Catalytic Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market, Kochi

REDEVELOPMENT OF ERNAKULAM MARKET, KOCHI, KERALA

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for The award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

By E’LINA LIZA 2016BARC050

10TH SEMESTER YEAR: 2021

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, BHOPAL.

Declaration I E’Lina Liza, Scholar No. 2016BARC050 hereby declare that, the thesis titled Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market, Kochi submitted by me in partial fulfilment for the award of degree of Bachelor of Architecture at School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India, is a record of bonafide work carried out by me. The design work presented and submitted herewith is my original work and I take sole responsibility for its authenticity. The matter/result embodied in this thesis has not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.

E’Lina Liza Date: 07.06.2021

Certificate This is to certify that the student Ms E’Lina Liza Scholar No. 2015BARC050 has worked under my guidance in preparing this thesis titled Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market, Kochi.

RECOMMENDED _________________ Assoc. Prof. Piyush Hajela

ACCEPTED ___________________ Assoc. Prof. Piyush Hajela Head, Department of Architecture July, 2020, Bhopal

Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude towards Assoc. Prof. Piyush hajela without whose support and guidance this thesis could not have been possible. His constant support and advice along the way has made this thesis a success and a rather memorable journey.

Special thanks to my sister for being my travel guide and my parents for their constant support during the entire time. I would like to thank my friends, Melanie for the constant encouragement, Bijin and Manika for their help during the hectic weeks.

This work is dedicated to the people of Ernakulam Market, from small and medium sized enterprises and on-street vendors who unknowingly taught me the nuances of design.

Special thanks to Mr. Elias Josephai from Cochin Blossoms for helping me understand patiently explaining the history of Kochi during my visit.

Lastly, I want to thank anyone and everyone whom this theisis has been or is or will be of concern.

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Abstract The thesis bases its need on the development of a new typology of vegetable and meat market for Kochi that can amalgamate the pluralistic cultures of the place and create a heritage rich, vibrant, people friendly market where diverse activities coexist.

More than a century old, Ernakulam Market is located at the heart of the wholesale market area, Broadway. Its redevelopment, commissioned by the Cochin Smart Mission Limited is a small part of the larger Area Based Development Strategy for the development of Ernakulam as a Commercial City Centre for a Smart Kochi. Through this the government aims to save the failing economy of the market, now heavily hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project aims to redevelop not just the market, but also the precinct through catalytic redevelopment, which will have a broad impact on the imageability of the city itself. The project attempts to generate an alternative mind-set for other such redevelopment projects in a public space deficit city like Kochi. The success of this marketplace is not just credited by good vendors and customers, but is a result of good market’s surrounding community.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Certificate ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................................. i Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................................................v 1.

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1

CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................. 1

1.2

PROJECT OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 3

1.3

PROJECT BRIEF ...................................................................................................................... 5

2.

LITERATURE STUDY ................................................................................................................... 7 2.1

URBAN MARKETPLACE .......................................................................................................... 7

2.2

URBAN REGENERATION ...................................................................................................... 11

2.3

CATALYTIC THEORY ............................................................................................................. 13

3.

RESEARCH COMPONENT ......................................................................................................... 16 3.1

IDENTIFYING CHANGING COMMERCIAL TYPOLOGIES IN KOCHI, KERALA ........................... 16

3.2

OBSERVATIONS ................................................................................................................... 20

04. SITE STUDY .................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1

CONTEXT STUDY.................................................................................................................. 21

4.2

SPATIAL STUDY.................................................................................................................... 28

4.3

ACTIVITY AND PATTERN STUDY........................................................................................... 29

4.4

GEO-CLIMATIC STUDY ......................................................................................................... 30

4.5

INFRASTRUCTURAL STUDY .................................................................................................. 32

05.

CASE STUDIES ...................................................................................................................... 33

5.1

INTRODUCTION TO PRIMARY CASE STUDIES....................................................................... 34

5.2

INTRODUCTION TO SECONDARY CASE STUDIES.................................................................. 36

5.3

ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................. 42

06. CONCEPT ....................................................................................................................................... 48 6.1

APPROACH TO DESIGN ........................................................................................................ 49

07. DESIGN .......................................................................................................................................... 53 7.1

SITE PLAN ............................................................................................................................ 53

7.2

PUBLIC NODE ...................................................................................................................... 53

7.3

CULTURAL NODE ................................................................................................................. 54 iii

7.4

COMMERCIAL NODE ........................................................................................................... 56

08. JUROR’S INPUTS ............................................................................................................................ 65 09.

CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................... 67

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................... 69

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1.1 Projects proposed in and around Broadway Market Area. ................................ 5 Figure 3.1 Research methodology applied for the study .................................................... 17 Figure 4.0.1 Built and Open Spaces Map .......................................................................... 22 Figure 4.0.2 Ernakulam Market (Left); Broadway Market (Middle); Mather Bazaar (Right) .. 23 Figure 4.0.3 Market Canal in 1950 (Left); Informal Vending along the Market Canal and the Basal Road (Middle); Grills along the Market Canal (Right) ............................................... 24 Figure 4.0.4 GCDA Parking (Left); Private Parking (Right) ................................................. 24 Figure 4.0.5 Garbage dump ground opposite to Ernakulam Market.................................... 25 Figure 4.0.6 Construction on the Muslim School Ground ................................................... 25 Figure 4.0.7 Entrance to Tekkumbagom Synagogue ......................................................... 26 Figure 4.0.8 Entrance to Kadavumbagum Synagogue ....................................................... 27 Figure 4.0.9 Entrance to Central Juma Masjid ................................................................... 27 Figure 4.0.10 Figure Ground Map of Ernakulam Market Area ............................................ 28 Figure 4.0.11 Built Height Map of Ernakulam Market Area................................................. 28 Figure 4.0.12 Jews Street Elevation South East ................................................................ 28 Figure 4.0.13 Jews Street Elevation South West ............................................................... 29 Figure 4.0.14 Circulation Pattern of Owner (Left), Circulation Pattern of Customers (Middle) and Circulation pattern of Dead-Load Workers (Right) Lines represent vehicular movement and Dashed Lines represent Pedestrian Movement .......................................................... 29 Figure 4.0.15 Sun path overlaid with Solar Radiation (Generated from Grasshopper Ladybug).......................................................................................................................... 30 Figure 4.0.16 images of Rooftops in the city of Kochi showing additionally fitted corrugated sheets on flat roofs ........................................................................................................... 31 Figure 4.0.17 Solar Radiation marking Uncomfortable levels according to ASHRAE Standard 55 .................................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 4.0.18 Relative Huidity marking Uncomfortable levels according to ASHRAE Standard 55 .................................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 4.0.19 Drainage Lines in the Neighborhood (Left); Electric lamps and Electric line (Right).............................................................................................................................. 32 Figure 5.0.1 Graphical Representation of Movement around the Built Space ..................... 42 Figure 5.2 Graphical Representation of Movement within the site ...................................... 43 Figure 6.1 Site Plan showing the connected Open Spaces (Source: Author) ...................... 49 Figure 6.2 Types of Customers that visit the Market (Source : Author) ............................... 50 Figure 6.3 Intended Flow of various customers within the Neighborhood (Source: Author) . 51

