portfolio research | urban design | writing
Aditi Ajay
Aditi Ajay A22 Jalvayu Vihar, Shihab Thangal Road, Panampilly Nagar Kochi, Kerala 682036
+91 96338 09555 aditiajayc@gmail.com
Overview
I am a young architect working in the development sector. I am passionate and driven about urban issues and constantly enthusiastic about tackling problems in a city through my research and design interventions.
Academics
2015 - 2020
Under Graduation
B.Arch VIT University,Vellore First Class with Distinction, CGPA: 9.3 1. University Rank 1 - Gold Medallist 2. Chancellor’s Gold Medal for Best Outgoing Student of VIT University 2020 – Non-Engineering Branches
Undergraduate Thesis
Enterprising Abandoned Stations: The Case of MRTS in Chennai Research and Design Development of a masterplan of 3 MRTS stations in Chennai along with its adaptive reuse to increase the usability of existing commercial and public space.
Undergraduate Dissertation
Women Moving through Space: A Focus on Inclusivity in The Streets of Kochi, India Research using surveys and Space Syntax methods to understand what makes streets unsafe for women in India, and to provide design recommendations for the same.
Professional Experience August 2020 - present
Junior Associate – Research & Development Centre for Urbanism, Chennai 1. Publication in Progress - Inclusive Intersections, Chennai 2. WIPRO Urban Ecology Small Grant - People’s Eco-Corridor Developing in-situ sanitation solutions for canal-side informal settlements in Chennai 3. Research on Solid Waste Management Practices in Chennai 4. National Urban Design Competition – Covai by GIZ - Shortlisted Entry
June – November 2018
Professional Trainee, DCOOP Architects, Mumbai 1. International Competition for Russia Housing by Strelka KB – shortlisted entry 2. Schematic Design of Freedom Centre, Ahmednagar, Maharashatra - a school for underprivileged children 3. Research, cinematography, graphics and animation of a documentary SUBLIME ORDINARINESS: Housing Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTPO5qVUB1M&ab_channel=DcoopArchitects
March - April 2021
Volunteer Sensing Local Foundation, Bengaluru ‘Cycle-friendly Doddanekundi’ project 1. Design Workshop - to strategise and develop design solutions for the 12km pilot route in Doddanekundi.
January - April 2022
Sustainable Mobility Champion YLAC, Bengaluru Advocacy project to improve community and stakeholder engagement for the K-100 revival project in Bengaluru.
Awards & Recognition Publications
Professional
2022
Wipro Small Ecology Grant - Chennai, 2021-2022 People’s Eco-Corridor
2022
Inclusive Intersections - Designing Safe Intersections for all (in progress)
2019
IIA Journal - Urban Documentation and Proposal for the Vellore Fort Precinct - Published Report
2022
Mahra Rohtak Playce Making Competiton, WRI First Place Winners
2019
FTRI - GD Naidu Young Scientist Award Recipient, VIT University for research on - The Politics of Imagery: A model providing guidelines on political campaigns for urban youth
2020
National Urban Design Competition – EnteKochi by GIZ
2019
Designed the landscaping for VIT FC frontage and lakefront - Approved Design
2019
Positions held in University
Mumbai Street Lab Competition - 2nd Place Winners Design of a street in Vikhroli
2019-2020
Student Council Executive Member
2016-2017, 2018-2020
Programme Representative, B.Arch,VIT University
2019-2020
Editor-in-chief - VIT VSPARC Newsletter Blab
2017, 2019
Organiser - VSPARC Art Festival
2016-2018
Core Committee Member - English Literary Association,VIT University
2016-2017
Core Committee Member - VIT Yearbook 2016-2017
Workshops 2019
ARCASIA Winter School ’19 Saveetha University with Peter Rich Design Programme on Housing
2019
Contemporary Urban Housing Cambridge University, Confluence Ten and Urban Garage Mahindra World City, Chennai
2017
Fractals and Bamboo Workshop VIT University with Takbir Fatima, DesignAware and Jaffer AA Khan
Technical Skills
Autodesk Autodesk Autocad
References
Ar. Ravi Anand Ar. Durganand Balsavar Ar. Quaid Doongerwala
Adobe Creative Suite Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe AfterEffects
SketchUp Space Syntax V-Ray GIS
Contents
Professional
Inclusive Intersections - Designing safe crossings for all A report - Redesign of Thiruvanmiyur Intersection
Raasta Rohtak - WRI MahraRohtak Playcemaking Compeition Winning Entry
People’s Eco-Corridor
Solutions for Sanitation along informal settlements on the banks of the Buckingham Canal
Sublime Ordinariness A film by DCOOP Architects
Pudhu Covai Covai Urban Design Competition Entry - GIZ - Shortlisted
Academic
Enterprising Abandoned Stations: The Case of MRTS in Chennai Undergraduate Thesis
Writing
Clear Skies are a Sign of Inaction: Shaping Cities through Identities Essay with Chetana Kothari
Art Deco, Heart Dekho Travel Writing
Worked on research, design, presentation drawings, and report preparation
Context - Thiruvanmiyur Intersection
OMR
Thiruvanmiyur MRTS
OMR
ECR
NITTTR
Redesigned Intersection - Plan 10m
30m
50m
Existing Images
View of ECR from the intersection - an auto stand exists on the right, the MRTS railway station is on the left
View facing the MRTS station along OMR. The left of this image is entirely filled with IT parks, brining huge pedestrian footfall to the area.
