Reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar, Rajasthan

D E S I G N D I S S E RTAT I O N

CR A F T H A AT Understanding and Reinterpreting the Local Character of Pushkar

GAURI PRAKASH

L E T T E R O F A P P R O VA L APPROVAL

UNDERGRADUATE DESSERTATION V.V.P. SANCHALIT INDUBHAI PAREKH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE RAJKOT

The following study is here by approved as creditable work on the approved subject, carried out and presented in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a pre-requisite to the degree for which it has been submitted.

It is understood that by this approval, the undersigned does not necessarily endorse or approve of any statement made, opinion expressed or conclusion drawn therein and approves the study only for the above purpose; and satisfy his as to the requirements laid down by the thesis committee.

Title: Craft haat: Understanding and reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar

Studio Coordinator:

Guide:

Prof. Devang Parekh

Ar. Hardik Pandit

Signature

Signature

Date:

Date:

CONTENTS Acknowledgements Background Overall problems in Pushkar Need of the project Project Aim Design objectives Methodology Scope and limitations

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1. Introduction to the town

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Rajasthan Crafts of Rajasthan Pushkar History and evolution of the town Major Landmarks of Pushkar Pushkar fair Tourism in Pushkar Local crafts of Pushkar

2. Understanding local character of the town

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Character of streets Building use plan Built form versus open space Traditional architectural typologies Building language Climatic response Material and construction systems Structuring principles for reinterpreting elements

3. Case studies 53 Program based case studies Dilli haat, INA, Delhi National Crafts Museum, Delhi Program derivation Conclusions for program from site visit and case study Program and its requirement

4. Site 69 Site selection criteria Possible site options Site finalization and reasons

5. Site analysis 72 Building use plan Understanding surrounding context of the site Existing site Structures to be demolished and redesigned Topography Access and movement Site understanding

6. Case study for spatial response 86 Reinterpretation of existing context as new typology Response to urban context elements- Lake, water bodies & historical buildings Understanding and comparing scale of projects on site

7. Implications

100

Conceptuals Design development

Conclusions List of illustrations Illustration credits Bibliography

117 119 122 124

Acknowledgements I would like to thank my guide, Hardik Pandit sir, for all the efforts taken to do hours of discussion on my project and making it a success.

Papa, thank you, for your help and support by tagging along with me to my site visits.

Ma and Shivani, for all your support in understanding my needs and being patient with me.

My friends, who were there for encouraging me throughout this period and being there for me. Special thanks to Jeet, Pogo(Jaydeep), Krutarth, Baba(Niraj), Dhruma, Aastha and Arjavi! This project wouldn’t have been a success without your help!

IPSA, which has been a home to me for these five years and helped me develop into the person I am today.

Thank you!

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.”

— Kierkegaard, 1983

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Background “Place is to architecture as meaning is to language.”

— Eric Hedstrand

Identification of a place lies as a generative core of architecture. A place is often characterized by its natural environment. Vernacular architecture is the closest way by which man has symbolized his response to a natural environment.

“The city is a living organism- with a unique culture, a past called a “contextual history” and a future in which new buildings act as threads that bind the city’s living traditions into a whole new fabric.”[1] According to Christian Noberg Schulz in his book ‘Genius loci’— “Through building, man-made places are created which possess their individual genius loci. The genius loci of a town compromises the spirit of the locality to get “roots”, but it should also gather contents of general interest, contents which have their roots elsewhere, and which have been moved by means of symbolization. Some of these contents are so general that they apply to all places.”

Pushkar is a small town located in northern-western Rajasthan.

Pushkar has a very strong religious significance for Hindus and is a prime pilgrimage site. The only Brahma Temple in the world resides here making the town most sacred. The religious sanctity of the town is a major factor, which draws pilgrims from across the country almost all year round. The town hosts an annual cattle fair in the month of karthik purnima where people from as far as Punjab come to trade cattle. The unique setting of sand dunes in the backdrop of Aravalli hills is a major attraction with the tourists whose numbers have been steadily increasing in the last few years. Social and cultural events like the cattle fair intrigue overseas visitors who also come in large numbers to participate in the fair. The fair now does not only indulge in cattle trading but brings about the opportunity for many local craftsmen from all over Rajasthan to gather and participate in the event by selling their crafts. These two evidently different cultural forces, a predominately religiously inclined Hindu population and western tourists, among other factors such as urbanization, provide a field for multiple social interactions. These different cultural identities influence the architecture in Pushkar.

Pushkar is famous for the production of Gulkand, its products and by products and Malpua. The town also has various craftsmen who work to create products such as utensils, jewelry, printing blocks, lacquer bangles, etc. These crafts are a part of the identity of the town just like the people, the fair, the ghats and Lake and architecture of the town. Craftsmen bring out the local quality of an area.

