SANRAKSHAN : MARINE BIODIVERSITY CENTRE MASTER THESIS: 2020, MSC Architecture & Urban design UNIATA 21 BEST IN EUROPE THESIS PROJECT AWARDS WINNER
This project is a deep study & development of a strategic approach addressing the major environmental problem faced by the coastal city of Mumbai in India. The metropolitan city is carving with its build zone through the ecological corridors of thane creek, one of the main protection mangrove barriers of the city during heavy monsoon. The aim is to achieve a people participatory project to bring awareness of the current ecological disaster happening in the city due to its urbanization. The nearby schools and NGOs could work here along with the government for nature protection. Over the vast mangrove parks of the thane creek, we wanted to design a nature destination that allows us to learn to protect and work with it. The program includes an urban mangrove park, walkways, boating trips, and a marine nature museum. Which is an open platform for the city to engage in such awareness programs. The architectural inspiration is from Indian architecture & its elements, which respects and divulge nature within it. The project contains a mangrove park with a pathway and a museum with the shored whale skeletons from the sea. Along with workshop seminars and community spaces. The hope is to form such initiatives in the future where the architectural projects could bring a change in the way people see such natural zones. 6
Architecture and Urban design
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
MELTING GLACIERS HEAT WAVE
SEA LEVEL RISE
MARINE ECOSYSTEM
FOOD SHORTAGE
FOREST FIRE
WATER SHORTAGE
CARBON CYCLE DROUGHT
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PROGRAM
CREATION
OF MANGROVE CELL
FLAMINGO PROTECTION
COASTEL & MARINE MUSEUM
INDO-GERMAN BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAM (NCAP)
Mumbai is the 10th world’s largest and fastest-growing city. A vast expanse of infrastructures like roads, bridges, highways, and urban landscape has caused significant effects on the city’s Biodiversity life. There is a continual tug-of-war between the natural and built environment, with the people preferring and focusing on the latter. It is disturbing as the natural biodiversity is vanishing in the once green city. Various initiatives are starting to prevent this one that we focus on is the mangrove marine museum. CONCEPTUAL INSPIRATION
MANDAPA : PAVILLION
CHATTRI : BALCONY
AAGAN : COURTYARD
KAAVU : SACRED GROVES
CHAURA : VERANDAH
GHATS : STEPPED RIVER EDGES
Living in harmony with nature has been an integral part of Indian culture. It is reflected in a variety of traditional practices, religious beliefs, rituals, folklore, arts and crafts, and in the daily lives of the Indian people from time immemorial. Many ancient cultures tell us how communities lived in harmony with nature, with a tradition of reverence for the elements that constitute ecosystems, drawing their sustenance from natural resources and at the same time protecting the environment that sustains them. Today, when people are laid-back by the degradation of the environment and the disastrous consequences, the traditional ethics of nature conservation could be looked upon as a source of inspiration and guidance for the future. Perhaps no other culture can provide such a profound variety of cultural practices and ecologically sound relationship with nature as the Indian. So what inspires us is also in this thesis is these architectural spaces which create the harmony of humans and nature. We can see the elements of Indian architecture in the development of social gathering spaces in the mangrove park and museum. 8
Architecture and Urban design
PROPOSED SITE: THANE CREEK MUMBAI
BUILD AREA
ROADWAYS
WETLAND I MANGROVES
WATER BODY
URBAN CONTEXT
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SITE PLANNING
THE NODES
THE PATHWAY
THE ACCESS & MANGROVE ZONE
THE BUILD ZONE
Mumbai city is a heterogeneous community of populations with varying income levels and a high floating population. The increased value of land price creates squatter settlements in the unbuilt zones and the vegetation areas. This natural environment is being encroached every year to getting converted into solid concrete jungles. It causes more threats to the city. One such site that we are trying to address here is the Thane creek mangrove ecological corridor. The chosen site is close to the encroachment and protected as a natural park building a museum which is awareness to the people. These kinds of initiatives are still new to India. The main walkway path, boating route are designed along with the museum being the entry point. The 2 km stretch has exploring points for the visitors. The adjacent schools have also is involved in the program as caretakers. 10