New lane directions
From OMR North
From OMR South
From ECR
From Tidel Park Service Road
Redesigned Intersection - 3D
View of ECR from the intersection - an auto stand exists on the right, the MRTS railway station is on the left
Photomontage of existing image 1
A traffic island that has pedestrian refuge space has been introduced. Bollards that have spacing for wheelchair access are provided. Ramps are provided to move up to the footpath from the road level. Along the MRTS station, seating is provided. The intersection itself is made narrower with compact crossings.
Photomontage of existing image 2
A large island is designed on the south of the intersection that houses both a bus stop and separates the main lanes from the share-auto lane. Public transport is thus easily accessed from this island. Adequate landscape shoulders are given to protect the pedestrian from fast-moving OMR traffic.
Raasta Rohtak Winning Entry for WRI’s MahraRohtak Competition Team: Aditi Ajay and Priyani Pranab The redesign of Tikona Park allows for a central island in the area that is green and becomes a breathing area for the city. With a park that is 3 times the area of the original park, it can be accessed by a lot more people, allowing for Tikona Park to become a cultural hub for Rohtak.
22 6 C
A
Existing Image 1
8
10
4
Existing Image 2 Overall Plan Scale 1:500
B
Walkways
Gathering space
Vendors
Placemaking
Waste bins
Composting
Wayfinding
Community networks
Continuous corridors
Universal access
Shared Streets
Gender inclusive
Street lighting
Cycling Paths
Play areas
15 13 C 26
18 2
25 21
14
17
19
16 24 20
23
1
3
A 5
B
11
Pedestrian
Vehicular
Park
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Safe Footpath Refuge Area Tabled Crossing Raised Intersection Vending Space Parklet Seating Ramps to enter footpath Open Stall Area
1089m
of footpath added
9
28 units 12
of fixed vending stalls
34m2
of mobile vending area
Legend
Cycle Track Sharrow Lane Share Auto Parking Bus Bay On Street Parking Median Landscape Shoulder
Cycle lanes
Park Entrance Clock tower Bird feeder Landscape buffer Patterned paving Public Toilet Partition and seating Shop/stall space Kids’ Play Area Stepped seating Trees with seating
provided on Delhi Rohtak Road, sharrows on the rest of the streets
3x
109
250m2
Bus and Shared Auto Bay on Delhi Rohtak Road
All original trees retained Existing toilet block retained
x
increase in park area
Event Space
2.6
2.6 1
4
7
4
1.8 1.8 2.7
8
Section A
3.2
Section
4
1.5
4
2.4 1
8.5
2
2.4
12
Section C
Bird feeding tower and seating area
Children’s Park Corner
Entrance to public space 1
Clock Tower as landmark for Tikona Park
8.3
2
3.5
3.5 1.2 3.5
3.5
2
2
3.6
2
3.6
B
2
14
6.4
8.2
Existing public toilet with buffer wall
Dedicated vending area on the footpaths
Bus and shared auto bay on Delhi Rohtak Road
Raised intersection on Delhi Rohtak Road
Photomontage of existing image 1
The Park is extended to a vibrant public space where the boundaries between the park and the footpath have been blurred. Cultural activities, street vending and play can all occur in the new public space of Tikona Park.