1 Masoomeh Molaee, Mohammajavad Mahdavinejad. Architecture in context- Inspiration of contextualism in architectural designing, 2011, p.12

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Reasons for selecting Pushkar: Pushkar is a town, which is locally rooted in its contextual history and architecture; it values the existing past but is also trying to gel with the modern way of living that makes it an appropriate site for study.

Reinterpreting the local character and identity of such a place is a task that needs understanding of the city and its growing possibilities.

Therefore, the idea of my project is to bring back the importance of what is local in the town of Pushkar by reinterpreting some of its elements, which make the town the way it is.

Therefore, my study has been undertaken to understand: ·· What is the ‘idea of the local’ in this region? ·· In what ways can local character and the identity of the region be understood and reinterpreted in today’s architecture? ·· What methods of exploration of design can be used in a place with such a strong identity and historical context?

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Overall problems in Pushkar After visiting Pushkar, there are some problems which have been noted down by me either by observation or by talking to the local people of the town. These are:

Fig a: No public open spaces

Fig b: A lot of Rajasthani handicrafts in Pushkar

·· Most of the foreign tourists come here for a long stay but the Indian tourists find this place as only a destination of pilgrimage. They find no other reason to stay other than offer their prayers and have a look at the market. ·· The land-use plan clearly indicates lack of public spaces and informal sitting spaces except for the ghats, which is one of the main reason that I find Indian tourists do not find any reason to stay here for more than a day. ·· It has been found out that there are many local people of the town who produce handicrafts all year round but do not come in focus of the visitors because there is no formal place for them to produce and sell except during fair time. ·· Since this town is ancient and all the land is privately owned, no government land is left to build green spaces/parks for the public. ·· Due to the improper planning, the town does not provide a good platform for information for visitors about the place. ·· Since this town has a very deep-rooted heritage, its importance should be conveyed to the public. For this, some kind of heritage walk could be included within the activities of the city.

Fig c: Deep-rooted heritage in Pushkar

Need of the project The Pushkar mela that happens every year brings craftsmen together to produce and sell handicrafts, which they have learnt since childhood. It has been found out that most of these are local people of the town who produce the handicrafts. These people do not come into focus of the visitors all year because there is no formal place for them to produce and sell except during the mela time. By bringing about a platform for these local people to produce and sell, the government will have a chance to enhance the local crafts skills in and around Pushkar and also have various crafts displayed during the mela all year round for people to see and buy. Also, these local crafts impart a certain character to this town, which makes it all the more special and an eager place to visit.

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Project CRAFT HAAT To create a craft haat that provides the facility for local craftsmen of Pushkar to work and display their crafts all year round. Local crafts include beading to make jewelry, wooden printing blocks used for printing on fabric, utensils, lacquer work to produce bangles, etc. The haat will also include an authentic Rajasthani cuisine cafeteria and an administration area which provides information about Pushkar through books and documentaries.

DHARAMSHALA Since Pushkar is a very dense town with very less open space in its center, a dharamshala with a big open courtyard and an entrance from the main road seems to be the only open space that gives the opportunity to recreate a semi-public institution for the local crafts of Pushkar. Since, the idea can be demonstrated by demolishing the existing dharamshala, my project program incorporates redesigning the dharamshala in a way that its importance is not diminished.

Fig d: Existing dharamshala on site

PUBLIC OPEN SPACE Studying the overall problems in Pushkar, I was also very concerned about the lack of open space inside the town. Although, the Lake is a very important part of the town, because of the narrow entrances to the Lake and the ghats, its openness is not perceived from the inside. Also, as there is very little government land in Pushkar, the municipal office adjacent to the site and the Lake provides a good opportunity to open the space to the public and connect the lake and the town with a new perspective. Therefore, the idea of redesigning the municipal office, since it also isn’t being used totally, would make space for these kind of other activities in the town.

Redesigning a dharamshala and the Pushkar Municipal office already present on site is a part of the program. My design of the craft center and a public space near the Lake will reflect the reinterpretation of the local character of Pushkar in today’s architecture.

Fig f: Existing site chosen to design a craft haat

Fig e: Existing municipal office on site

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Aim To reinterpret the local character of Pushkar by developing a craft haat and public open space

Design objectives ·· To create a craft haat that provides a platform for the local craftsmen and provide a public open space ·· To understand the local character of Pushkar town ·· To reinterpret the local character of the town in today’s architecture

Methodology ·· Study of how an artist works and his/her anthropometrics through selected primary case studies. ·· Study of what makes the local character of a town/city through observation, literature, reviews and online secondary sources. ·· Study of the town and its morphology, urban context, typology, architecture and the elements of the town through primary site visits, surveys and secondary sources of literature. Urban context will include study of land and building use, important landmarks, major roads, access and movement, topography, activities of tourists and local people. ·· Study of responses to urban contexts, typologies, architectural elements like plinths, stairs, chajjahs, etc., through secondary case studies and literature reviews. ·· Study various reinterpretation methods in such urban contexts into built form through primary or secondary case studies.

