Ulsoor-ena Gurutisuvike
URBAN DESIGN STUDIO YEAR 2020
JULY 2020
Ulsoor-ena Gurutisuvike THE
IDENTIT Y
OF
ULSOOR
URBAN DESIGN STUDIO SOA DSATM
Introducing The study area is located north-east of the ulsoor lake. The Swami Vivekananda Road links it with the high speed corridor of Banglore provideing an easy access via road. The metro connects it which the rest of the city with even a station of its namesake. Ulsoor was the centerpiece of the cantonment town that the British built. All the important offices, courts, hospitals, and bazaars were built around the same lake. The British even created separate neighborhoods for the working class mostly the Tamil community. Ulsoor has some of the traditional communities who have been living in Bangalore for more than a century. Now the people have a sense of social interdependency like no other in the capital. The richness lies in the fact that in a metropolitan which is developing ever so fast, Ulsoor holds on to its culture and its people and this forms its identity. But this identity may soon fade if not preserved.
Map of study area with all important locations marked
the Physical The area has a very gradual slope making it suitable for development with its natural drainage.
The contours indicate a valley and it is along this valley that the Nala flows from the Ulsoor lake to the Belandur lake towards the south direction maintaining a constant water level in the Ulsoor lake and excess water flows towards Belandur.
Construction of the Bhaskaran road created a level difference between the lake and the study area. This cut of the area from the lake physicaly causing flooding problem at the grade difference.
Due to the Bhaskaran road and Swami Vivekananda Road the study area becomes a pocket of settlement disconnected from its surroundings. This creates a sense of lost time in the spaces as the reminients of old houses and buildings still stand as a part of its Urban fabric.
Contour map
Sunpath
Being in close proximity to the lake, the area is influenced by it. But due to its surface and density, even the lakes influence can not controll the urban heat stress.
Air temperature Hydrology map
Vegetation map
Wind direction
The green coverage of the area is poor. The only preserved green/open spaces are the parks and grounds. The minimum green requirement is 35% which make this place poor in air quality.
Humidity
Ulsoor Lake dates back to 1537 when Kempe Gowda II founded the city. One of his four watchtowers was established there. Later, the lake and the village of Ulsoor became part of Hyder Ali’s zaagir. In 1600, the Wodeyars of Mysore bought it from the Mughals after which the British wrested control of Bangalore from Tipu in 1798 and handed it back to the Wodeyars. After an understanding with the Wodeyars, the British began reinforcing it as a cantonment and laying railroads, building the town in a planned manner around the lake. Ulsoor was the centerpiece of the cantonment town that the British built. All the important offices, courts, hospitals, and bazaars were built around the lake. The British even created separate neighborhoods for the working class — mostly of Tamil laborers who, through their own enterprise and trade, enriched the community. Ivory tiled bungalows with spacious verandas and circular or floral skylights sprung up on the lanes bordering the lake, adorned by bougainvillea and gulmohar. Shady, tree-lined avenues and the cool breeze made the town a joy to live in.
Map of Bangalore 1854 SOURCE: Pharoah and Company, An Atlas of the Southern Part of India
Growth of Ulsoor
1937 1537
1814
1854
Early establishment of the temple led to small settlements around it. Main group of people residing were Brahmins.
After the arrival of British army in the early 19th century, Cantonment was established. The settlement grew and thus someshwarapura came into existence.
The British called in people for their service from the Madras Province who settled in the northern part of the site which came to be known as Knoxpet.
After Bangalore was hit by a Plague in 1898, Knoxpet was redesigned to improve sanitation and further came to be known as Murphy Town, after the engineer who designed it. It was during the plague, the temple kalyani was buried.
1960
1970
The regions of MV Garden and Jayaraj Nagar evolved after the independence.
Gupta layout was later added in this year to design housing layout for the higher income.
The area developed with different architectural and planning principles based on which time in history it was concieved. This resulted in pockets of settlment which distinctly different urban fabrics.
BAZAAR STREET Average plot sizes 30’ X 40’. Evolved during British period but designed by the public. Row houses with courtyards
MV GARDEN Designed for low income group. Bye laws have not been followed and the average plot sizes are 15’ X 20’
GUPTA LAYOUT Evolved in 1970 after independence. Designed by BDA and designed for a little higher income groups. Average plot sizes are 40’ X 40’.