Architecture and Urban design
MASTERPLAN
SANRAKSHAN : The pathway and museum Portfolio
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THE PATHWAY & ELEMENTS
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THALAP (THE POND)
GHONSALA (THE NEST)
PUL (THE BRIDGE)
BANDHARGARH (THE HARBOUR)
JAGHAL (THE WOODS)
MADHYA STAN (THE REST SPOT)
Architecture and Urban design
NAOKA STHAL (THE HARBOUR)
SHIKHAR (THE TOWER)
SHIKAR: Observation tower Portfolio
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Architecture and Urban design
SHIKAR: Observation tower Portfolio
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THE PLANNING AND ZONING EVOLUTION
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Architecture and Urban design
PATH AS MAIN AXIS
PROPOSED SITE AREA
EXISTING SITE ASPECTS
DEFINING THE AXIS
WIND AND SUNPATH
BUILDABLE AREA
FRAGMENTATION OF MASS
CIRCULATION
GHATS: The water edge Portfolio
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THE MASSING AND FORM EVOLUTION
AV ROOM
GREEN & BLUE ZONES
WHALE SKELETON MUSEUM
CONNECTORS & NODES
CENTRAL PATH
ROOF FORMATION
MIGRATORY BIRD EXHIBITS
ROOF SKYLIGHT FORMATION
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Architecture and Urban design
THE MUSEUM PLAN
SHELLS & MOLLUSKS
MARINE & SPECIES
RECEPTION TEMPORARY EXHIBITS LIBRARY
WORKSHOP
CHAURA
AMPHITHEATRE
WATER PAVILLION
CAFE
AV ROOM
MANGROVE INFORMATION
MANGROVE EXHIBITS
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THE MUSEUM PLAN
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Architecture and Urban design
Portfolio
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Architecture and Urban design
NAUKA STHAL : The Harbour Portfolio
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THE MUSEUM ELEMENTS AND PATHWAY
CHAURA THE ENTRANCE
MIGRATORY BIRDS EXHIBITS
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Architecture and Urban design
MANDAPA THE WATER PAVILLION
MARINE EXHIBITS
CHATTARI THE RAISED BALCONY
VERANDHA / AMENITIES
GHATS & MANGROVE EXHIBITS
AAGAN : TEMPORARY EXHIBITS
MANDAPA : The Pavillions Portfolio
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PAVILLION / THE CENTRAL PATHWAY
BIRDS EXHIBITS
The project sanrakshan is a step to bring light to the community espicially aiming the younger generation about the aftermath we bring with our actions. It allows a platform for people to get and give awareness also to gather to work for it. The project is not just a museum dedicated to the biodiversity but also to bring the essence of human and nature architecture. A time where everything co exists. The workshops and gathering spaces can be used to carry out conferences and seminars to open up the society to this knowledge. The proximity to various schools gives us the opputunity to arrange nature camps in the proposal where students can work close to the nature especially in the field of bird watching, mangrove plantation etc.
WHALE EXHIBITS
SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS
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Architecture and Urban design
SHIKAR: Observation tower Portfolio
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Architecture and Urban design
SANRAKSHAN Portfolio
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ENCOMIUM TO FREEDOM THEMATIC STUDIO: 2018, MSC ARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN
Encomium to Freedom is a hyper contrasting yet integrated complex situated on the south side of uniquely shaped Roosevelt Island, East River, NYC. Through this urban development, we are aiming to bring more visitors. The main objective of the master plan is to connect the Cornell Tech campus to the ruins of Smallpox hospital - the only building categorized ad ruin in NYC - and the Four Freedom Park and monument by Louis I Khan. It is also carefully considered the challenges posed by flooding and exposure to the wind. The urban complex will attract tourists and New Yorkers alike while providing services for the campus and residents of the island. The Louis I khan four freedom park monument is the main conceptual inspiration where the four freedom of elements is implemented conceptually in the site along with various functions. Considering Lois Khan’s monument as the strongest architecture on the island, its physical extension becomes the leader for the two main alignments while its conceptual extension gives form to the program. Expanding the influence of The Four Freedom Monument along with the entire intervention conceptually and physically, by forming a grid from the alignments dictated by the monument and multiplying it to improve management of the space throughout the masterplan and carefully planning functions and interactions to best complement the context.