Scope and limitations ·· Since, a city keeps changing and developing over a period of time and from generation to generation, the focus could be over different eras starting from origin of this town. This study limits to the existing scenario of the built, which is observed. ·· As my study is for a short period of time in a new town, my focus will be only on the public realm of the site and its surrounding and study of its architecture. My study is limited to studying the public nature of the place and its people, and not the house, community and culture of the region. ·· Also, the urban history of the place is understood through the talks with the local people because of the limited written material available.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE TOWN Rajasthan Crafts of Rajasthan Pushkar History and evolution of the town Major landmarks of Pushkar Pushkar mela Tourism in Pushkar Local crafts of Pushkar Questioning the people in Pushkar

Intent: Understanding the importance of Pushkar and reasons for attraction of tourists in this place and developing the need of proposed program.

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Rajasthan Rajasthan is a state with a unique character. It has distinctive geographical features such as the Thar desert and the Aravalli ranges.

Rajasthan has a lot of breath-taking cities. Every city has its own reminiscent character and individuality. The cities have developed sensitively in time according to the harsh climate of the hot desert region.

Rajasthan is a state well known for its rich culture. It has artistic and cultural traditions, which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is rich and varied folk culture, classical music and dance. Rajasthani cuisines, clothes, craftsmanship, festivals all have a distinct characteristic, which attracts people to realize and appreciate it.

Fig 1.1: Map of Rajasthan

Jaisalmer, nicknamed, ‘The Golden city’ lies in the heart of the desert of Rajasthan. It stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, protected by a fort wall.

Scorching heat, sandstorms and desert breezes are some of the climatic factors that have shaped the city and its life. The densely-packed city with thousands of Havelis or homes built close to each other and with its yellowish-golden tinge because of the sandstone used in every building marks its identity.

Udaipur city is completely different in its experiential quality. The place gives the feel of living in the medieval Rajputana era with huge palace complexes, beautiful lakes and lofty mountains that surround the city. This is completely in contrast to the sandy desert experience of Jaisalmer city.

Pushkar is a town well known for its Lake and Ghats. The small town has been developed around the Pushkar Lake on three sides. The architecture of the city goes way back and everything is built in white and seems pure. The experience of the desert on the West and the surrounding hills on the other sides makes this town unique.

Fig 1.2: Jaisalmer

Fig 1.3: Udaipur

Fig 1.4: Pushkar

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Jodhpur, also known as ‘The Blue city’ for most of its houses have been painted blue for many reasons such as to keep out the heat of the sun, people also say it was done because of the caste system to differentiate the priestly caste from the lower caste. Some also say its because it is a good defense system against termites! All these reasons surely make this a distinct character of the city.

Fig 1.5: Jodhpur

Jaipur, ‘The pink city’ gets its name as all the buildings of the 19th century were built using pink sandstone. This prominent use of material and color gives the city a certain character. Although the city has developed so much, the old city brings a Rajasthani character to the place.

All the cities of Rajasthan are known for their own distinctive quality which makes the city unique. Each city’s urban fabric shows its localization as well as regional continuity in terms of architecture and urban structure.

Fig 1.6: Jaipur

Crafts of Rajasthan

Fig 1.7: Rajasthani painting

Fig 1.8: Fabrics

Rajasthan is well known all over the world for its hand-printed textiles, furniture, leather work, jewelry, painting, pottery and metal craft. It will be unfair to say that Rajasthani artists only make decorative items.

Every household item in Rajasthan proves the statement false as we go through their embellished utensils, colorful attires, unique jewelry designs and embroidered shoes that infuse a new life and a cheerful look to the otherwise monotone of the desert sands. [2] Crafts also include Carpets and dhurries, fabrics, furniture, wood carving, Pottery, Leather ware, metal crafts, paintings, puppets and Stone Carving.

Arts and crafts define the cultural layers of a particular place, community or race. It represents the character of the region and its people. The crafts of Rajasthan are an identity of the region which make this place unique.

Fig 1.9: Wood carvings

Fig 1.10: Durries

Fig 1.11: Pottery

2 “Rajasthan Arts and Crafts”. Rajasthan-tourism.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2016

Fig 1.12: Leather works

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Pushkar Pushkar is situated 13 km from Ajmer, in state of Rajasthan in India.

It is located in the valley of two parallel ranges of Aravalli hill strips and surrounded by Aravalli hills on its three sides (Nag pahar in East, Dungri pahar in North, Gurumbha pahar in North East, Savitri pahar in South West) and fourth side by desert (in North-West), where the sand has drifted from the plains of Marwar.