Photomontage of existing image 1
The vehicles entering the site towards Tikona Park are to slow down by our design interventions that focus on traffic calming and pedestrian prioritisation. There are trees, landscape shoulders, vending spaces and cycle tracks along the footpath.
People’s Eco-Corridor
Solutions for Sanitation along informal settlements on the banks of the Buckingham Canal Worked on research, documentation, drawings, presesntations, consulting with stakeholders and the government, case studies to arrive at possible solutions, etc.
The Buckingham Canal is an artificial canal that runs through Chennai city, along the coast. It used to be a navigable waterway, but now has been reduced to a drain. Factories, city sewer systems and residences let out their sewage into the canal. There are several urban poor settlements along the Buckingham Canal, that also let out sewage here.
Urban Poor Settlements Neighbourhood Drain Network
Perungudi (West)
Palavakkam (East)
Sewage let out into the canal
Insitu Wastewater Pollutants - Poor income communities
Open sewage drains
Open drains leading to the canal
Semi-open stormwater drains - often mixed with sewage
City Drains
Industrial Drains
Open Drains
Toilet
Buckingham Canal Pipes
Settlement Type A
Canal
Settlement Type B
Canal Bank
3m Road
House
Canal
Street
Street
Residence
Residence
Canal Bank
House
Sample House Settlement A
Section A
Bedroom
Drain Pipe Toilet
Hall
Cooking Area
A
Water Supply
Plan
Sample House Settlement B
Section C
Section D
Open Drain Toilet
Cooking Area Room
Room C
Water Supply
D
Plan
Sublime Ordinariness - A film by DCOOP Architects Graphics and Assistant DCOOP Architects had designed a staff housing for JSW, in Vasind, Mumbai. It was designed keeping the socio-cultural realities in mind, thus derived from the the chawl typology of Mumbai. The office wanted to understand how the design was responded to by the occupants, resulting in a post-occupancy survey that took final form in this film. My role was to assisst in conducting the survey and later with the film and the interviews. I also worked on all the animation and graphics for the film on Adobe AfterEffects.You can view the film using this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTPO5qVUB1M&t=2s
Worked on design conception, development, and presentation drawings
Writing Samples 1. Clear Skies are a Sign of Inaction: Shaping Cities through Identities 2. Art Deco, Heart Dekho - The persistent reclamation of reclaimed land - Colaba Causeway
Clear Skies are a Sign of Inaction: Shaping Cities through Identities Clouds exist in various shapes and sizes, causing varied effects in the sky. Some cause thunderstorms and some are light-dispersers. As different as they may be, the Earth needs all of them to sustain the atmosphere.
When one thinks of urban India, their thoughts are broken into two scales of space - of urbanity and India. The identity of a place is a pastiche of culture, lifestyle, geography, politics, sociology and economics, all evolving from history. However, apart from the physical context and geography of a region, the other factors are volatile and dependent on human priorities and experiences. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a method of thinking that is inclusive of society. We will first get into the existing modes of imagination, question the biases which will lead to fresh imaginations of cities. Looking at cultural geography is a way of linking ideas and imagination with the material world. It explores the way people associate identity and society. A study of these configurations will allow one to develop thoughts and information that challenge “traditional dualisms of mind/body, global/local” (Horton & Kraftl, 2013). Recent studies on urbanism have tried to move beyond binaries to spectrums, but cultural geography will allow us to understand urban systems as fields and clouds of data. Who is India? The dichotomy of the cloud can be likened to the identity of Indian cities. Recent political imaginations have pushed a homogenous Indian identity. This imagination of local vs global needs investigation to know the obsolescence of such binary thinking. As we let go of this idea of “One India”, we can notice the cultural variety of the subcontinent which was rightfully called the United States of India by B.R. Ambedkar (Ambedkar, 1945). Such an imagination enables one to move beyond the duality of us vs. them and see the coexistence of various cultures across borders. Who is the city designed for? In a way, India has always associated planned cities with hatred. The first modern planning documentation in India exists because of the British, with Madras and Bombay. These cities and their divisor planning are the reason for the generation of the slums on the city’s fringes. However, the public visualising an Indian city (e.g., Chennai) today will recall wide roads and colonial buildings, not narrow continuous wall settlements of Georgetown (earlier known as Blacktown). India forgets the identity of its citizens and glorifies the colonizer. The same planning has translated into cities of today. Planning remains strictly within its limits - creating what we do not realise are “unjust geographies” (Goh, 2018). Gatekeeping exists quite literally in Indian society, based on caste, religion, gender, and marital status. So, who are these cities designed for? A middle-aged, upper-caste Hindu, cis-gendered heterosexual working man, with a nuclear family to support is the quintessential user of the city.We see a literal translation of postWorld War 2’s lifestyle “by men, and for men '' in our city planning.