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Architecture and Urban design
SITE DEVELOPMENT
PATH DEVELOPMENT
FILLING THE VOID
A GUIDE & A CONCEPT
DEFINING A SYSTEM
DEFINING A GRID
DEFINING ARCHITECTURE
PROTECTION FROM FLOOD
THE MAIN PATH AS A GENERATOR
The main connector in the form of a pathway flows through the entire intervention, generating not only several entities such as an amphitheatre, underground courtyard, museum and Observatory Tower, but also a reference around which the masses are located. The whole intervention is elevated 3 meters to protect it from the projected flooding levels for the next century. Landscaping is extended to the Smallpox hospital ruin to include this unique ruin in the flood prevention area, while the grid design allows to orient buildings breaking prevalent winds and optimizing sun exposure. Functions include publicly available spaces such as an amphitheatre, multilevel courtyard, sport dedicated area, and a dock, designed to protect boats from the strong currents of the river, for both private and public water transportation to improve connectivity with the city. Built masses host a hotel and congress centre, a shopping mall, cultural centre, library, and exhibition pavilions, leading to a museum hosted within the ruin. Portfolio
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MASTERPLAN
ELEVATED BRIDGE
ISOMETRIC VIEW
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Architecture and Urban design
AMPHITHEATRE
SMALLPOX HOSPITAL
FLOATING JOGGING TRACK
HOTEL FLOOR PLANS
HOTEL I GROUND FLOOR PLAN
HOTEL I MEZZANINE FLOOR PLAN
HOTEL I TOWER FIRST FLOOR I SPA & POOL
HOTEL I TOWER 2ND FLOOR
HOTEL I TOWER 10TH FLOOR
HOTEL I TOWER 23RD FLOOR I SKY LOUNGE LVL
HOTEL I TOWER 24TH FLOOR I SKY LOUNGE LVL
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SECTION AA
SECTION BB
HOTEL AMPHITHEATRE
HOTEL SIDE ELEVATION
HOTEL FRONT ELEVATION
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Architecture and Urban design
3D SECTION HOTEL
MAIN PLAZA ISOMETRIC VIEW
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Architecture and Urban design
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OLD HOSPITAL RENOVATION PROPOSAL
GROUND FLOOR I MUSEUM
FIRST FLOOR I MUSEUM
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Architecture and Urban design
HOTEL FLOOR PLANS
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3D VIEW AND SECTION
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Architecture and Urban design
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
TECHNICAL SECTION I MUSEUM
RUIN INTERVENTION DETAIL A
FLOOR DETAIL C
FACADE DETAIL A
GREEN ROOF DETAIL B
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Architecture and Urban design
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CONSTRUIR-SE URBAN DESIGN STUDIO: 2017, MSC ARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN
Who, How & What plans and builds the African cities like Maputo and Dar es salaam: A study and interpretation of housing sector of African cities and finally formulating solutions to it. The research focuses on the African cities of Dar es Salem and Maputo Regarding the housing sector and its main issues. These cities are undergoing decentralization and squatter settlement formation. The settlement patterns of both cities show wide variation in economic conditions, which affects the societal health of the citizens. The aim is to provide quality housing solutions for the citizens of all economic levels in Maputo city. The final product is a ‘do-it-yourself’ unit from recycled building components with warehouses in every municipality. The warehouses can be supported by the government with subsidy schemes for the women owners. The modular unit can be multiplied and customized according to user needs. It can also be self-sufficient zero energy buildings with the help of solar panel units. These units can also be used as market units, shops, etc.