Fig 1.13: Map of India showing Rajasthan

Pushkar

Fig 1.14: Map of Rajasthan showing Pushkar

Pushkar

Fig 1.15: Google earth map of Pushkar

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History and evolution of the town LEGENDARY BELIEF Pushkar is known as the pilgrim town. There is a legendary belief associated to Lord Brahma which explains the emergence of this town.

The legend states that Lord Brahma, the creator of the world, was in search of a place to perform yagna and establish an edification of devotees and their redemption from sin. While he was roaming in this place a lotus fell from his hand and struck at three places and water came out. This sign determined the site for the yagna performance.

These three places situated within a radius of six miles are called Jayestha(Elder), Madhya(Central) and Kanishta(Younger) Pushkar.

Fig 1.16: Tale of Lord Brahma in Pushkar(photo credit: Mridula Dwivedi)

‘Jayestha’ Pushkar is the place where Brahma prepared to perform his Yagna. All the Gods attended. As, no function, social or religious, can be performed amongst the Hindus by a man unless he is joined in it by his wife-for according to Hinduism, a man and wife both together form one entity, and the one without the other always remains only a part and not a whole-Brahma had to wait for his wife Savitri, to begin the yagna. Savitri would not come without Lakshmi, Parvati, and Indrani whom the God Pavan had been sent to summon. As the auspicious hour was getting very near and Savitri would not come unless accompanied by the other goddesses, Brahma was angry and asked Indra to get him a girl who he could marry and begin the yagna. Indra brought a Gujjar’s daughter, named Gayatri. Brahma married her and the yagna commenced. A demon appeared and interrupted the sacrifice at the instigation of Shiva. Eventually Shiva removed the interruption on the condition that he could have a temple to himself at Pushkar. Savitri appeared as the sacrifice was nearing its end. Seeing Gayatri in her place, she became enraged; Brahma tried to pacify her, but did not succeed. She went in a rage to the hill called Ratnagiri, to the south of Pushkar on which stands a temple dedicated to her. She also cursed Brahma that due to this, he will not be worshipped anywhere in the world but here.

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EVOLUTION OF PUSHKAR TOWN Enquiry into the possible principles used in the evolution of the town of Pushkar demonstrates that since the Pushkar Lake is the physical center of the town, the town developed radially around the Lake.

Pushkar is surrounded by the Aravalli hill strips on its three sides and the fourth side consists of the desert, thus the town is built around the Lake except on its southern side. The reason observed is that since the southern part of the Lake is the area where the rainwater from the hills drains and collects in the Lake, no development can take place, hence, the land is being used for agricultural purposes. Thus, the evolution of the town takes place in the remaining three sides of the lake(shown in image 17).

Therefore, the street around the Lake is the main street which is the holy parikrama path and numerous streets emerge from this street, which connect to the outer road of the town. These vertical streets are connected by radial internal streets of the town, which hold the residential part of the town.

Sand dunes Sand dunes

Gurumbha pahar

Dungri pahar

Arrows showing possible development of town

Pushkar Lake

Savitri pahar Fig 1.18: Originally the temple was much closer to the lake as the lake was much larger. the first settlements started coming up in the 10th century

Fig 1.19: 12th century

No development in southern part because it is flooded due to rainwater from the hills

Nag pahar

Fig 1.17: Possible evolution pattern of the town of Pushkar[3]

Fig 1.20: The town grew and the water level decreased increasing distance between temple and lake

Fig 1.21: The town grew further around the lake

This town has developed radially around a Lake which has generated a radial road pattern from the main street to the outskirts of the town.

3 Suthar, Dhaval. Pushkar: Evolution, settlement pattern and elements of the sacred town. Cept library Ahmedabad. Thesis. Guided by Rajeev Kadam

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Major landmarks of Pushkar Pushkar has a few landmarks which make it famous:

Pushkar Lake and ghats:

Fig 1.22: Pushkar Ghats

The most important part of the town is the holy lake.

It is surrounded by Aravalli hills, forming a catchment area of 22 sq. km. It is a stagnant water body formed by the collection of rainwater from the catchment in a natural depression and is replenished mainly in the monsoon season. The lake has 52 bathing ghats around it except on the Southern edge, where the rainwater from the catchment area flows in. People come here to take a holy bath and perform rituals in the lake water as it is considered to wash away all sins. There is a height difference from the street level to the level of water which is broken by steps for better accessibility. There is a main street around the lake where all the streets of the town lead to and from this street all the ghats are made accessible.

Fig 1.23:Pushkar Lake

Brahma temple: The one and only temple of Lord Brahma is situated in Pushkar on the west of Pushkar lake. The temple may belong to an early period which was subsequently renovated and reconstructed in later dates. Facing east, the temple stands over raised ground accessible through thirty-three flight of steps from the east.