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Figure 6.4 Flowchart showing the Service Concept Plan (Source: Author) ......................... 52 Figure 7.1 Site Plan (Source: Author) ................................................................................ 53 Figure 7.2 Public Node: Site Plan (Top-Left); View (Top-Middle); Tiling pattern (Top-Right) and Section AA' (Bottom).................................................................................................. 54 Figure 7.3 Culture Node: Ground Floor Plan (Top-Left); Mezzanine Floor Plan (Middle-Left); Section AA’ (Bottom-Left); Tiling Pattern (Bottom-Center); View from the Market looking at the Culture Center (Bottom-Right) and Site Plan (Tip-Right) .............................................. 55 Figure 7.4 Zoning (Left) and Site Plan (Right) ................................................................... 56 Figure 7.5 Ground Floor plan ............................................................................................ 57 Figure 7.6 First Floor Plan (Left) with Cerculation (Top-Right) and Service (Botoom-Right) Details.............................................................................................................................. 58 Figure 7.7 Unit layout (Source: Author) ............................................................................. 59 Figure 7.8 Tentative Second Floor Plan ............................................................................ 60 Figure 7.9 Terrace Floor Plan ........................................................................................... 61 Figure 7.10 Exploded Roof (Source: Author) ..................................................................... 62 Figure 7.11 Part of North West Elevation (Top-Left); Overlayed Plan (Bottom-Left) and Section (Right) ................................................................................................................. 63 Figure 7.12 Northwest Elevation (Top) and Northeast Elevation (Bottom) .......................... 64 Figure 8.1 Initial Ground Floor plan developed during the concept stage (Source: Author) . 66

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1. INTRODUCTION Post-independence India was in the need for a ‘National Ideology’. The much-needed inspiration was taken from modern European societies that until the 19 th century was degenerate like India then. The national leaders were convinced about the need for a deeply degenerate and radical restructuring of the nation. ‘Modernisation’ became the national philosophy and cities gained importance. (Shailesh, n.d.) Since then cities have grown to 4000 in number accommodating 377.1 million of the population. (Affairs, 2011) New cities grew to maturity while the older parts of the cities aged and deteriorated physically and structurally, rendering them obsolete. The current scenario has made renewal of such bygone spaces an acute necessity to meet the modern standards expected of an urban arena. There are many terms relating to the redevelopment of inner-city areas that have come up that defer in their specific emphasis; Urban renewal (Gobson & Langstaff, 1982), neighbourhood rehabilitation, urban improvement scheme, in-situ development, urban revitalization (Holocomb & Beauregard, 1981) and urban regeneration (Home, 1982). The project focuses on a more recent continual approach using urban catalysts as proposed in American Urban Architecture (Attoe & Logan, c1989) This section describes the foundational background of the design thesis project. It introduces the aspects important in understanding the redevelopment scenario of Ernakulam Market and further positions the design for the open public spaces in the larger domain of urban regeneration.

1.1 CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK 1.1.1

The District – Ernakulam

Ernakulam district that is considered the economic nerve centre of the state of Kerala is located almost in the middle of it along the coast of the Arabian Sea. The district is divided into three well-defined parts-highland, mainland and the lowland consisting of hills and forests, plains and the seaboards respectively. It was formed in 1958 by carving the regions from Trissur and Kottayam and currently is 47.56% urbanized. (India D. o.-G., 2011) 1.1.2

The City – Kochi

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Referred to as Cocycm, Cochym, Cochin and Cochi, the present city of Kochi has been an important landmark since it became the seat of power of the kingdom of Kochi in 1102 CE. It is one of the fastest growing second tier metros in India. The port city, once occupied by the Dutch, Portuguese and finally the British, is known as the commercial capital of the state of Kerala. Several incidents promoted the growth of Kochi into a mercantile endowment.

Chronologically speaking, these incidents can be divided into 4 phases.

PHASE 1: The great floods of Periyar (After 1341) Great travellers like Ptolemy, Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta that visited India before the 14th Century never mentioned a city called Kochi, indicating that it was formed at a later stage and during their visit was all but a small village without much interaction with the outside world. The creation of Kochi is accredited to the flooding of the River Priyar in 1341 that cause large amount of silt to accumulate along the Mattanchery region. Traders slowly began to move towards the newly formed land in order to avoid the frequent flooding and attacks from the Zamorins at the port of Muziris (now Kodungallur) (Multimedia, 2021) With the shifting of the port, Spice Markets were set up as the majority trade then was in spices. The location of the Mattanchery Market today, overlaps with the old Spice Markets.

PHASE 2: Kochi as an Administrative District (1900’s) The rulers of the Colonial Era established their rule on the Mattanchery Region due to its proximity to the Port. By the 1900’s Mattanchery became excessively congested and the then government decided to move the administrative capital to mainland Kochi. Kochi was declared the administrative capital in 1912 and Mattanchery the Commercial Capital in 1913. This duration saw a commercial boom in mainland Kochi.

PHASE 3: GCDA Redevelopment Projects Post-Independence Kochi saw another boom in commercial marketplaces under the Greated Kochi Development Authorities. New commercial spaces suitable for an urban context and redevelopment projects of dilapidated structures were undergone.

PHASE 4: Cochin Smart Mission Limited (Upto 2030) The city is seeing another boom under the Smart City Mission. It was among the first 20 cities selected under Government of India’s SMART MISSIONS LIMITED.

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1.1.3

Cochin Smart Mission AIM: “To transform the current urban ecosystem into a more inclusive, vibrant city with efficient urban services, long term growth, and ease of living.” (India M. o., 2018) The vision is built on four themes identified from citizen consultation as: Theme 1: Connected and Accessible City Theme 2: A clean with a Vibrant Identity Theme 3: A Clean, Green, Safe and Healthy City Theme 4: An Inclusive and Smart Governed City (India M. o., 2018) OBJECTIVES: “…to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions”. The focus is on “Sustainable and Inclusive Development”. (India M. o., 2018) STRATEGIES: Area Based Development (ABD) strategies and PAN City solutions (India M. o., 2018)

1.2 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1.2.1

Area Based Development (ABD)

The Cochin Smart Mission Limited has identified two districts for development under ABD and “will focus on transforming the existing areas into better planned ones, thereby improving the liveability of the whole city.” (India M. o., 2018) It consists of five wards of west Kochi (1,2,3,4 and 5) which includes the present Mattanchery region to be developed as a Heritage District that will “revive the character and glory of Fort Kochi”; and three wards of Mainland of Kochi Municipal Corporation (KMC) (62, 66 & amp; 67) which includes the Broadway market Area to be developed as “a bustling commercial centre and provide for high speed water connectivity.” (Vision, 2018)

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Figure 1.1 Area Based Development Map of Kochi Source: (Vision, 2018) Edited by Author

1.2.2

Commercial City Centre The government in the master plan of the Commercial City Centre has already approved several projects. Most of these projects are concentrated in the Broadway Market Area and include: 1) A multilevel car-park in the existing GCDA Parking Area 2) Broadway Streetscaping that intends to increase the quantity and quality of pedestrian movement 3) Market Square to the north of Ernakulam Market 4) An Elevated Walkway that will connect the Multilevel Car-park to the Market Square 5) Restoration of the Market Canal along in the other canals in the City 6) Improvised connectivity to public transport, High Court Bus Stop and MG Road Station 7) Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market

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Figure 1.1.1 Projects proposed in and around Broadway Market Area.

Source: (Vision, 2018)Edited by Author

1.2.3

Ernakulam Market Complex With sophisticated infrastructure and amenities, the Market redevelopment project aims to revolutionise the concept of a wholesale market. The effective policies to rebuild the current wholesale and retail market into a structured, highly accessible, and best-in-class shopping destination in order to resuscitate the high economic value of the decaying historic market in the city's centre. A mixed commercial component will ensure the self-sustainability of this public facility, in addition to the repair of existing stalls. The entire wholesale market would be revamped, raising the region's economic profile while also giving the organisation with more revenuegenerating opportunities. The improvement of the Ernakulam market area's infrastructure and hygienic environment will have an impact on the area's socioeconomic and cultural profile. Market users will have improved physical and mental health as a result of a better working environment.

1.3 PROJECT BRIEF 1.3.1

Site Location

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The site is located in the heart of the Broadway Market Area with Basal Road to the Northwest (7 meters wide) and market Road to the Northeast (7 meters wide).