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Architecture and Urban design
AREA OF STUDY
Residencial area-high density Residencial area-medium density Residencial area-low density Commercial area Multifunctional area Palnned area Unplanned area Urban expansion area
Residential area
Residential area
Formal
Formal
Informal
Informal
12%
88%
In its active continuous urban transformation the city of Maputo is showing vivid pictures of a vibrant city. The typology varies from apartments, gated communities, traditional housing units and to densely populated slums. Rising housing shortage and limited resources for developing low cost housing also accelerates the issues of present housing scenario.
20%
80%
Dar es Salaam has a monocentric structure, where many functions and employment opportunities are located in and around the central business district, central market areas and office and industrial sites. The majority (more than 80 per cent) of the residents of the city of dar es salaam live in unplanned and unserviced settlements Portfolio
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ISSUES AND INTERVENTION
SITE : DISTRICT OF MAHOTAS
SUGGESTED MATERIALS FOR EXTERIOR CLADDING
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Architecture and Urban design
CONCEPT
The total cost of one unit of 9 sq. meters is 585 dollars which are 40% less than the conventional masonry construction. The estimated time of mounting a single unit is 5 days with 1-2 person working with a single hammer and a few nails. The kit contains 5 parts the roof kit, the structure kit, wall kit, floor kit and the foundation kit. The kit allows the customer to personalise the unit according to their needs in choosing the variations in wall panels in wall kit and also leaving the envelope material according to the taste and economic capability of the customer. Materials include pallets as the foundation, high strength corrugated cardboard as filler module for both wall and roof panels, aluminum composite windows and door units and pine wood stud as a structural element.
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PLOT 01
PLOT 02
URBAN LEVEL
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Architecture and Urban design
section of street with shop front
section of street with residence
Construir-se or “build (yourself)” - As its name proposes it is a program which aids the people of Maputo to achieve healthy and sustainable low-cost housing units. The project aims to find a flexible, sustainable and adaptable solution for the people to build their own house with limited money and time. The benefits of implementing the flatpack unit and its distribution process are primarily economical in nature as it saves the material and labor cost which adds the major share of cost in housing construction. The unit can be part of an existing house or can be mounted over a completely vacant site. The prefabricated units are easily transported to the site with the help of any means of transportation, and are conceived as light enough to be carried by a small group of people.
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E’ QUATRE - THE WOMEN’S HOUSE KAIRA LOORO : 2021, WOMEN’S CENTRE COMPETITION ENTRY
While almost all countries proclaim loudly for women empowerment, the gender gap is still fairly wide in sub-sahran african countries. by undergoing deep research over gender-based analysis in african countries, we realized what we need is to create a framework that leads to gender equality by utilizing the most significant & powerful resource that they have. which is the togetherness of these women towards one another. Around all rural areas of senegal, the main support for women is women itself. they cook, work, and live together with what they have by sharing to sustain individual families. through the e’ quatre (which means four e’s), we bring the strategy to eradicate- educate- employ- empower which has the prospect to eventually be enforced on a global scale. the design of the center is assembled to these four units which contribute activities that aim to the respective e’s and also to incorporate with their daily routine.