How are cities constructed? Theoretically, cities/ spatial development is either organic or planned. Organic development is the product of many individual decisions made according to local rules and circumstances, whereas planned development is a product of selective individuals making major decisions regarding the city. organic planning is a bottom-up approach, whereas planned cities take the top-down approach. Instead of debating which of the two is better, we claim that both practices have failed to include any imagination beyond that of a middle-aged upper-caste Hindu cis-heteronormative man. Here is where we base our rethinking, of the oppositional planning, of the intersectional inclusive planning . Who designs the cities? The process of making is as important as the plan it makes, if not more important. Currently, the planning committee consists majorly of upper caste cishet men, creating their versions of the city . Growth of a city must be seen against the backdrop of creating equitable spaces for all. Inclusive proportionate representation in the designing of cities is one way to eliminate this standard planning. To exist in a city is to be able to use the spaces as well as participate – in political life, management and administration of the city (Dikeç & Swyngedouw, 2017). An example from Vienna’s housing project (Frauen-Werk-Stadt) acknowledged the disparities in users and accounted for a more gender-specific housing and city. It also calls for expanding the definition of who is an expert on city building to uncouple that expertise from post-secondary training (Gilroy & Booth, 2004). The space between who is considered an expert and who is typically on the margins of conversations about public space needs to be collapsed. If that happens, cities will function, and be designed with multiple points of view, engendering spaces that promote social mixing and most importantly, social equity. In Chiapas, a handful of Zapatista women in key roles of leadership, combined with a broad push from women in the Zapatista base, succeeded in changing laws, institutions, behaviours, and expectations around gender roles and domestic violence, resulting in remarkable transformations for women in Zapatista territory (Godelmann, 2014). In the Rojava Model of Syria, the administration is based on two main pillars. The first pillar is direct democracy as the basis of a communalist system, in which citizens participate actively in decision-making and the management of the polis. The second pillar, equally revolutionary, is the denial of the nation-state structure and philosophy. By implementing both of these systems , the model allows minorities to participate in civic society, a measure unprecedented in the Middle East (Şimşek & Jongerden, 2018). These examples of proportional representation at planning positions, participatory and dialogical planning are the way forward. Examining the Current Indian scenario We realise that city planning starts at the macro level but stops right outside the doorstep of the home. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to several people working from home. In heterosexual marriages and homes, where men are now in a space from 9-5 that is unfamiliar to them, causes discomfort – because traditionally, the home and space in the home are occupied by the woman. Planning has divided the city into a binary; the outside, which is occupied by men, and the inside by women.