1.3.2

Proposal The Ernakulam Market complex is proposed to be “redeveloped into a Ground + 2 storey building with terrace, along with surface parking provisions and 1 basement parking. The design has to have designated spaces for loading and unloading of goods and their movement. Access for goods LCVs must be extended up to the first floor of the building. Moreover, the design must be such that it is inclusive to all category of market users with all necessary infrastructure provisions.

The development of the commercial complex must include rehabilitation and resettlement of existing shop keepers associated with the existing Ernakulam Market on the ground and first floors of the building. The remaining area and the second floor of the building could be utilized to recover the operation and maintenance expense of the building.” ((CSML), 2020)

1.3.3

Aim “To create a heritage rich, vibrant, people-friendly market area and public space, where diverse activities co-exist and help revive the market’s flailing economy.” ((CSML), 2020)

1.3.4

Objectives Broad Objectives of the assignment are: • To ensure a place of identity amidst the urban landscape.

• To amalgamate pluralistic culture of the historic market and offers opportunities for religious, recreational, leisure, retail and commercial activities to co-exist.

• To create more wholesale, retail, office and open spaces with well organised traffic and optimum utilization of space and land.

• To ensure safe, secure and walkable public space, with proper segregated vehicular movements.

• To develop a public place catering all classes of socio-economic groups.

• To ensure better infrastructure facilities and essential amenities for waste management and Sewage disposal. ((CSML), 2020)

Thus, establishing Ernakulam market, an inclusive market place as a city centre in a true sense.

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2. LITERATURE STUDY 2.1

URBAN MARKETPLACE An urban marketplace is best described as spaces where the local community's goods and products are traded irrespective of scale. It represents the local community's lifestyle, culture, and heritage (Ghapar, Zakariya, & Harun, 2014).

Despite the ownership not being in the sellers' hands in most cases, any decision concerning the market is heavily influenced by the seller's inclination, clear evidence of the marketplace's effective ownership. Consequently, the local community's strong involvement causes each market to develop uniquely, directly resulting from the surrounding context, and have a very rich cultural and heritage value, oftenbecoming tourist attractions.

Concerning the commercial, markets are a place where trading occurs and a place where a sense of community is built by the constant interaction between the buyers, sellers, and the environment. Markets often do not have fixed rates and are determined by each stakeholder's capability to influence the other. This bargaining activity, a character typical to all markets, creates a necessity for interaction between all the relevant stakeholders, initiating a butterfly effect of sorts. Each action becomes the cause for another, thus building ever-dynamic relationships in the market.

Weis described markets as a "city within a city," a dynamic organism intricately edged into the structure of the city with an autonomous economy and way of life (Weiss, 1998). Notwithstanding the origin, they offer a peek into the city's lifestyle; their condition of the market often displays and becomes the identity of the town.

2.1.1

Point of Origin Markets presumably have a history as ancient as civilization itself and seem to have several points of origin and mode of function. However, as centres of commerce, markets seem to have three points of origin.

In village fairs :

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As farming became advanced and the population grew, the supply and demand for their produce increased, and the existing system of direct independent handling of goods began to fail. It took too many resources to exchange goods, and the need for a centralized setting where buyers and sellers could gather arose, thus creating village fairs.

In service to the Landlords : Most farmers were associated with Landlords, from whom they borrowed land for cultivation. A one-way rent was paid to the Landlord periodically in exchange for the resources being used. For this purpose, large crowds of people would gather in the vicinity of the landlord’s residence, thus creating space where the rent could be deposited. In some cases, the produce was sold in such locations, and the earning were then submitted as rent, while in other, the produce was sold directly to the Landlord as rent. With time this centre for exchange converted into markets.

In international trade : This is considered one of the most influential points of origin. As navigation improved, global trade grew rapidly. In order to protect the main city from unknown foreign merchants, exchange of goods took place at the harbour itself to a third party, who would, in turn, sell the goods in the main city, restrained by the considerations of rights, obligations, and proper behaviour.

2.1.2

Development of Form The form of the market is heavily determined by the location, era, culture, and ambient. During the Pre Historical Era, two forms of formal markets existed, Open markets of ancient Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, Greece, Egypt, and on the Arabian Peninsula and the Bazaars of the Middle East.

1) Open Markets: They were located at the centre of the city (Moosavi, 2006) and formed a background to important religious or administrative buildings. The city developed around these squares, making them an important area where people gathered space for the public, as in the ancient city of Babylon. The exchange of goods and, in some cases, human slaves occurred directly on the ground or in temporary kiosks.

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Figure 2.1 Infographic representing the plan and location of an old market during the prehistoric period (left) Map of Babylon in the Hellenistic Age (center) and a drawing of open market in ancient Babylon (right) Source: Author, (Lendering, 2017) and (Life in ancient Greece, 2020)

2) Bazaars: Bazaars were first developed in the Middle East around 3000 BCE. Early bazaars were lined along the main streets stretching from one gate of the city to another, as in the ancient city of Tabriz. (Moosavi, 2006) The shops were covered and had a frontage from where the customers could buy.

Figure 2.2 Infographic representing the plan and location of an old bazaar during the prehistoric period (left) Map of Wesr Tabriz (center) and Painting called The Moorish Bazaar (right) Source: Author, (Nasuh, 1480-1564) and (Weeks, 1873)

The markets that we see today developed from these types and resemble them in some cases, except for modern market spaces that were developed after modernization, which, even though retained the character of being a public space, has become so abstract that it can barely be recognized as the same space.

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2.1.3

History of markets in India Markets in India first arose during the favorable economic time period of the Chola dynasty (approx. 850 – 1279 CE). Three types of markets were present during this time period, the nagarams, angadi, and perangadi. Nagarams were markets that were established close to temples and mostly sold things related to various religious practices, whereas angadi and perangadi were markets of varying scales, the former being smaller than the latter. (Sreekumar & Varman, 2016) The concept of covered markets, bazaars entered the Indian setting in the tenth century with the arrival of the Islams. However, following the arrival of the Mughals, the location of the bazaar changed from being linearly spread to being concentrated at the center of the city. (Moore, 1994) The character of the market was dominated by Indian ideals during the initial contact with Europe and the beginning of the colonial period (approx 1489 – 1857) and appeared as hats, bazaars, and gunges (Robins, 2006).

After the British Crown took over India, its influence was evident in the goods in the market as well as the structure of the market itself. Market square with glass storefronts was developed like in the case of Canought Place, New Delhi.

2.1.4

Design Considerations for a good Marketplace Apart from contextual considerations, sound architectural decisions based of the following points must be taken for the design of a good Marketplace.

1) The site, which deals with the factors relevant to the site which may determine the success or failure of the centre 2) Financing, the architect must have knowledge of how the building will be paid for, and therefore what must be provided in order to obtain finance and maintain the terms of finance.

3) Marketing: The architect should also understand how this space will be sold and therefore what determines a saleable space 4) Program – Every program will depend on the specification of the situation 5) Building – It is related to all the issues related to the building itself, including circulation, loading/unloading, circulation, services, lighting, etc.

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2.1.5

Condition of Existing markets Though many of the markets developed in different eras fell prey to the passage of time, the ones that did survive became associated with negative values as most of them surpassed their original capacity of design. Most ancient markets are today associated with vulnerabilities such as Susceptibility to fire, lack of safety, Crowd, and congestion, poor traffic management, visual chaos, lack of hygiene, unplanned growth, lack of public amenities, and lack of eco-sensitivity. (Ghapar, Zakariya, & Harun, 2014) These spaces will quickly come under urban development programs if technical advances and gentrification do not dramatically influence them first. The regeneration of these spaces must, therefore, be understood in order to foresee and consider their role in the future of retail spaces in India.