Fig 1.24: Brahma temple

Savitri Temple: The temple of Savitri is built on the south-west of the lake on Savitri Pahar by the Purohit Ajit Singh of Marwar.

Fig 1.25: Savirtri temple

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Pushkar mela ground and stadium: The Pushkar fair which is held once a year during the month of Karthik-Purnima takes place on the mela ground. The mela activities like cattle racing and other competitions between cattle and also between cattle and the visitors of the fair.

Fig 1.26: Mela ground and stadium

Varah temple: Existing in the corner of the city of Pushkar, the temple was built by Raja Arnoraj in the 12th century and renovated by Rana Sagar, but again it was desecrated by the Mughal King Aurangzeb. Despite all these ravages it has served as a monument of Hindu culture. It is sculptured beautifully in ancient Hindu architectural art. The image house of this temple is rich in decor and ornamentation.

Fig 1.27: Varah temple

Old Rangji temple: Rangji temple is dedicated to Ramanuj Vaishnava worship. The priests are Dravidian Brahmins. This temple was built in 1844 A.D. by Seth Puranmal.

Simple in architecture, the walls of the temple are decorated with paintings depicting various scenes from the life of Lord Krishna. The impact of South Indian architecture is visible in the outer view of the temple. Sikharas are richly carved out with images of Gods and Goddesses giving it a majestic look blended with religious touches.

New Rangji Temple: This temple is also known as Baikunth Mandir, was constructed between 1920-1925 by a Maheshwari Seth at the cost of Rs. 8 lakh. Its architectural style is south Indian and here too southern rites and rituals of Ramanuja Viashnava sect are performed by south Indian priests.

Fig 1.28: Old Rangji temple

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Jahangir’s palace: This monument is located south of the lake along the Parikrama path. It was built by Jahangir in 1670 AD to celebrate his victory over Maharaja Amar Singh of Mewar. It is a protected monument.

Fig 1.29:Jahangir’s palace

These major landmarks are prominent features of the town which impart character to the built. People from all over India come to offer prayers in the ancient temples of Pushkar and its Lake. The beautiful backdrop of the surrounding mountains along with these major landmarks also attract foreign tourists from all over the world making it popular even though its a very small town of Rajasthan. As there are so many tourists coming to visit this ancient town, there is no formal place which imparts the historical and cultural significance of the town.

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Pushkar Fair

Fig 1.30: Pushkar fair

EMERGENCE OF PUSHKAR FAIR The Pushkar fair is an auspicious event which takes place during Karthik purnima for 15 days. The cattle fair takes place for the first 11 days and the remaining days are for celebrating the Dharmik fair for Pushkar darshan. Pushkar, being the only place associated with Lord Brahma, is a place where pilgrims during karthik purnima come to perform rituals associated to Lord Brahma and offer prayers in the Pushkar lake. As this occasion comes during November, the autumn season, it is the best time of the year as crops are ready to be harvested by the farmers and they do not need their cattle for ploughing. This gives the farmers an opportunity to sell and earn some money. In the economic cycle of the year, this could be considered a peak period of gain for farmers who may be running a loss due to crop failure and will know how much to invest to earn their daily bread. Farmers have camels, horses, cows, buffaloes, goats, etc. at this season they can decide if they want to invest money in their most precious assets i.e., cattle. Karthik purnima festival gives them the opportunity to exchange cattle and earn profit.

This congregation for the exchange of cattle during this period gives market opportunity to people to produce and sell accessories for cattle, selling of agricultural goods, accessories of leather, metal and wood used by camels. Hence, this provides also opportunity for blacksmiths, carpenters and cobblers. This in turn brings in villagers for folk entertainment like puppetry shows and plays,etc. All the items sold in the market are locally cultivated or produced goods. The performers were also local Rajasthani folk artists.

Fig 1.31: Ceremonies taking place on Ghats

Fig 1.32: Camel racing

Fig 1.33: Local craft stalls

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PUSHKAR FAIR BECOMING A FORMAL EVENT

Fig 1.34: Traditional dance form ‘Kalbelia’

Fig 1.35: Folk music

Fig 1.36: Camel riding

Eventually, post independence, the government of India took over. The local government took maintenance of the town and made transport, roadways and railway more available for pilgrims and traders to visit Pushkar easily. As traders and craftsmen from all over the state started approaching during the fair, entertainment factors also increased. Due to the scenic value of Pushkar with its mountains, lake and dunes, the government made efforts to promote the Pushkar fair during the promotion of tourism in Rajasthan.

A lot of domestic as well as international tourists started coming to Pushkar to visit this event, hence, the fair was termed as ‘international cattle fair’.

