban and Historical Context :­

· Material character of an Age/ Period/ Guild
· Design characters- its allegiance to a particular period and style.
· Character of the area, urban tissue ­ Structure, Design and Material
· Social/ Cultural Dynamics of the area ­ Activities and Settlement
· Environmental concerns of pollution ,New Service cores and pedestrian enclaves
· Economics ­ Public/ Private Partnership for viable alternatives ­ rail to be re-designed.
· Future parking and new transportation system
· A new public recreation space / green promenade

Typical Slides:

REFERENCES