MURPHY TOWN Designed by WH Murphy, in the year 1923 in order to improve sanitation after plague epidemic. Previously known as Knoxpet. Inward looking cluster with an open space. Average Plot size 30’ X 20’. 9 clustered squares
SOMESHWARA PRECINCT After the establishment of Someshwara Temple in 12 CE, the temple grew into a prominent heritage precinct of the area enclosed within the circumbulatory path. Within the precinct werve residences of the Brahmin temple scholars.
As the people migrated to occupy the area, different parts developed differently at different times. This created a diverse pocket of settlements that form the community of Ulsoor. Due to is long history The land has been completely saturated with meter square houses, traditional businesses and people from all backgrounds. When observing the built, we can identify a distinct pattern which is followed south of the river. This changes in the north where it split into there : clusters, linear settlement and a planned area. The unique places here are the large sparely dense area in the southwest corner which is owned by the BSNL company for their offices and private quarters. Beside is are other such major stakeholders such as the Conrade and Prestige companies. Another such pocket is seen near the metro station which is owned by the Police department as living quarters. The Murphy town layout is the most distinct as it stands out due to its open spaces which have been safeguarded till yet, though inadequately used. At the same time the other breathing space in this dense development - the Dhobi ghat ,on the North West side, is the bread and butter for quite a few families that live there.
Figure Ground map of study area
Someshwarapura Began as a temple settlement and is the oldest amoung all the parts. Has changed across the years as the people developed their houses, yet a few old houses still stand as if lost in time. Great importance given to Temples, even the smaller temples on each street apart from Someshwara temple. These temples form a part of their Community. residents go to their local temples.
Differnce between the past and present culture can be observed from the nature of the buildings. The older building is seen to open dirently on to the street while the newer has elvoved with the concept of a boundary wall and parking space.
Reminient of the older lifestyle where people had lifestock. a small house in Car street with a chicken pen in front of the house. No compounding of the house as people have a sense of trust in theor neighbours.
Class divide visible as new constructions have developed towering over the older neighbourhood. and existing isolated from its context.
Murphy Town Murphy Town was planned by W H Murphy. as a layout for the migrated Tamilian workers. The planning princples reflect European cultlre where eq`Vual imporance given to Public open spaces. The layout was planned in supperblocks where each block had a central green space. The neighbourhood were adressed to as ‘Squares’ - corresponding to the nine parks incorporated in the layout. The idea was to uplift the community by giving them a better living condition.
Since it is a designed layout, there is a hierarchy of spaces. People use the semi-private spaces in front as an extension of their house for storage and drying purposes. These spaces form good community spaces.
Christianity has a visible influence over this region. Though due to the numbers, it’s a mixed demographics currently and while there are several temples scattered around as well, Churches, and motifs of Mother Mary are found abundant. This gives the area a completely different feel from Someshwarapura.
The planning incorporated a market - Murphy meat market. It still retains its original structure though it has seen some amount of renovations through the years. The Murphy Library that was in the centre has not been demolished and replaced by an Indira Canteen.
In recent times, the place has come under BDA and the homeowners had recieved grants for renovations. This resulted in an uneven development due to lack of documentation of landownership.
M V Garden In general the place has smaller plot sizes and is densely developed upon. There are evidenced of of a single plot getting divided insto smallers parces due to family fueds. This creates a unique urban fabric of a continuous dense and colourful buildings.
The Dhobi ghat was established to wash the clothes of the upper Anglo-Indians and British. And it is still functioning till this date. It can be seen from the Bhaskarn road.
Busy narrow streets which are used for parking as well. Due to the small plot sizes there is no open spaces or parking spaces for the residents. Hence the street becomes an important shared commodity.
Small shrines and grottos of both religions have been observed at street junctions and along the nala road. Due to poor solid waste management and unavailability of public garbage bins, people used to dispose their waste at a junction or at the side of the road. This caused the area to be extremely littered and unpleasant. A community initiative utilized the strong religious sentiments of the people and established shirnes of different god and godesses at the dumping sites to ensure the public spaces are kept clean.
Jayaraj Nagar This layout was developed as housing for the IT employes brought by the RMZ group. The houses where built with the main focus towards renting rather than owning. This represented itself in certain characteristics such as external staircases, row house apartments and each floor as a separate flat. This mimiced the apartment culture that was catching on in a smaller scale such that a single ownership plot could develop it as an income generator. Due to lack of space which was maximised for investment, the people resorted to use the streets it self for drying clothes and storage goods.
The street infrastructure is in several layers of disrepair and forms a stark contrast to the IT parks on the opposite side of the road.
Gupta Layout The external passages and acceses became common with the rental economy that came with the floating IT crowd.
The boundaries between public and private becomes blurred as people use the streets tand coumnd walls to dry clothes and store goods.