Some of the activities taking place during the fair include trading cattle, cattle races, horse and donkey races, traditional dances, puppetry shows, music and band performances, arti and religious activities on the ghats and temples.

Giant Ferris wheels and open-air theatres offer amusement. During dusk, there is a deepdan ceremony where hundreds of clay lamps on leaf boats are lit and set afloat.

The Mela is jointly organized by RTDC, Municipality, Animal Husbandry Department. Animal Husbandry department organizes cattle exhibitions, provision of water and fodder for animals at affordable rates. Medical facilities including inoculation of the cattle are also provided by the Department of Veterinary hospital. Illumination and beautification is done by municipality at various points in the town. Tents and campsites spring up to accommodate the thousands of pilgrims, tourists and villagers with herds of cattle, horses and camels come here to participate in this spectacular event.

It is observed that local traders and craftsmen only visit and set up their handicrafts during the mela time for sale. It is not the whole year round that local handicrafts famous in Pushkar are displayed in the town for the tourists and local people to see at the time except during the mela. There are only a few craftsmen staying the whole year round, but never come in focus of the visitors.

Fig 1.37: Hot air balloon ride

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Tourism in Pushkar Tourism is the main economic driver of the town, which promotes other key sectors such as trade and commerce, transportation and household industries. Like any other pilgrimage town, Pushkar has around 300 odd temples. Majority of Brahmins are engaged in religion based economic source that is their traditional occupation. Therefore, a lot of domestic tourists for religious purpose and international tourists for the purpose of sight seeing and enjoying the beautiful landscape, the lake and dunes as well as the market place reach this destination. However due to increase in foreign tourists many young Brahmins have set up their own businesses.

The trade and commerce is related to temple needs and caters to pilgrims and tourists. There are a lot of hotels, guest houses, dharamshalas and restaurants/cafeterias, which have come up due to the large number of people coming in everyday. The tourists in Pushkar provide livelihood to a large section of the population. The cattle fair is the main economic activity in the region. Garment manufacture is the only significant Industrial activity, which employs around 5000 persons, most of these workers come from nearby villages. The household industries include – traditional handicrafts and production of rose by-products such as gulkand, rose oil, rose water etc.

Far from being an ordinary tourist town, Pushkar is a pilgrimage centre of national importance. It is also the venue of internationally known cattle fair, which is being patronized by Government of Rajasthan on the occasion of Karthik Purnima. The unique setting of sand dunes in the back drop of hills is a major attraction with the foreign tourists whose numbers have been steadily increasing in the last few years. Most of the local people make 80% of the annual income during the Pushkar Fair.

Profile of tourists visiting Pushkar are of three types: - The largest segment comprises domestic tourists visiting the town for just a day primarily for performing pujas and other rites (in many cases even without a night halt at Pushkar) - A small segment of premium domestic and foreign tourists visiting for a day / two, much of them coming during the Fair - A small segment of foreign tourists who are on a long stay (a month or more), commonly referred to as ‘backpackers’.

Table 1: Statistical data of Tourist arrivals in Ajmer, Pushkar and Pushkar Fair

The statistical data concludes that a lot of Indian as well as foreign tourists include Pushkar as a destination and their numbers are increasing over the years.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TOWN | 27

Fig 1.38: Tourist guide map

Municipal office

Marwar bus stand

Old Rangji Temple Main market road

Mela ground and stadium

Brahma temple

Bus stand

Fig 1.39: Map of Pushkar Pushkar Lake Savitri temple

Sunset point

The places mentioned above are the major attractions for tourists. Even though this is a small ancient town, it attracts a lot of tourists. It is an observation that the number of tourists are increasing every year, but there is very little public space inside the clustered town.

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Local crafts of Pushkar Pushkar is a town where a lot of tourists come to visit for the reasons given earlier in this chapter. As the economy of the town is driven by tourism, a lot of commercial activities take place in this town. One of these is selling crafts of Rajasthan in the main market area. Here, crafts like Camel leather works in the form of purses, bags, juttis and sketchbooks, intricate metal craft works, wood carvings, Rajasthani paintings, Rajasthani fabrics, antiquities, etc., are sold.

As the number of foreign tourists along with Indian tourists arriving here is also large, the market not only consists of Rajasthani crafts, but it is driven more towards clothing and accessories for the foreigners, which are more of a Western style rather than the Indian or Rajasthani ethnic wear. So, Western as well as Rajasthani products drive the market.

Pushkar is famous for its rose production, which in turn helps in the production of products and byproducts like malpua, gulkand and rose water.

Pushkar is famous for these products as they are manufactured in the town itself. There are many lower class families in the town, which have been in the occupation of making jewelry and accessories using the method of beading. When these people were asked about continuing the family occupation, the elders replied in confirmation. There are other families who are skilled in making printing blocks from wood which are finally used in producing block printed fabric, etc.