2.2

URBAN REGENERATION Urban and cultural reconstruction is a strategy that is important to the growth of cities, especially for tourism, to revitalize social, cultural, and economic infrastructure. A complex mechanism involving recognizing and recreating the physical, cultural, social, environmental, and economic needs of the city is the restoration of marketplaces (Lee & Said, 2012) (Galdini, 2005) (Wansborough & Mageen, 2000) (Gunn, 1994)).

2.2.1

Types of Urban Regenerations According to Azmizam (2013), there are three approaches to urban regeneration:

Total Redevelop ment Regenera tion Conserva Methods Rejuvena tion tion

Figure 2.3 Types of Regeneration Methods.

Source: Author

1) Total redevelopment: This method follows the concept of tabula rasa, in which total demolition of the existing building and clearance of the site, which includes the removal of existing Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market

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business and residential occupants, is done. The site/ area is totally cleared for new development. This approach is most suitable to lighten up the dying area and turn it into a positive and dynamic image of the town/ city. Using this method gives the freedom to develop an area that is required by the community with improved infrastructures.

2) Revitalization / Refurbishment: This method involves the upgrading of the existing building or site in order to rejuvenate and gives a new lease of life to the building or the site. The method is the combination of both preservation and redevelopment. It should maintain the area with a bit of adjustment and considerations. The purpose is to raise up the image of the town by upgrading the area while preserving its local identity.

3) Conservation and Preservation: The approach is especially useful for historically valued buildings or places and has high tourism potential. The area is retained for new construction without the purpose of updating or demolishing it. The heritage site is valuable and hence is kept intact, protecting the memory of the place.

2.2.2

Challenges in Total Redevelopment Projects Of the three, total redevelopment projects are exceptionally challenging. The new project built is not only burdened by the magnitude of history and memory it will be replacing, but will also have to rise successfully as a new identity of the place. It is easily prone to criticism, especially due to human affinity towards the path of least resistance, a status quo. The different challenges it will have to address are (Ghapar, Zakariya, & Harun, 2014) 1) The loss of Urban Identity The redevelopment process often results in the creation of culturally null places, whereas the community would have been attuned to viewing the place as a boiling pot of rich culture. The journey of such spaces, from culture consumers to producers, is tedious and time-consuming, leaving an opportunity for quick criticism, destroying the reputation of the place before it has had the opportunity to fully develop.

2) Environmental Concerns

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The nostalgic atmosphere, the neighborhood, old town/city pattern, the monuments, and buildings give the city and its image a unique character (Holcomb & Beauregard, 1981) (Van der Ryan & Calthorpe, 1986). In such projects, the nostalgia, a sentiment of longing or wistful affection for a period in the past (Nostalgia, 2019), is accentuated many folds, as the project would essentially reinterpret the entire area based on the perspective of a few.

3) Social Concerns The bond between the residents of the region is broken during a redevelopment process, and the process of rebuilding this bond is challenging.

Nozick said that people need reassurance that their families will continue to survive in the newly built space and that it will meet their children's current and future needs.

4) Cultural concerns Culture is not something that can be built in a day. It takes years, perhaps decades, and is defined as the general social way of life of the society at large.

The growth of culture is laminar, urban design and planning, architecture, as well as community life are the factors that carried the continuity of the culture (Van der Ryan & Calthorpe, 1986). The redevelopment would cause strong turbulence in this otherwise smooth transition between the people and space around them, thus disturbing the urban culture itself.

The various parameters and concerns regarding the redevelopment of a market accentuate the need for additional helping agents, which will help such projects in the transition from a culture consumer to a culture producer.

2.3

CATALYTIC THEORY During the late 18th and early 19th century, several chemists noticed that when certain substances were added to certain chemical reactions, it reduced the reaction time considerably, even though it itself does not undergo any chemical reaction. In 1835, Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius coined the term 'Catalysis,' which defined the process of adding an inert substance in order to reduce the reaction time or the efficiency of the reaction, and the substance itself, became known as 'catalyst.'

Architect Aldo Rossi in his book The Architecture of the Region attributes the word 'catalyst' – which he only briefly uses to describe the 'main elements' of a city (Rossi,

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1984). Later it was developed that 'catalysts' in architecture can be non-viable as well an event itself can 'give place' to the spatial 'transformation of a place' (Rossi, 1984).

Eventually, the word 'Urban Catalyst' was coined (Attoe & Logan, c1989) and used by urban thinkers as a metaphor in urban architecture, referring to the three properties of a catalyst, being a material with a tangible structure, accelerates a process, and does not alter itself. It did not emerge as an alternative to the existing theories, instead it subsumes them and shows how to get from goals to implementation in a satisfactory manner.

Figure 2.4 Diagrammatic representation of the catalytic process Source: (Attoe & Logan, c1989)

2.3.1

Characteristics of the Theory Catalysis requires the introduction of one factor for the modification of others.

Adapted to explain in the phase of urbanism, catalysis can be characterized as follows: 1. A catalyst is of various types, economic, social, legal, political, or architectural, and they have to cause a reaction that modifies the existing elements in the area.

2. It improvises and converts the urban value features in a constructive way.

3. It does not lose value in the process of conversion acceleration.

4. It must create a positive, desirable and predictable reaction.

5. As contexts are always unique, the effect it produces should be unique.

6. Catalytic design is strategic and hence is a combination of multiple calculated steps whose execution is done step by step.

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7. It affects the city as a whole and can be viewed as a product better than the sum of its parts.

8. The identity of the catalysis is absorbed into the identity of the whole it generates.

(Attoe & Logan, c1989)

2.3.2

Elements of the Catalytic Effect – Study for Design approach In his article “What makes Buildings Catlytic?” Ernest Sternberg identified elements necessary for an efficient implementation of a catalytic effect. His research indicated that these “elements may seem quite simple, but are nonetheless too often forgotten in practice”. Inclusion of these elements in the planning phase of the proposal will ensure maximum efficiency during the catalytic effect. These elements and their probable implications that will allow for higher engagement between the proposed market complex and its neighbourhood are as stated below: 

The commercial establishment intended to be included within the sphere of influence of the effect must be in close proximity to the prerequisites – The market complex will form the appropriate loci for development.



Proximity of the prerequisites are of utmost importance if one intends to create a concentrated commercial venue – The upcoming projects in the vicinity and other places of high potential can be utilized in the process.



Walkability between venues – It is in alignment with the objectives set by CSML and are easily supported by the proposed projects.



Pedestrian movement must form the corridor within the venue – Anchor points that will bend the pedestrian movement in the required manner will be added



Commercial venue and facilities must be linked to promote flow of people



The effect must be such that it proves economically beneficial to the shopping area within the intended target zone – Elements for different types of users will increase the quantity of people interacting with the venue.



The effect must encourage movement of people to the venue



Provisions for visitor patronizing business must be made – This will ensure sustainability in a long run and minimal design for the facilities can ensure flexibility for future scenarios.

Through this, the project intends to marry the different proposals to create a more empowered neighbourhood, as opposed to introverted design that’s the norm.

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3. RESEARCH COMPONENT The major component that needed research for the successful implementation of the project is – Identifying and cataloguing the existing commercial typologies in the city of Kochi.

Kochi, a commercial hub of the city of Kerala has developed a unique language for commercial spaces over the years. Analysing it is important in understanding the successes and failures of these typologies so as to device a response appropriate to the given context for the project.

3.1

IDENTIFYING CHANGING COMMERCIAL TYPOLOGIES IN KOCHI, KERALA

3.1.1

Introduction o

Study Brief

Retail and Wholesale commercial activities have been an important part of Kochi’s economy and culture. Throughout the years, due to various political and administrative reasons, the commercial typology in Kochi underwent several drastic changes. A study was done to understand and draw conclusions about the different typologies that existed in the past and have developed in the recent years o

Methodology

The study starts with identifying periods in history where Kochi experienced a boom in commercial development. This was done with the help of a thorough literature study and four phases of development were identified.