Politicians and administrations have not recognised the need for allocating the budget for targeted inclusion of gender in cities and for those that have, the actions always revolve around movement. The current Indian idea of a world-class city is one of excessive transportation facilities (Sahoo, 2011), and this has become a selling point on the matter of safety and freedom of women. A city with a vibrant public transport system is one that is largely accessible for women and therefore considered safe. However, this world-class city of speed, precision provides only superficial notions of safety. Strong support of this argument would be the privatisation of transport facilities.These facilities do lead to better infrastructure, but the same infrastructure is restricted and they lead to excluding certain people. Instead of redeveloping transport systems (Chennai/Mumbai have 4 rail systems each!), programming of the city needs to be decentralised.Allowing mixed-use planning, where a city can develop into a group of poly-centric hubs of uses, will reduce commute distance and therefore allow women to access more opportunities. A compact mixed-use development will allow home-makers and housekeepers with complicated responsibilities to access everything they need in a small bubble, without investing in transport or time (Silbaugh, 2007). In Shilpa Phadke’s Why Loiter, it is theorised that nobody apart from our typical Indian will utilise space in the city (Phadke, Ranade, & Khan, 2011). The issue is this; urban planning has often responded to the existing behaviours of the city, much rather than create new spaces for those who never used the city actively in the first place. Dealing with the spaces with caution, everything a woman does in a public space is a calculated measure of how long she is out of the space of the home. When this measure of precaution leaves the mind of a woman - that would be the indicator of an equal city. The romanticisation of public space and communities explain the concept of visual surveillance, that communities are inherently more connected when they are interspersed with interactive spaces. As Jane Jacobs describes the street to be an active space when there are eyes on them. Although this does make a street safer, it also becomes a tool for surveillance, and therefore a tool of control for the younger crowd, women and gender non-conforming people. Being outside a home - allows one to get rid of the domestic role and its normatively expected gender identities. Richard Sennet in his talk “Interiors and Interiority” mentions that one of the interesting observations when talking to a woman dressed in burkha in Cairo, was that she mentioned that her clothing allows her to be free of her mother and children. Being in the veil becomes a powerful tool as it allows for anonymity, and a relief from the tyranny of intimacy (Sennett, 2012). A question arises - how can cities thus allow for this anonymity and safety in public spaces, where one can practice their freedom and agency to own the space? Looking at our navigation in the cities, we realise that this anonymity is found in open public spaces of other neighbourhoods, where the eyes are unfamiliar and at a distance which means a buffer between the public space and residential complex. This buffer can be in the form of wide roads abutted with commerce, creating possibilities of varied crowd influx. What can be the possible solutions for this Cloud city? City of dissent, protest and commons As largely agreed, upon, cities display a variety of systemic inequalities. So then, how do changes happen in the city? There are largely two ways to bring about change in urban spaces, one is the act of protest. These are fast and reactionary, bringing immediate attention of the public to the problems, to reach quick solutions. Activism and protest lead to a collective organisation, which lead to communities carving out spaces for themselves in the city.
The Gezi Park protests in Turkey occurred to oppose the project of a mall in place of a public park. This protest was two-fold, one against the environmental impacts of losing a park but the other - resistance against the police brutality and discrimination against the LGBTQ community, who used the park as a space for activism and discourse. This informal resistance paved the way for formal organisation because the open space enabled it.Trans individuals showed creative space-making strategies of the community forming a trans house for themselves. (Atalay & Doan, 2019) The slower process is that of participatory assemblies and forums. These, historically called the “commons” are processes that allow citizens to establish their right to dissent. We argue that in a democracy, cities must accommodate for both. They must create public spaces that cater for both (Harvey, 2012). There need to be organization and development systems that are set at different scales. Discourse and opposition must occur from the grassroots level until the top administration. Queer-ing planning Often sexuality and gendered planning is seen in binaries again - heterosexual/homosexual, man/woman. Challenging this dichotomy is required. We need to enlarge our understanding beyond these binaries. Not all hope is lost for our overflowing cities; in Postmodern Geographies, Soja writes that “the organization and meaning of space is a product of social translation, transformation, and experience” (Soja, 1989). Problems recognised doesn't mean problem solved. In Kerala, e.g., we see a large amount of sticker-development, where policies are implemented as tokens without really considering its ramifications in the urban realm. A supposed LGBTQ-friendly based initiative to include transgender workers in the Kochi Metro backfired almost immediately as they faced discrimination in finding accommodation and in commute (Varghese, 2020). Accommodation and commute which are the backbones of a city were not catered for here. Along with mixed-use zoning, there must be the provision of integrated inclusionary affordable housing.What this means in terms of the policy is to hold a percentage of the housing project for marginalised communities. Currently, the apartments are a few standard BHK sizes which are consistent throughout the housing project which leads to the same class of people occupying the project.To make these reserved apartments affordable for all, different areas of apartments should be designed in one building, by which varied economic levels of families can exist together, eliminating economic disparities in housing (Minneapolis 2040, n.d.). Within the home itself, incorporating flexible layouts can allow for spaces that are more comfortable to non-normative families. Secondly, the creation of diverse spaces within cities and avoiding the idea of restriction in areas. For the LGBTQ community, spaces to gather and socialise are required. Creating opportunities to socialise like bars, cafes, movie theatres, employment opportunities, streets will lead to inclusive settlements and inclusive cities. Apart from the public spaces, there should be the provision of community centres for the marginalised in every certain area, they become safe spaces for the community. It enables them with power to access space in the city. Epilogue When we speak of the context of a place, imagery of climate, form and materials often prop up in our minds. At an urban scale, the imagery of streets, blocks and transport come up. What one often fails to imagine, and therefore address, is the fact that our material world is intrinsically woven to our identities. If planners do consider these identities, its diversity is often ignored which leads to facilitation of a city to a single user group. Here as we attempt to read cities as skies filled with various user-clouds, we have tried to deconstruct its current formal translations to expand the belongingness of the city for the marginalised.