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Architecture and Urban design
CONCEPT ERADICATE
EDUCATE
EMPLOY
EMPOWER
SITE PLAN
0
8
16
32
Site plan scale in meters
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8
A
A
6
9 11
5
2 3
10
1
11
FLOOR PLAN
1. Training room / meeting room 2. Semi-open goods production space 3. Store room for produced goods 4. Baths/ toilets 5. Central mutifunctional courtyard
SECTION A-A
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Architecture and Urban design
0m
2
4
8
Floor plan scale in meters Aligned to the roof line of cones - 8m squares
6. Space for cooking/ sorting 7. Resting / sitting space 8. Admin / managing room 9. Clinic / second house beds 10. Exhibitions/ Public voice space 11. Deck to sell the produced goods
Make - Cook - Heal
Farm - Work - Play
Speak - Listen - Build Portfolio
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16
10
11
DETAIL BB
12
DE 15 7
9
8 6
5 14
E
13
D 4
C 3
B
2
A
1
DE
DETAIL AA
16
10
11
DETAIL BB
12
DE 15 7
9
8 6
5 14
13
E
D 4
C 3 2
1
DETAIL AA
3D ISOMETRIC
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Architecture and Urban design
B A
DE
16
16
11
DETAIL BB
12
DETAIL BB 10
15
7 9 8 6
5 14
E
13
D 4
C 3
B
2
A
1
DETAIL AA
11
DETAIL BB
12
10
15
7 9 8 6
5 14
13
E - Gravel filling D - Bamboo base C - Concrete waste filling B - Tyre used A - Concrete Footing
4
3 2
1
CONSTRUCTION 1.Gravel trench ( wall footing ) 2. Concreted bamboo footing 3. Concrete hollow brick blocks as flooring 4. Concrete and mud screed ( floor finish ) 5. Lime plaster base water proofing of walls
6. Mud plaster as wall finish 7. Earth bags 8. Bamboo structure poles as colomns 9. Bamboo structure poles as beams 10.Bamboo as roof structure
11.wild thin bamboo as straw mat support 12. Woven straw mats 13. Reclaimed wood framed windows with bamboo louvers 14. Reclaimed wood framed doors with tin sheet 15.woven Bamboo screens
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Architecture and Urban design
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THE MIRADOR TREE HOUSE COMPETITION ENTRY YAC 2020
It is very rightly said that, there is no better way to connect back to nature than to let it absorb you! The idea of climbing a tree and looking back at the landscape from a different perspective is as old as the Humanity and human’s arboreal dreams.Taking inspiration and insight from this very phenomenon of nature engulfing the manmade innovations and merging it back into the earth, we propose the tree house that is housed deep in the woods, emerging from it and overlooking to the castle, a magnificent man-made memory now engulfed in nature. Reminding Human of nature’s beauty and making it a perfect getaway spot from the usual everyday life. The proposed two module forms are subtle and camouflaged in the forest. The modules replicate the idea of a high watch tower in the forest looking out to the beautiful landscape and the castle. As we pass through the narrow spiral stairway, covered with the lush green plants a feeling of entering a tree bark is induced. This narrow space gradually gets bigger and leads to the living cum bedroom spaces, with wide open windows looking outward. The space gets even bigger towards the top forming a wide-open lookout terrace with sit out space to observe the nature around. The Rooms are equipped with minimal and modular furniture that gives the flexibility to change the function of the space as per the requirement.