The second step was to conduct a study on various commercial spaces currently existing in Kochi. The case studies were studied under different heads in order to get a clear idea of the pattern of language used in the construction and functioning of these commercial marketplaces. This lead to the primary objective of the research, identification of commercial typologies in Kochi.

The final step was to evaluate the identified typologies based on their current state and historic accounts to understand how these spaces are changing.

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Figure 3.1 Research methodology applied for the study

3.1.2

Literature Review – History of Kochi (Refer 1.1.2)

3.1.3

Analysis of Existing Marketplaces in Kochi

Several features directly or indirectly influence the design of a marketplace. A study of these features can not only help in the classification, but also provide reason for why they have been constructed the way they are. A list of features from literature studies was collected and the various case studies were classified based on common features from the list. The class of features used in the analysis of these individual case studies are: 1) CONTEXTUAL: -

Historic

-

Functional

2) SPATIAL: -

Movement

-

Layout

3) PUBLIC REALM: -

Imageability

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-

Permeability

4) AMBIENT: -

Quality of Environment

A list of case studies were selected such that they covered most of the city of Kochi, both geographically and historically and included

3.1.4

-

Mattanchery Spice Market (1557)

-

Ernakulam Market (1800’s; 1967)

-

Kaloor Market (1800’s)

-

Kaloor GCDA Complex (2010)

-

Kaluthara Market

-

MG Road

-

New Ernakulam Market (2030)

-

Broadway Market (2030)

Typology of Marketplaces in Kochi The analysis of the above-mentioned markets against the set features resulted in the identification of three typology of marketplaces based on the arrangement of the shops. They are:

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FEATURE

I – DIMENSIONAL

2 – DIMENSIONAL

3 - DIMENTIONAL

DEFINITION

Shops are arrayed on a (1D)

Shops are arranged on a

Shops are arranged on a

street.

(2D) ground

(3D) block

They are generally G+1 to G+3 structures

They are single storey constructions with asbestos roofing

They are multi-storeyed structures.

This typology of construction was used in the past (Mattanchery Spice Market) and newer constructions (MG Road)

This typology sprung during the second phase of development and is diminishing significantly with both the case studies identified being redeveloped.

They are restricted to vegetable and meat sale, both in wholesale and retail.

This is a relatively newer type of construction and has not been witnessed before phase 3

Similar to row housing, these shops are laid side by side. They have a outward planning.

They have either outward facing or inward facing design. A row of shops along a periphery and the rest of the space inside shops are arranged parallel to one of the sides.

Parking is either done on the road in front of the shop and sometimes causes hindrance to the active frontage that is provided by the shop

Parking is done in separate grounds as the ground itself is completely pedestrianised

Inward planning. Rows of shops are laid parallel to 2 edges and a central aisle is created for movement.

Only the floors directly accessible from the road have shops the rest floors are converted into godowns and storage spaces.

Only the floors that are directly accessible from the road have movement of the general public, the rest of the floors are considered unsafe and

TYPICAL PLAN

TYPICAL SECTION

Description

CONTEXT HISTORIC

FUNCTIONAL

SPATIAL LAYOUT

MOVEMENT

Shops on the ground floor and offices or storage spaces in the floors above.

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They sell non-food items and are found to be functioning as both wholesale and retail markets.

PUBLIC REALM

IMAGEABILITY

3.2

Individually they do not provide much for the public that is coming, but they do have Kavalas at junctions that are visited by the members of the market They are spread over large distances and tend to attract tourists either for their historic significance (Mattanchery Spice market) or modern imageability (MG Road).

Nothing provided for the public realm

Active participants in politics with flags and paintings visible at nodes and entrances.

therefore not utilised by the public.

Small tea stalls can be found inside the market complex.

These are markets visited by the locals and do not contribute much to the imageability of the city

OBSERVATIONS The analysis conducted resulted in several observations that influenced the final design of the market.

-

With respect the the government, the second typology is a dying typology as both the existing markets were proposed for redevelopment. Ernakulam market in 2021 and Kaloor Market in 2010 (although it was a failure and Kaloor market still continues to function)

-

The second typology is being replaced by the third typology.

-

The second typology has a particular function and therefore requires the need for a particular typology of marketplace to be developed for multi-storeyed vegetable and fruit market for the city of Kochi.

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04. SITE STUDY This stage involved the studying of -

The history and overall transformation of the neighbourhood to understand the issues and challenges faced in the immediate context

-

The physical settings – Land use, Circulation, Existing use with respect to infrastructure, Building Heights

-

The Geo-climatic aspects of the site

-

Spatial study

-

Understanding the overall sense of the place to develop a sensitive and inclusive response

4.1

CONTEXT STUDY

4.1.1

Location The Ernakulam market area occupies 1.6 acers of land near the ancient Market Canal and is sandwiched between the recreational zone, Marine Drive and MG Road. It serves as the city’s commercial and wholesale hub, a rectangular track wedged between Broadway’s northern end and Market road with rows of single storey shops outlined with stalls with up to 3 levels.

It is a secondary wholesale market that gets goods from brokers or through a new model called the Dynamic Information Model (IDM) that connects the members of the market directly to the farmers. This eliminates the necessity of an intermediary, significantly reducing the rates. The products in the market either are sold to retailers through auction (like in the case of Banana) or are shopped of periodically under a contractual agreement signed by both parties.

Observation: This significantly reduces the number of people actually visiting the market

and

increases

the number

of

loading/unloading

vehicles

in

the

neighbourhood,

4.1.2

Neighbourhood Context Kochi, the city is known for its bustling markets with various colours, antiques and the strong aromas of various spices. Ernakulam market in the centre of mainland

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Kochi once featured many hole-in-the-wall spice shops. Today it mostly functions as a secondary wholesale vegetable and meat market and after a century of its creation has changed drastically. The reminiscent of the past still form a background to the market that stands today.

Figure 4.0.1 Built and Open Spaces Map

o

Broadway Mather Bazaar

Ernakulam market is located in the commercial and wholesale hub of the city, which results in a monotony in the functionality and the street pattern in the area.

Various kinds of items are available in close proximity and the area is divided up based the type of item sold. For example, the Broadway Mather Bazaar to the North that sells clothing and the grain market along the market Road that sells grains.

Observation: Due to lack of availability of space for loading/unloading most shops, continue this activity in front of their shops. This character can be visible on all the roads.

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Figure 4.0.2 Ernakulam Market (Left); Broadway Market (Middle); Mather Bazaar (Right)

o

Market Canal

During its construction, the proximity to the backwater played an important role in the design of the market. It used to be the lifeline of the business as it directly linked to the Vambanand Lake and would always be filled with boats bringing goods until the 1900’s. Currently the canal seems to be stagnant, heavily polluted and emitting noxious stench. This was a direct result of the infrastructural development that took place in Kochi two decades ago. The construction of five new highways all across the city make transportation by land cheaper and more efficient. Less and less people preferred using the canal until eventually informal vendors started setting up shop in front of it. In a classic situation of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ the canal, now hidden from plain view started being used as a bump yard and all the waste from the markets started being dumped into it. Eventually in 2016, the “Department of irrigation released 1.72 crores from removing the garbage, dredging and strengthening the sidewalls of the canal. They even put of fencing on either side of the canal to prevent further dumping.” (Eden, 2016) On one hand, the situation has not improved since and on the other hand, these drastic measures further alienated the canal from the market.

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Figure 4.0.3 Market Canal in 1950 (Left); Informal Vending along the Market Canal and the Basal Road (Middle); Grills along the Market Canal (Right)

o

GCDA Parking and Private Parking

Due to high congestion withing the market area, most people prefer to park their vehicles in two available parking grounds next to the coast. The GCDA Parking is reserved for the members of the Ernakulam and Broadway Market, where as the other parking ground is for the customers who come to visit the market. One can only observe LCV, trucks and two-wheelers within in the market area.