For planning to be truly inclusive, cities will have to get rid of the binary that they exist in. They will have to move forward to create synergised spaces where active effort is taken to allow certain users to feel they have the right to the city. No more token measures of inclusivity, and an excess of panels on diversity and culture, but more deliberate action in our cities. India in the twenty-first century has the potential to thrive, and the root of its prosperity lies in its cities. The urbanscape, right from the roofs to the street to the grounds, have to be carefully crafted by all its identities. So now we question - how colourful do you want the sky to be?
References Ambedkar, B. R. (1945). States and Minorities. Atalay, O., & Doan, P. (2019). Reading the LGBT Movement through its Spatiality in Istanbul,Turkey. Geography Research Forum, 106-126. Dikeç, M., & Swyngedouw, E. (2017). Theorizing the Politicizing City. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Gilroy, R., & Booth, C. (2004). Changing the mould: The Frauen-Werk-Stadt model project. Godelmann, I. R. (2014, July 30). Australian Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved from The Zapatista Movement: The Fight for Indigenous Rights in Mexico: http://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/news-item/thezapatista-movement-the-fight-for-indigenous-rights-in-mexico/ Goh, K. (2018). Safe Cities and Queer Spaces: The Urban Politics of Radical LGBT Activism. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 463-477. Harvey, D. (2012). Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution. Horton, J., & Kraftl, P. (2013). Cultural Geographies - An Introduction. Routledge. Minneapolis 2040. (n.d.). Retrieved from Eliminate Disparities: https://minneapolis2040.com/goals/eliminate-disparities/ Phadke, S., Ranade, S., & Khan, S. (2011). Why Loiter? Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets. Sahoo, P. (2011). Transport Infrastructure in India; Developments, Challenges and Lessons from Japan. Sennett, R. (2012). Interiors and Interiority. Boston. Silbaugh, K. (2007). Women's Place: Urban Planning, Housing Design, and Work-Family Balance. Fordham Law Review, 1797-1852. Şimşek, B., & Jongerden, J. (2018). Gender Revolution in Rojava: The Voices beyond Tabloid Geopolitics. Geopolitics. Soja, E. (1989). Postmodern Geographies: The Reassertion of Space in Critical Social Theory. Varghese, A. S. (2020, March 6).Transgender staff of Kochi Metro struggle to keep life on track. Retrieved from The New Indian Express: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2020/mar/06/transgender-staff-ofkochi-metro-struggle-to-keep-life-on-track-2112888.html
Art Deco, Heart Dekho
The persistent reclamation of reclaimed land – Colaba Causeway ADITI AJAY
I
n the wake of cities planned in the past, from ports, to forts, to civil courts, lie a complex blend of urban centers that strive to develop their own identity. In the metropolis that is Mumbai, the identity is established and reestablished over and over again – by all those who dream of being in the city. Despite being one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world, to outsiders, only one part of Mumbai comes to mind; South Bombay with its colonial planning, wide roads and grandiose buildings. Historically, the stretch from Colaba’s cantonment to Fort, the business centre of Mumbai, was covered by a creek; one that in the high tide was rendered impassable by residents and in which overcrowded boats capsized into the muddy water. Today, this creek is now Shahid Bhagat Singh road, popularly referred to as Colaba Causeway, a bustling commercial street in the heart of colonial Mumbai. The street is iconic – the name itself conjures up vivid visuals of unique shops and expensive restaurants. Over the years, the street has developed a unique tapestry of layers. The stratification ranges from the road – where kaali-peeli taxis and red buses run amok, to the romantic, dilapidated buildings. Two strata lie in between. One, the street pavement that is meant to be one sided, but has now been annexed by hawkers and the second, the colonnade of the building itself. In these two layers, the people thrive, sweated out by the heat and cooled down by the sea breeze, a dichotomy that mirrors the two layers themselves. The place has always been at a crossroads. It is an integral part of an opportune city in the midst of a leap into the modern age, yet it clings to the past that it has always known - of the British. The old-world glamor of the area is credited to the colonials, and also to the deep com-