Gupta layout was made for HIG people. This reflects in the buildings as well as the presence of more cars parked on road. The constructions look relevatively new which coincides with the fact that it was last to be developed. Due to more recent occupation, the plot sized are larger and well maintained.
Few cul-de-sacs have been privatized by the people living along that road. These roads are well paved and designated parking spots.
The Nala road along the Gupta layout is wider and cleaner. which steadily detoriates towards the Murphy town.
The houses are well developed with setbacks and their own compound walls. These provided a breathing space within the layout as opposed to the other area developments.
Beginning of Ulsoor The Someshwara temple is one of the old temples in the city dating back to the Chola period, it is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Recent excavations at the temple site has revealed the existence of a temple tank (kalyani) which could be 1200 years old. The temple is visited by the people of the community on a daily to weekly basis. It celebrates Mahashivratri in a grand scale with devotees from all across the city coming to pay a visti to the temple. The temple street turns into a fair and is extremely vibrant. In the month of April, the temple gods are taken out for procession. The community is seen to participate enthusiastically with the last day celebrated as Poo Palakki Utsav.
Someshwara temple Archival images unsourced
Temple chariot place at the end of the temple street.
Temple and its Heritage Precinct
The people of the area have strong roots and hold on to their traditions. The traditions of drawing Kolams in front of the house, visiting their house of worship, Siting at the door step or angans to talk to neighbours. These are still visible in this bustling neighbourhood. Hence when the fesitvals approaches we see tha community getting together and making arragements for the devottes. The day of the festival the entire place activates with people partipating in the rituals or just enjoy the atmosphere. It does not matter which religion you belong to as everyone celebrates together.
The path that the chariots take during Poo pallaki festival
Festivals become more than just its religion. It becomes a part of their culture.
Temple street during Mahashivaratri
Bangalore as a city first developed around the culture of ‘Pete’ - markets. With the establishment of the cantonment and fresh migration towards the city, the local markets of Ulsoor became a part of the cities bustling Commerce. This characteristics of the Pete culture was also incorporated in the new layout of Murphy Town in the form of the Murphy Market as a community space. These markets have now become intertwined with the lifestyle and culture of the people.
Markets of Ulsoor
Bazaar street Bazaar street is one of the oldest commercial streets of Bangalore it was active since the time of the Someshwara temple. It depicts similar characteristics as that of Jamia street except for the fact that it has vendors selling pooja items next to every temple. Most of the built-up is either commercial, mixed-use, or religious structures. North elevation of Bazaar street along the Somehwara temple. Conrad MIXED USE COMMERCIAL Someshwara temple RELIGIOUS
Jamia market Jamia street market is a busy place where people from different parts of Bangalore come to purchase goods like fancy wear, shoes, etc for a fair price. The place is filled with vibrant colors, textures that attracts the crowd. Unlike the Murphy market, it’s not a single built form rather it’s a row of mixed-use houses on either side of a narrow pathway.
Murphy market One of the oldest markets in Bangalore, Murphy market is the prime activity hotspot for the localities, the market has butchers, vegetable vendors and grocers who have a good interpersonal relationship with their customers giving a warm rural ambiance to the place.
People of Ulsoor Shanmukha Age: 42 years Occupation: He is a watch man at M.G road. His grandfather was a shoemaker during the British era when they had migrted here and settled.
Mehaboob Age: 55 years Occupation: He is a shop owner at the murphy town market and lives near the Someshwara temple. The shop has been in their family since the time of his grandfather.
Thyelamma Age: 57 years Occupation: She is a vegetable vendor along the Yelamma road. She was married to a native of Bangalore who was a Tamilian and worked as a plumber. She has 2 children who own small shops along the vegetable market. She lives in BBMP quarters provided by the government.
Traditional occupations of animal rearing and local milk production still practiced. Murlie
I know all the nooks and corners of the of Ulsoor. Every morning there is a competition between the vendors to get the best price for the fresh goods.
Age: 26 years Occupation: He is a bullock cart owner along the CMR road . His grandfather was a stone quarry worker who had come from madras during the early 90’s and he worked on the area near the graveyards
Susheela Age: 38 years Occupation: retail shop owner along the murphy town main road beside the military base. She is a Malayali and moved from Kannur 12 years back (2008).
The Local oil mill which extracts oil from the raw materials you give it.