Observation: This is beneficial as it reduces the load on the narrow roads that have a maximum width of 7 meters (Market Road)

Figure 4.0.4 GCDA Parking (Left); Private Parking (Right)

o

Garbage Dump

The ground opposite to the Northern end of Ernakulam Market is currently being used as a dump yard from where the Municipal Corporation collects garbage once a week. It is often filled to the brim before disposal and is known to spill over into the canal especially after a rain. For the duration of the construction of the new market complex, the meat market is proposed to be established in this area.

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Figure 4.0.5 Garbage dump ground opposite to Ernakulam Market

o

Muslim School Ground

Until very, recently a Muslim School laid abandoned here and the area was chosen for the establishment of the vegetable market for the duration of the construction of the market complex. The construction began in late 2020 and was undergoing levelling during the site visit in February 2021.

Figure 4.0.6 Construction on the Muslim School Ground

o

Thekkumbagom Synagogue The Thekkumbhagam Synagogue (Built in 1200 AD), located near Jews Street in Ernakulam, is one of the oldest one and is not operational now and there are no services. The ASI, the Central Government organization, is yet to come up with a decision to take control and preserve this site.

Unfortunately, today it stands locked and unused because of lack of patrons.

According to the Kerala government (department of culture): “The synagogue is of historical importance as per the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1968, they decided to declare it a heritage monument.’’.

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Figure 4.0.7 Entrance to Tekkumbagom Synagogue

o

Kadavumbagum Synagogue At that time the Moors, who had arrived on the shores of Kerala some time earlier, had aligned themselves with the native rulers. Since spices were a valuable local commodity and the trade was lucrative and competitive, the Moors saw the Jews, who were involved in the spice trade, as competition that needed to be eliminated. The Moorish persecution convinced some Jews to abandon their synagogues and they resettled in Ernakalum in 1154 (Josephai, interviews by the author, Ernakulam Kerala, 2007/2009). There they were provided relative safety and protection under the tolerant and sympathetic Rajah of Cochin. In 1200, they built the Kadavumbagam Synagogue (Sassoon: 577). Another narrative goes that Jews, faced with persecution once again by the Moors in 1524, fled Cranganore by boat and settled in Ernakulum, finding protection under the Rajah. Yet a third story goes that the Jews of Cranganore and surrounding areas were persecuted the Portuguese during the mid-sixteenth century by the Portuguese – and in three rounds they arrived in Ernakulam. At the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue, there has been no services since 1972.

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Figure 4.0.8 Entrance to Kadavumbagum Synagogue

o Central Juma Masjid It is currently used by the members of the market and also the people living in close vicinity for the prayers.

Figure 4.0.9 Entrance to Central Juma Masjid

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4.2

SPATIAL STUDY o

Morphology: The streets in the area has an irregular

grid

pattern

with

medium sized grans that are arranged perpendicular to the road. This type of layout leave a small parcel of land as the centre of each block bounded by roads on all sides. In some of the blocks, this central Figure 4.0.10 Figure Ground Map of Ernakulam space is utilised as a backyard Market Area for some of the shops. In the case of the block in which the site is located, there is a empty patch of land that is filled with greenery throughout the year. The lack of proper access and maintenance, this patch becomes a dead space and is rarely under usage.

The Mosque and the Synagogue that jet into the empty space accessed only from the side that directly connected to the street. o

Built Height: Most of the buildings in the area vary between 3 meters to 13 meters in height. They are built randomly and therefore have an uneven skyline when seen in the elevation, as seen in the images below.

Figure 4.0.11 Built Height Map of Ernakulam Market Area

Figure 4.0.12 Jews Street Elevation South East

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Figure 4.0.13 Jews Street Elevation South West

4.3

ACTIVITY AND PATTERN STUDY o

Macro Level: There are three types of people that currently visit the

neighbourhood: they include the owners (people who own shops or work in the market), Customers (people who come to buy are the shops) and deadload workers (this includes the loading/unloading crew). Since both Broadway Market and Ernakulam Market are secondary-wholesale markets, the number of people physically coming to buy at the market are very low and the number of medium sized vehicles are large. This along with the lack of adequate space for loading/unloading cause the roads to be congested. Therefore, most of the owners and customers prefer to park outside the neighbourhood in either the GCDA or the Private Parking grounds along the coast.

Figure 4.0.14 Circulation Pattern of Owner (Left), Circulation Pattern of Customers (Middle) and Circulation pattern of Dead-Load Workers (Right) Lines represent vehicular movement and Dashed Lines represent Pedestrian Movement

o

Micro Level: The site itself is `pedestrianized with the exception of the meat market where the people who work in the market bring their two wheelers inside the market and park them in under the shed. These vehicles are used for movement and in some cases for the transportation of goods. The LCV’s are parked along the Basal Road on in the Garbage Bump ground and are brought to the entrance when they need to be loaded. A separate staff is employed by the market for the purpose of loading/unloading. They sit at the entrances are transport goods as and when the need arises. The goods are either carried on the shoulder, over the head in baskets or in construction

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trolleys. These dead-load workers are paid a salary on monthly bases and play a very important role in the politics of the market.

4.4

GEO-CLIMATIC STUDY o

Sun path and Radiation : The solar radiation study revealed that high levels of radiation will be absorbed from the top, calling for additional care to reduce this intake.

Furthermore, care must be taken to reduce exposure along the Western façade, as it would have already been heated up during the day and will transmit higher amounts of radiation close to sunset when the sun is on the West side.

Effective Strategy: The study of the city of Kochi revealed a city that grew faster that architecture could keep up. Traditional roofs were abandoned for flat roofs that provided a modern outlook. However, the heavy rains and expensive waterproofing called for the return of the traditional roofs. Soon pitched roofs made of corrugated sheets covered most of the flat roofs. This not only prevented leakages in the terraces but also protected the lower floors from high temperatures cooling the interiors significantly.

Figure 4.0.15 Sun path overlaid with Solar Radiation (Generated from Grasshopper - Ladybug)

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Figure 4.0.16 images of Rooftops in the city of Kochi showing additionally fitted corrugated sheets on flat roofs

o

Temperature and Relative Humidity The combined study of temperature and humidity revealed that humidity rose when the temperature reduced overall that is during winters and rainy season.

This calls for either dehumidification or temperature reduction techniques to be put in place throughout the year. Good air circulation is an effective method of removing the humidity in the place.

Effective Strategy: Traditionally, Kerala used courtyards to dehumidify the place and this method could prove effective in this case as buildings on most of its sides surround the site.

Figure 4.0.17 Solar Radiation marking Uncomfortable levels according to ASHRAE Standard 55

Figure 4.0.18 Relative Huidity marking Uncomfortable levels according to ASHRAE Standard 55

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4.5

INFRASTRUCTURAL STUDY Even though the market was built century ago, it does not lack in infrastructure.

Drainage lines are laid along most of the roads in the market and most are in working condition. The ones that are not are bing either repaired or re-constructed by GCDA under the Pan City Program of the Smart City Mission. The electricity to the market is provided from an 11kV tap off point at the Transformer in the Muslim School Ground.

