RESOLVING TOUSLED THREADS OF KATHPUTLI COLONY.. I have just completed B-arch. programme from GATEWAY COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN under the guidance of prof. Anil Kumar. I did my practical internship in an Urban Design-cum-Architecture office (ISA INTERNATIONALES STADTBAUATELIER, STUTTGART, GERMANY.) I came across a documentary highlighting the problems of Kathputli colony . I was totally surprised by seeing how DDA has made a cosmetic attempt to hide away these penury stuck artists into developers hide hole. I, then decided to do a solution-based thesis project on this settlement issue and to device an architectural proposal for sustaining the livelihood of Kathputli colony. During this thesis programme, I met Mr. Rajiv Sethi ( Founder of Asian heritage foundation), HAZARD CENTRE team (NGO) and Poornima Sardana (founder – Friends of Kathputli colony), who are currently associated with Kathputli colony . Their guidance, supported this programme to achieve its satisfactory final structure. A great deal of thanksgiving to the people of Kathputli colony, and would like to dedicate this work to them.
ISSUE
Capital city Delhi is growing at a rapid rate with lot of migration happening from nearby areas. Even with this alarming increase in population, only beautification is being given main importance, neglecting the issue of highest priority ,as it is the- Urban Slums. Though apparently, there are some Government agencies who bid to uplift the living condition of slums by introducing certain schemes and projects like - In-situ rehabilitation, relocation and Slum upgrading- to make city -Slum free. But somehow all these efforts have gone in vain & even in the age of so called ‘Advance city’ the condition of these slums remain as it was thirty years before. This is for the reason that most of the Government proposals, though, promise to provide better dwellings but take no notice of one of the major practical issue i.e., source of income and employment-quintessential to enable the dwellers to pay for maintenance and basic living expenses as well as, to uplift the poor financial condition of this sector. Scantiness of income subsistence, happen to compel slum dwellers to revert back to their original roots of slum dwellings, renting out the houses allotted- for an additional income source. Ultimately, even after all the efforts, these upgraded slums become a slum only, after a certain period of time. The superficial layout of Delhi expresses slums as insects, but deep down they form backbone of a city, as these slums account for most of the labor class. This argument raises a need to look at the matter of slums- ‘The Black Bites’- more closely to scrutinize the root issues. Besides the issue of homelessness, degraded living conditions etc., one of the major problem for slum dwellers is the scantiness of nearby workplaces and platforms appropriate to their skills which can act as a source of income for the sustenance of their better livelihood.
VISHAL DHINGRA In Delhi there are many slums, skilled in different art forms, capable to earn well through their talent if provided with upgraded workplace and platform. But failed to fulfill this demand of the slum dwellers, present policies leave them with no alternative, other than to bounce from one profession to another for their breadand-butter. Examples of such slums in Delhi are Uttamnagar (skilled in pottery), Seelampur (skilled in extracting copper from copper wires), and Shadipur (puppeteers). ONE SUCH SLUM IS KATHPUTALI COLONY. It is Delhi’s largest performers’ colony, spanning in 5.22 hectares (12.89) in an impoverished northern pocket of Shadipur region of the city. It lies 8 km west from the central business district of Connaught Place, accommodating 3000 families.
Kathputli colony brings together many artisans from dancers, musicians, and acrobats to puppeteers, crafts men and embroiders. Kathputli colony has represented India worldwide in Puppetry and craft practice, striving hard to protect their art-culture despite living in shaky conditions. Delhi Government, in 2007, launched a proposal of Insitu rehabilitation in Kathputli Colony under PPP which had similar issues as brought to view above. This PPP proposal purely and simply is another hazard which schedules the Kathputli colony to be raised down and would result in a complete annihilation of the vibrant culture within in the settlement. Under this layout people are only being provided with ‘A Home For Home’-just another mechanical approach to the problem that can never eradicate these slums.
IS PPP MODEL A SOLUTION ??
OR IS IT A DEAL OF HOME FOR A HOME??
CURRENT SCENARIO OF KATHPUTLI COLONY
ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL After six months of community participation with Kathputli Dwellers, a solution to the problem transpire with the proposal of retail-cum-cultural space on the area of land allotted to Raheja Developers by DDA for revenue generation. Applicability of this structure not only promise to sustain an income source, it also unveil Kathputli Colony as a brand augmenting the handful spots of Crafts Market-cultural places–theater, in the city. Direct and easy proximity to main road, metro and railway station, fabricate it as suitable space for buzz public realm. Expenditure of construction is a big issue! But it can be collected later through the revenue generated from retail. Though it is a slow pace process, but can be seen as the pilot project to benefit culture and humanity in long term.
DESIGN PROPOSAL CONCEPT : Retail as THREADS and housing as PUPPET – that are supporting the housing for sustaining their livelihood.
PROPOSED RETAIL
N
SITE AREA - 12.89acres ( 52160sqm ) PROPOSED RETAIL - 15648 sqm PROPOSED HOUSING - 36512 sqm Services
N
SITE PLAN
Community Retail Stilts+ 9 park Hosing block
Stilts+7 Housing+ retail
Metro
BIRDS EYE VIEW OF PROPOSED KATHPUTLI COLONY
DESIGN ELEMENTS • • • • • • • • •
Retail Learning centers : Workshops Cultural zone Community park: Multi-purpose hall Housing for 3000 families Administration Eateries
Stilts+7 Stilts+7 Stilts+7 Housing block O.A.T+ Housing + retail Housing + retail performing theatre Workshops
VISUALIZING THE SPACES
A VIEW OF RETAIL COURT
A VIEW OF KATHPUTLI FROM PATEL ROAD
A VIEW OF BALCONY
A VIEW OF HOUSING FROM COURTYARD
CONSTRUCTION DETAIL OF CRAFT SHOPS Sand stone
Bamboo shingles Re-use Circular steel sections
Re-use T section Re-use I section
Re-use I section
Bamboo wall
Bamboo wall
Display
Rolling shutter
Bamboo shingles
Sand stone
Coarse sand with Steel mesh
Re-use T section
Re-use tyres
Re-use I section
Re-use I section
CLUSTER- 1 GROUND FLOOR
A SECTIONAL VIEW OF SHOPS
CLUSTER- 2 GROUND FLOOR