Fig 1.41: Family of Pushkar making jewelry from beads

Fig 1.42: Family of Pushkar making jewelry from beads

Fig 1.43: Jewelry made from beads

Fig 1.40: Craftsman making printing blocks

Fig 1.44: Printing blocks displayed for shoppers

INTRODUCTION TO THE TOWN | 29

Fig 1.45: Local family of Pushkar making utensils

Fig 1.46: Hand-made utensils

Fig 1.47: Hand-made cooking tools

Fig 1.48: Hand-made utensils

Jewelry making

Utensils making craft

Printing blocks craft

Jewelry making

Fig 1.49: Spots where local craftsmen work in Pushkar

My observations: ·· There are many crafts of Rajasthan on display in the town ·· Both Indian and foreign tourists spend a lot of time in the market area of Pushkar, ·· But they seem unaware of the local craftsman ·· These crafts mostly come into focus during the fair time. ·· The local craftsmen are not seen in large number before or after the fair.

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QUESTIONING THE LOCAL PEOPLE OF PUSHKAR: Discussion with Manoj: Manoj comes from Ajmer and works as a businessman in Pushkar. He has been working here for 8-10 years.

He has his business in leather works. The leather is manufactured in Jaisalmer and is brought to Pushkar for trading.

Which crafts are local in Pushkar?

Blocks for printing on cloth Sewing/textile What about the tourism in Pushkar? ·· There is a downfall of foreign tourists since last 2 years because of financial depression in the whole world.

Thus, no one wants to spend too much. ·· Indian tourists mostly come for pilgrimage purposes. There is no space to sit, relax. No open space for people to spend time is the reason people don’t stay for a long time. ·· The government has also not provided any public spaces or parks. ·· All the havelis have been privately owned and have been converted into commercial buildings for business. Thus, there is no space left for the government to make these kinds of open spaces. ·· This stuff is necessary otherwise tourists rate will fall drastically as this is the only thing, which is sustaining this town. ·· Mostly now, Indian tourists don’t buy anything as everything has become online. Technology provides the online users the perfect price for each item. ·· Foreign tourists are the only source of income in Pushkar.

Discussion with a Junior engineer working at the Municipal office: The junior engineer has been working at the municipal level for three years in Pushkar. The following points were noted after discussion about the workings of the Mela happening in the month of November·· Total number of toilets set up mela ground: 120(temporary structures with pits are made sufficient for the mela) ·· 4-5 lakh people had attended the mela last year ·· Fund for the mela is provided by the government. ·· There is a sangralaya below the Brahma temple where idols of God are produced and sold ·· Meetings and all start in the month of February. Cleaning of the mela ground starts 2 months before and the government of surrounding areas help during the mela time. ·· Mela ground is government land. There are some private farming lands on the ground, which has to been given for public use during mela. ·· The Pashupalan community owns the stadium.

Discussion with the owner of LALA international: LALA international is a sewing business. The owner has been working for 32 years in Pushkar. 80-100 people work in this factory. These are families which come from all over India (Bihar,etc). They come is seasonally and are mostly bachelors. Therefore, they rent a room between 5-6 people.

What kinds of crafts are famous in Pushkar? ·· Earlier, Embroidery used to come to Pushkar from Gujarat (Ahmedabad and Baroda) for foreigners.

Waistcoats used to come from Mandvi and trouser material from Patan for foreigners to Pushkar. This was the only textile trading work many years ago.

INTRODUCTION TO THE TOWN | 31

·· A long time ago, silk sarees work was famous in Pushkar. The sarees were handmade and popular in the market here. Nowadays, machine made sarees are in the market which do not get sold. ·· Silver work was once sold a lot in pushkar, but nowadays the market value for it has gone down because of artificial jewellery. ·· Same for leather works ·· Postcards also used to be sold a lot at one point.

Discussion with a foreigner from Toronto, Canada: What are the problems you faced in this town? ·· Bus tickets weren’t easily available ·· Unnecessary forced donations had to be given to the Pandits at the ghats. ·· The ATM was far from the bus ticket counter, which made it inconvenient for him. ·· The market was really good and interesting.

Discussion with printing blocks maker: ·· He comes with his family from Farikhabad, Uttar Pradesh for 8 months. The rest of the four months are spent in Dharamshalas in the state of Himachal Pradesh (Manali, etc) ·· He has been working in Pushkar for almost 10 years and is living in a rented room. ·· The reason to come and work in Pushkar is because there are a lot of foreign tourists who are willing to buy his printing blocks.