Figure 4.0.19 Drainage Lines in the Neighborhood (Left); Electric lamps and Electric line (Right)

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05. CASE STUDIES The study of the changing commercial typologies in Kerala (Refer Chapter 3) revealed a need for the development of a new typology for the city of Kochi that is specific to fit the function of a vegetable and fruit market. To understand further the needs of a market, other case studies, national and international are taken up. The case studies are selected such that they provide specific insight in terms of rhythm around site, pattern of movement within, socio-cultural integration, integration of wholesale and retail, commerce design, scheme of functioning, vertical expansion and permeability. The studies include o

Kaloor Market, Ernakulam , India – This was taken as a standard baseline against which the rest of the case studies were measured, as it was a prototype of the typology of vegetable and meat market found in the city of Kochi.

o

Gazipur Market, New Delhi, India – This case study was studied to understand the standard design of a wholesale market in India. It is a typical model that is followed throughout the country irrespective of immediate context.

o

K R Market – This study was chosen to understand the challenges that arise in a vertically designed market.

o

New Sydney Fish Market, Australia – Most wholesale market, due to their type of function tend to be poorly inclusive and severely lack public places. But, the Sydney fish market is an exception and is designed to be developed as a public centre for the neighbourhood “on par with the Sydney Opera House.” (Market, 2020)

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5.1

INTRODUCTION TO PRIMARY CASE STUDIES

5.1.1

Kaloor Market, Ernakulam, India

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5.2

INTRODUCTION TO SECONDARY CASE STUDIES

5.2.1

Gazipur Market, New Delhi, India

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5.2.2

KR Market, Bangaluru, India

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5.2.3

New Sydney Fish Market, Sydney, Australia

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5.3

ANALYSIS

5.3.1

Rhythm and Movement

Figure 5.0.1 Graphical Representation of Movement around the Built Space

o

Study: Each of the studies selected had different types of rhythms with respect to the movement around the site.  The inclusive design of the Kaloor Market allowed for the segregation of pedestrian and vehicular movement. This reduced the congestion typically brought upon by vehicular movement.  KR Market has entry on all four sides allowing for movement freely into the building. The block is divided into four smaller section allowing for a meandering movement.  Gazipur market is the only study that allowed vehicular movement into the main area. This made loading/unloading easy but also resulted in the increase of congestion  Sydney had an underground parking which allowed for the public space to be completely pedestrianised.

o

Analysis: As one goes down the distribution chain, one notices the increase in the number of customers and therefore the number of vehicles; and the reduction of the size of vehicles. Secondary wholesale markets like the Ernakulam market, due to its contract based business model sees very less amount of people that actually visit the market. In contrast, it is common to see large number of small commercial vehicles at the site. Providing adequate space for the parking and movement of these vehicles, typically LCVs is necessary for the smooth functioning of the market.

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o

Conclusion: The vehicles entering the market are divided into three categories wrt to their size that corresponds to their function. The different categories are1. Inter city: There are Heavy load vehicles that bring goods to the market from other wholesale market. Their concentration increases from mid night to early (12 am – 4 am) mornings when unloading into the market takes place.

2. Intra city: These includes LCVs, auto-rickshaws and 2-wheelers that carry the goods from the market and delivers it to the customer in the city. The move throughout the day until the evening. Their parking needs to be provided such that they can move without interruptions.

3. Intra-site: The logistics of the movement of goods from the individual shops to the loading/unloading platform also plays an important role in the successful functioning of a market. This includes the dead load workers of the market and any instruments they might use for the transportation of the goods.

The movement of each of these typology is restricted based on their functionality and necessity.

5.3.2

Pattern of Movement within

Figure 5.2 Graphical Representation of Movement within the site

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o

Study: Each of the studies selected had different types of pattern of movement within their respective built environments.  In Kaloor Market a single row of shops were arrayed in the periphery and same entrance was used for loading and unloading.  Shops in KR Market are arranged back to back and this provides for optimal utilization of space and outward planning.  Some of the shops in Gazipur had two entrances one for wholesale customers and the other for retail.  The fish market used counters that allow for goods to be displayed 360 degrees.

o

Analysis:

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5.3.3

Non Commercial Spaces

A detailed study of KR market was done to understand the services and auxiliary functions required for the proper functioning of a market.

Food often forms the loci of public spaces as they can communicate in a universal language.

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5.3.4

Public Spaces A detailed study of New Sydney Fish Market was done to understand the type of public spaces required to increase public interaction with a wholesale market in a way that it does not hinder the primary function of the market, the sale of goods.

5.3.5 o

Commerce Design Study:

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o

Potential Layout:

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06. CONCEPT Owing to the need for a new commercial typology, an approach that goes beyond the context of an individual building is applied. Based on Gestalt’s principle of continuation, the site and its surroundings are tied together through the common fate of the public spaces they cover. The inspiration for the design of this open space is taken from an age old typology of public space that became common during the early 20 th century, a Kavala.

A Kavala is a waiting room, library or a tea stall (Thattukada) – typically located at a junction – that is frequented by the locals. (Harikrishnan, 2020) Frequently one can see one man with a newspaper, reading aloud the headlines, as others carefully listen to him carefully. This demonstration is often followed by a discussion that has at times turned heated. The Kavala was first introduced into the urban fabric of Kerala in the early 1900’s in an attempt to spread communist ideologies to the masses. The approach sat well with the people of Kerala and a state with strong Marxist ideologies was set up in just two decades.

Politics aside, the Kavala was able to provide platforms for the initiation of a dialogue between people, both strangers and acquaintances.

The project uses an abstract

interpretation of this model to create a space that can induce public interaction in an otherwise deficit space, like in a wholesale market.

The resultant is a continuously flowing open public space that joins the neighbourhood into one entity.

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Figure 6.1 Site Plan showing the connected Open Spaces (Source: Author)

6.1

APPROACH TO DESIGN

6.1.1

Node Identification The Site and Literature study led to the identification of two districts adjacent to the site. Namely

o

Cultural District – This includes the open space in the center of the block,

the

Central

Juma

Masjid

and

the

Thekkumbagom

Synagogue. The USP of this district is the rich religious heritage that it provides. o

Public District – It includes the Market Canal, the proposed Market Square and the Elevated Walkway. The projects proposed under the ABD for Ernakulam Market Area, the CSML has tried to create a public friendly area around the market Square and this idea has been respected for the purpose of the project

6.1.2

Customer Identification Identification of the types of customers is important to understand the needs of these customers. Four types of customers are identified, namely

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o

Recreation Seeker – These are localities that come to the area purely for recreation purpose, an evening stroll or to drink a cup of tea.

o

Culture Tourists - These are people visiting, to experience the culture that is typically unique to the market.

o

Shoppers – These are people that visit the market physically for trade.

o

Vehicles – As mentioned in Chapter 4.3, vehicles, especially LVCs, play an important role in the functioning of a secondary wholesale market. TO provide the necessary features for them, they are also treated as a kind of customer.

Figure 6.2 Types of Customers that visit the Market (Source : Author)

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Within the site, the idea is to create anchor points that will nudge these various customers to visit the building, thus increasing the publicness of the market and as a result the commerce of the market.

Figure 6.3 Intended Flow of various customers within the Neighborhood (Source: Author)

6.1.3

Service Concept A Service Concept plan was devised to best serve the needs of the market such that the needs and waste is catered to and treated within the site respectfully.

Taking advantage of the Dynamic Information Model in that market that connect the owners directly to the farmers, a return trade using the by-product (Nutrient Slurry) produced in the Integrated STP is proposed. The other by-product, Methane, can be sold to the Tattukada or other food stalls within the market.

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Figure 6.4 Flowchart showing the Service Concept Plan (Source: Author)

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07. DESIGN The resultant design is a new typology of commercial space specific to the function of selling vegetable and meat that is also inclusive and inciting.

Based on the c

7.1

SITE PLAN For the purpose of the design, the site is divided into three nodes: the public node, the commercial node and the cultural node.

Figure 7.1 Site Plan (Source: Author)

7.2

PUBLIC NODE Design consideration:  The left of that canal does not receive much footfall, therefore a passive visual connect with the canal is established and Bio swales are proposed at the Northern bank.