Beyond religion One of the most important factors that affects the entire social scenario of the site is the coexistence of multiple culture under the same umbrella, which makes the urban fabric, in terms of culture, even more vibrant. We find various communities living in harmony in spite of their cultural differences. There are multiple locations in the given area which symbolizes this harmony-- the unnoticeable existence of a temple and church side by side; the Someshwara temple and Jama Masjid being right across the Bazaar street. We find various places of worship such as Temples, Churches, Mosques, Gurudwaras and Jain Temples which makes the urban fabric, in terms of its social aspect, highly complex and rich. This place has a very unique and exotic cultural significance which needs to be sustained and the Heritage buildings that signifies the time and identity of this place and the history of the region must be preserved. As rightly pointed out by Jane Jacobs, Religions of Ulsoor
“Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.”
Somewhere in Ulsoor
Identity of Ulsoor Due to its close proximity to lake, and being in the heart of the city, Ulsoor too, like other parts of the city, went through urbanisation. Due to it’s rich heritage and obstinate traditional background, its conversion to a modern city was slow. This has helped in preserving the heritage of the city. However, with the growth of the city and the trend of westernization, the rapid urbanisation might be a threat to the culturally rich neighbourhood of Ulsoor.
The British developed a lot of infrastructure. The old Madras road was built to connect Bangalore to the other southern cities. This made it accessible to a larger context.
Being in close proximity to the Ulsoor Lake made it an ideal location. This drew people from nearby places to migrate towards it.
The cantonment played another major role as it brought migrant workers from Madras to support it. This resulted in a growing Tamil community with a strong British influence.
The Ulsoor metro started in the year 2011, which had a drastic impact on the scenario of urbanization in this region. First and foremost, was the increase in the FAR of surrounding region from the metro that fell within the boundary of 150m radius. The FAR was increased to 4, giving rise to opportunities for landowners to build higher which would result in tall building overpowering the heritage landmarks. The second thing was increase in commercial activities around the metro that would overpower the existing traditional occupation of the region. On the bright side, it also had a positive impact by bringing in people from all around the city and making it accessible thus contributing in making the heritage identifiable.
Areas that fall under FAR 4 according to By laws
Ulsoor, has due to its location, history and heritage has led to a rapid urbanization which has resulted in increased plot value. The Tamil laborers who occupied the land and settled during the British era, had passed on the land to further generations which led to division of the original plot into smaller and smaller sizes. This resulted in increased density of the settlement pattern decreased quality of living. The region that is prominent with this increased density is the Someshwarapura, near the temple and bazaar street.
Ariel veiw of the Concrete jungle that is Ulsoor SOURCE: Google, Copyrights belongs to the owner
For whom will the mall be built?
The markets have been the backbone for the economy of the localities and have been providing basic materials for the household as well as the traditional activities around the region, The activities around the markets helps in the social production process and maintain the community. Due to the commercialisation of this area, this culture of live and work is threaten. Due to its location and access the land value of Ulsoor has sky rocketed in recent times. This has made it a prime location for commercial development. The cause of concern here is when you look at the concequence and its impact on the stake holders. This can be illustrated by the rejection of the mall which was proposed in place of the hundred year old heritage Murphy Market. The people of the place filed a petition to reject the offer. The people of the area live hand-to-mouth. A mall would not serve them, just take away their existing market.
All street junctions have a diverse commercial activity. Here we see a mixed of perrishible and non perishible goods being sold along with a footpath eatery.
Junction of D. Mudalair road and R K Math road
1 MG Mall on Bhaskaran Road
Jamia Market is a mixed use market where the people have their residence above their market stalls.
Jamia market
Our vision Ulsoor is a vibrant diverse place lost in time. It has the reminents of history woven into its Urban fabric and its rich traditions displayed. The culture which we are known for is slowly fading away. Hence when such unique places are found holding to it, we must protect and presrve it. This cant be dpne be accentuating its heritage characteristicsa and present it as the daimond in the rough it is. We envision the place as the cities heritage icon. With “Streets as Museum” Concept we want develop the area by harnessing its unique characteristics to uplift the real people of the Ulsoor. This wil be realised by the below proposals: 1.Rejuvenation of the BBMP parks 2. Enhancing the socio-economic structure of murphy town 3. Relive public space 4. Cultural revival 5. Urban oasis 6. Restoring identity of Bazaar street
Map marking all the sites choosen for design proposal
TEAM Alson Dsouza Anoushka Shome Auwad Wajid Harshith Gowda Hrishikesh J B Jinu P George
GUIDES Ar. Mamatha N Ar. Savitha B
The publication was produced as a part of the Urban Design studio of Semester VIII year 2020 from the School of Architecture, DSATM. All copyrights belong to the owner and shall not be duplicated without consent.