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Architecture and Urban design
Texture and pattern
Composition
Eco emergence
Co-exist
Order
Frame
Concept
+
Form Evolution
+
Portfolio
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Sleep
Afternoon Nap
Lounge relax
Work -close to nature
Reading
Read and work
Work
Night sleep
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Architecture and Urban design
Eat
Dine with nature
Barbeque grill
Morning Yoga
Celebration
Playtime
Socalize
Dine in
On site construction and assembly of prefabricated components for module 01 and module 02
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Architecture and Urban design
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Level 01 : Toilet and storage (scale 1:75)
PROGRAM AND CIRCULATION
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Architecture and Urban design
Level 02 : sleeping/ living space (scale 1:75)
Level 03 : Terrace (scale 1:75)
SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
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Level 01 : Entry and bed (scale 1:75)
PROGRAM AND CIRCULATION
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Architecture and Urban design
Level 02 : Sauna and living space (scale 1:75)
Level 03 : Terrace (scale 1:75)
EXPLODED ISOMETRIC
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Module 01 : Terrace to Mothe chandeniers
Module 02: Sauna to Ebaupinay 68
Architecture and Urban design
Mothe chandeniers
Ebaupinay
Vibrac
N
Modules in one of the proposed site - Vibrac Portfolio
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Architecture and Urban design
A kayaking day at vibrac Portfolio
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THE INNER SANCTUM WE ARE THE NATURE : ESTADIO NOU MESTALLA SPAIN WINNER , 24HR COMPETITION - HOPE - IDEA FORWARD
The Inner sanctum is A proposal that brings in us a moment of rest in the race and puts us in the state of self-realization. Focusing on the inner self. Focusing on the nature we evolved from. The abandoned and decaying stadium is picked, and the core is developed into a complete urban forest with its ecosystem within. But this forest is completely out of reach of human keeping it safe and untouched by the development forced in its surrounding. The Structure is the silent praying space that peeps into the unattainable nature/forest. Reminding us of what we have lost in this race and pulling ourselves back to find our inner sanctum. Hope humanizes us, hope lies in harmony with nature, we are nature itself. This pocket of lush green is capable of sustainably bringing a positive change in the city development. It can contribute to the microclimate, Acting as the urban sponge and rejuvenates the underground water. Giving a cleaner greener hope to the city and the mankind.
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Architecture and Urban design
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THE PAST Stadiums and amphitheatres are venues of the biggest spectacles since dawn of civilization. The spectacle at the centre of these gathering spaces are very much part of the culture or even defines it. We as a species, love to spectate ourselves, what we have achieved, what we can do. These stadiums are symbols of our selfcenteredness, even acting as venues to show how we can control and kill other species. But today, with the changed circumstances, one thing that we can't surely do is come together to celebrate these spectacles. This perhaps leads us to question what our authentic needs are as a species.
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Architecture and Urban design
THE PRESENT
THE FUTURE
One such venue is Estadi Nou Mestalla in Valencia, Spain which started construction in 2007 and was left abandoned in 2009 as the costs couldn't be met anymore.
Located inside A bustling 'city', the socalled humanity's greatest invention, we find this hope to link ourselves back to nature, back to what we truly are. after all, we are all but part of nature.
The idea is to use the abandoned megastructure as the space for citizens to reflect on themselves , not as a follower of any particular religion, but as a species, on what we have done and where we are headed. Hence the sanctum sanctorum is not occupied by a holy book or a deity, but nature itself. The incomplete stadium left as it is, becomes an analogy of our act of pursuing things that are not absolutely necessary.
The entrance is a long tunnel on the street level which frames the sanctum sanctorum, a patch of nature amidst the raw concrete megastructure. once entered, you proceed towards the light at the end of the tunnel, with the hope of entering the green, escaping from the brute of the concrete, from the city that surrounds it.
THE TRUTH
THE MEMORY
THE HOPE
The tunnel leads to a sunken space at the end, 'the Gallery of extinct plants' is the farthest one can reach, keeping the live plants out of access as if the trees are quarantined from humans who has a disease. The disease of the current way of life, which only once is cured and we purify ourselves, we can access the garden, the sanctum-sanctorum of this temple. as if if we touch it we destroy it.
We see ourselves on this gigantic obsolete manmade object, the memorial of extinct trees, and beyond it the garden of hope. man sitting on his creation, which he himself abandoned, separated from what he truly needs, by his selfish acts.
With cycles of seasons, death and rebirth becomes a spectacle to remind ourselves of our impermanence as individuals and at the same time give hope to eternal existence once we realise we are one with nature.
Like Adams and Eves expelled from the garden of Eden, we proceed to the gallery where the whole picture is revealed.
We spectate, meditating upon the memorials, the acts of the past. and beyond it, the trees that symbolise what's left, the garden of hope.
And in this spiritual experience, hopefully we realise that if we preserve nature we preserve ourselves and create in us an urge to go back. Because after all true spiritual experience is to become one with our essence and we are nothing but nature itself.
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Architecture and Urban design
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