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 To ensure the canal retains in the memory of the people of Kochi and all who visit it, a physical connect, through the introduction of the activity of boating and stairs leading into the water are provided.  The informal vending that existed along the canal is shifted to the opposite end along the back walls of the shops to ensure they do not obstruct view to the canal.  The rest of the space is designed to be light and flexible – with seating and shaded spaces – to reduce congestion that is otherwise prevalent in the neighbouring context.

Figure 7.2 Public Node: Site Plan (Top-Left); View (Top-Middle); Tiling pattern (Top-Right) and Section AA' (Bottom)

7.3

CULTURAL NODE Design consideration:  The Market is designed such that the people can directly exit into the culture zone.  The Synagogue: The Shrine of the Synagogue is retained for visitors to come and visit. The waiting room is converted into an Open Gallery that will depict the Jewish heritage of Kochi. The Hebrew school is converted into a Café and will form an anchor point to this node.  The open space is designed to match the open space in the public node.

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 Dense vegetation is added along the mosque to protect the privacy anf the sanctity of the space.  A Pergola around a Darga is built as an anchor to visit the space.

Figure 7.3 Culture Node: Ground Floor Plan (Top-Left); Mezzanine Floor Plan (Middle-Left); Section AA’ (BottomLeft); Tiling Pattern (Bottom-Center); View from the Market looking at the Culture Center (Bottom-Right) and Site Plan (Tip-Right)

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7.4

COMMERCIAL NODE

7.4.1

Site Plan and Zoning Market road that connects to the Nation Highway further down is treated as the main vehicular entrance and Basal road that connects to the public transportations (High Court Junction Bus Stop and the MG Road Metro Station) is treated as the main pedestrian pathway.

Figure 7.4 Zoning (Left) and Site Plan (Right)

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7.4.2

Ground Floor Plan Design consideration:  The Market is designed such that the people can directly exit into the culture zone  The courtyard is designed to match a Kavala with freestanding aluminium tree columns and Tattukada in the centre.  During early mornings each of the six columns become individual podiums for several auctions to take place simultaneously  The 200-year-old staircase, currently in the possession of Mr. Elias of Blossoms Market in Kadavumbagom Synagogue will be relocated to the centre of the market, in a way bringing a part of the culture node into the market itself.  Two ramps adjacent to the two loading/unloading docks are planned to allow for easy movement of the inter-site transportation mentioned in Chapter 4.3.

Figure 7.5 Ground Floor plan

7.4.3

First Floor Plan Design consideration:  The elevated walkway is made to connect to the building at the first floor.

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 The Southern wing of the building is designed to hold heavy service function, in the case of this floor, fishing, along with a cold storage.  Including the display area within the rentable area of the shop reduces the load on the corridor.  Fish market is designed in counters as closed rooms can hinder proper air circulation and cause foul smell inside. Provision for artificial ventilation and floor drainage is also provided.

Figure 7.6 First Floor Plan (Left) with Cerculation (Top-Right) and Service (Botoom-Right) Details

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Figure 7.7 Unit layout (Source: Author)

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7.4.4

Second Floor Plan Design consideration:  Shops of varying sized can be rented out on this floor. The plan shows a range of tentative layouts.

Figure 7.8 Tentative Second Floor Plan

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7.4.5

Third Floor Plan Design consideration:  This space is left for future expansion.  OHT is planned for the final required capacity of the building, considering the footfall for commerce in this floor.  Until the expansion takes place this space is to be utilised for community gatherings.

Figure 7.9 Terrace Floor Plan

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7.4.6

Roof Design Design consideration:  City Level – (Refer Chapter 4.4)  Neighbourhood Level – (Refer Chapter 4.2)  Based on these consideration, the roof is designed to be pitched, asymmetrical and light using corrugated sheets.  Roof Panels are used for solar energy.

Figure 7.10 Exploded Roof (Source: Author)

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7.4.7

Facade Design Design consideration:  The alternating concave and concave profile of the façade increases the thermal mass of the cover and provides mutual shading, thus reducing the over-all temperature.  It is designed with an aim to provide maximum connectivity with the street outside.  Ground Floor – An active frontage encourages people to interact with the building  First Floor – Introverted planning allows for people moving about to have eyes on the street.  Second Floor – The alternative balconies can be accessed privately from the offices and pride a good get-away space.  Terrace – Rotatable louvres can be used as per convenience.

Figure 7.11 Part of North West Elevation (Top-Left); Overlayed Plan (Bottom-Left) and Section (Right)

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7.4.8

Elevations Thus, through careful planning and design the elevation is designed to match and merge with the surrounding context.

Figure 7.12 Northwest Elevation (Top) and Northeast Elevation (Bottom)

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08. JUROR’S INPUTS The jury was happy with the over all design, but had some significant insights into the project.

Ar. S K Das:  Should Public Institutions, like a Post Office, be pushed to upper floors instead of taking a centre stage in the design process?

The wholesale market - redeveloped in the current context - itself is not very inviting to the public. The intent was to cater to the needs of the public market due to which more focus was given to increasing the public character in the wholesale market. This automatically resulted in office spaces shifting to above floors.  Doesn’t the terminologies used in the naming of the different nodes restrict the function of the place? The spaces at the end seem to resemble each other and the commercial node in the centre stands out as Brutalist of large scale.

The terminologies were used only to provide a direction during the initial stages of the design and is not to be taken rigidly. People with diverse interests will eventually use all the spaces, it is not just an unavoidable reality, but is encouraged by creating anchor points that will attract other type of customers into a particular node.  He also proposed an alternative zoning for the project with the publicness being an extension of the elevated walkway at the second floor. Thus having two floors of retail below and two floors of offices on top.

While this is an interesting and new approach to the project, the existing wholesale market would not be viable in any floor other than the ground and first floors, due to logistics.

Professor Srinivas:  The building is not fitting into the urban fabric. Was there a possibility of splitting the central courtyard into smaller gathering spaces?

During the initial stages, an attempt was made to create smaller courtyards that opens into a larger central space and finally flow into the culture node.

(Refer Below) Upon working further on the concept, it was realised that the space requirements could not be met through this approach. Furthermore, the

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courtyards created would be too narrow and create spaces similar to the third typology of commercial architecture in Kochi, with inadequate lighting.

Figure 8.1 Initial Ground Floor plan developed during the concept stage (Source: Author)

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09. CONCLUSION Jean Jacques Rousseau called cities an abyss of the human species. (Rousseau, 1979) Unequal economic growth makes profound the chasm between the rich and the poor.

The amenities, especially open spaces in over populated cities like Kochi, become a commodity only affordable by the beau monde. Open public spaces in this context plays a very important role.

A public space, a void that constitutes the public realm beyond the boundaries of domains and ownership, has the capability to successfully transform the urban setting into a more sustainable and inclusive environment. Good and extensive planning of these spaces should not be an anomaly, deployed only to mend the crevasses as they emerge, but an integration into the planning of the city as they form the conception of the city, which can adversely affect the liveability.

Even though the need and advantages of a public space are widely known, other factors like high land cost, fear of gentrification and housing demands takes precedence, rendering this as a secondary priority. Even spaces like marketplaces that form the loci of publicness in a city - a peek into the indigenous character unique to every city - have long since forgotten that role. In older constructions the building itself formed the foreground for a public space, on the other hand, newer spaces with high density and cognitive overload have become spaces acquainted at the time of need and are no more considered as a space for gathering by the general public.

The project in its capacity aims to restore the broken legacy of the market as a gathering space and it is with the intent that the project Redevelopment of Ernakulam Market is designed. The market is built around the Kavala like open spaces designed thus making the building a part of its surroundings. The considerations for the design are influenced by various social, historical, climatic and political factors so that the place becomes legible to the people that visit it. The creation and eventual merging of the different nodes strengthens the frail bonds between spaces in the city.

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