plex that exists in public minds, that all that is Anglo is ahead of our times. The street is peppered with buildings built by the British – the Art Deco style of architecture evident to see. Mumbai has the second largest number of Deco buildings in the world, and at the beginning of Colaba Causeway reigns one of the most illustrious of them all – the 90 year old Regal Cinemas, It was designed by Charles Stevens, the son of F.W Stevens, the architect of Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The charm of the old-world has not vanished, and the theatre runs to this day. It is a landmark to people, native or visiting, that orient themselves around this structure. The theatre today is dilapidated, regal in naught but name, but still people flock to watch iconic movies in this icon. In the vicinity of Regal Cinema, are several other buildings that identify as part of the colonial era. The Electric
House and Majestic Hotel are famous examples. As an entire street, the identity of Colaba Causeway is largely anglophilic. A thought passes, whether today’s Mumbaikars connect with this beautiful architecture born of a brutal past. But isn’t that what being Indian is all about, to be able to contextualize everything to their culture. The shopping precinct that has developed on the pavement of Colaba Causeway is the perfect justifier of this. The stalls sell everyday trinkets that appeal to the foreign tourists as well as to the cosmopolitan Indian. The-
se thelas are all about bargaining, the sounds of people haggling for a good deal are all that one can hear. Quintessentially Indian, a tourist would exclaim.
In a way, the tourist is right, the area is Indian in every imaginable way. Urban India is driven by the community, by interactive, incidental spaces, and Colaba Causeway has all of these elements. The street stalls, with their rickety stands and tarpaulin, offer more than just enticing sells. They provide comfort to the walker, shading the entire pavement with their presence. A person walking through the narrow promenade experiences something surreal – a range of senses that overcomes them. Visually, the Causeway is both distinct and memorable. In plain sight is the Art Deco style of tropical imagery – sunrays for example, are painted in the interior of regal cinema. The typography of the place is also distinctive to that time period, with cafes like Mondegar and Leopold carrying fonts like Pontiac even today. Notably, Café Mondegar has its interior painted by famous cartoonist Mario Miranda, who captures life in the road perfectly on the café’s mural covered walls. Electric House and Metro House, two buildings along the causeway add to the identity of the place. The name explains the role of the building in layman’s terms – Electric House housed the electricity board headquarters. There was once a showroom too, that advised customers on electrical appliances. Today it remains as a memory of a place that once stood for the dawn of a new era. The walker has no time to rest when in Colaba Causeway, all their senses are finely tuned to the sights, sounds and smells. They are overcome by a sense of place, and are brought back to reality only when they step out of this claustrophobia.
The privileged who walk out of the restaurants with a drink in their hands are in an instant grounded when accosted by the city’s homeless. The squatters, so far unnoticed, make their presence felt. The design of the Causeway allows for hiding in plain sight. The street is a parody of itself, that in the material world; there are not only material girls. Lurking in the underbelly of this overwhelming, bustling network is its recent tragic history. The incidents on the 26th of November 2008 were not only an attack on the city but also on the identity of the nation. The memory of this remains in the Causeway as well, instead of being a grim reminder of the sadness and violence that had gripped the area, bullet holes on the walls of Leopold café are shown with pride, the strength on display adding greater value to the establishment. Here it is a sign that is contradictory to the perception of the people – we condemn the attacks and praise the redevelopment of destroyed architecture. Here, these wounds are celebrated. Mumbai and its pathways are comprehensive enough to elicit comment on the urbanity of all of contemporary India. And Colaba Causeway has a diverse range of activities, culture, and context. It is part of a legacy that the British have left behind, that we have adapted for our own. In an era where it is increasingly complex to define what it means to be Indian, one can always look to our illustrious cities, because here is where the Indian Heart lies.
Aditi Ajay +91 96338 09555 aditiajayc@gmail.com