Discussion with jewellery maker: ·· Making jewellery is mostly the work of the ladies in the house. The working women I interviewed have been working for 10-15 years. The families reside near the railway station. This is a craft, which has been on for generations in the family. The older generations have not done schooling but the younger generation is sent to school till a certain age and then have to carry on with the family craft business. ·· The women work with beads and make necklaces, bangles, etc. all year round and buy their stock of beads from the mela itself. ·· Part time jobs such as dancing for shows, weddings, etc. they also teach dance to foreign girls. ·· Sewing work is also a part time job. They buy cloth material from here and do mirror and beading work and sell them in Pushkar itself.

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2

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN Character of streets Building use plan Built form vs open space Traditional architectural typologies Building language Climatic response Material and construction systems Structural principles for reinterpreting elements

Intent Understanding the character of the town at urban, architectural and elemental level of the town and hence deriving structural principles which will form the base of my design.

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Character of streets “Streets are by far the most commonly recurring elements in the fabric of the city; yet all of them are different-no two streets in the world are alike…Their inherent complexity is thus immense and they are decisive for the quality of the city.” (De Carlo, 1988) Streets are an interesting feature in the built environment of Pushkar. They are dynamic and are a place for social interaction, where sociocultural, religious and other activities take place.

Primary street Secondary street Tertiary street

N Fig 2.1: Plan of Pushkar showing primary, secondary and tertiary streets

The primary street is the main market street in Pushkar and also the parikrama path along the periphery of the Lake. A continuous façade lines the primary street. These facades have commercial shops on the ground floor which, directly confronts the street edge. These streets are much wider in comparison to the other streets leading to residential areas behind the commercial edge.

“The more public a place-the more the fronts of the buildings need to play a role of defining and articulating” (Andrew P. and Japha D.) Fig 2.2: Primary street of Pushkar with main market area

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 35

The architecture of the main street is enhanced by the intricate articulation of the facades. Plinths rising up off the street floor, balconies or jharokhas projecting on the shops below, openings with work and display areas spilling on to the street and a constantly changing but continuous edge marks this street.

The main street holds beautifully articulated arched gates to enter the ghats and lake area on one side and the temple houses, which are open to the public, on the other side of the street.

The buildings vary from being one-storey to three or four storeyed.

Therefore, a certain rhythm is maintained throughout the entire faรงade. The openings on the faรงade facing the street are usually in a definite series. Varied window systems are observed throughout the faรงade. Some are simple while others are in the form of jharokhas with elaborate ornamentation typical of the region.

Fig 2.4: Entrance to Gau Ghat

Semi-open terrace

10 m

Parapet with articulation

Brackets with articulation

5m Building raised on a plinth Fig 2.5: Primary street

5m Fig 2.3: Section through Primary street

The secondary streets are a mix of commercial and residential buildings. Commercial activities happen on the ground floor only and there are residences on the upper storeys. It is observed that secondary streets are simpler in articulation of the main entrances, openings, architectural elements like columns, chajjahs and brackets, etc., as compared to the primary street.

Usually the openings on the ground floor are small and less in number in order to increase privacy from the public street. The upper storeys have much larger openings with a one-way visibility from the inside to the outside, mostly though jalis so that one can view what is happening on the street and at the same time imparting more privacy.

The typical elements of the commercial streets include continuous chajjahs which add a sense of horizontality and are supported using vertical brackets. There is repetition of arches and openings observed in the upper storeys of the buildings, in order to reduce glare.

Fig 2.6: Secondary street of Pushkar

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Openings Articulation on facade

10 m

chajjah

Brackets with articulation

3m Fig 2.7: Section through Secondary street

The tertiary streets are purely residential in nature. Entrances to residences mark this street. Due to the increase in privacy level of the street, the openings on either faรงade of the street are raised above eye level. The street is narrower than primary and secondary streets so that they remain shaded for most part of the day and the facades are very simple(no articulation like the main street). Plinths run along the street on both sides for residents to sit and perform various activities of the house.

Fig 2.8: Tertiary street of Pushkar

Chowk means an open square. A lot of different activities take place during different times of the day at a city level such as religious festivals, small gatherings, public forums, interaction between people coming from different areas. The chowks in Pushkar are marked with a small deri(temple) at one side.

Very few openings on street- privacy

Deri

Fig 2.9: Tertiary street section

Fig 2.10: Chowks of Pushkar with the presence of a deri

Fig 2.11: Chowk in Pushkar

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 37

Building use plan

Fig 2.12: Plan of Pushkar showing landuse and building use

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Built form versus open space IN RESPONSE TO THE STREETS The urban fabric of Pushkar is closely-knit like many of the other cities in the region because of the hot desert climate of Rajasthan. The overall built-form is therefore characterized by dense spaces housing clusters in most sectors. The streets, open courtyards in temple houses along the main street and havelis are the only form of openness inside the dense city fabric. Of course, the ghats and Lake which are surrounded by the city and the desert and the delighting landscape just outside the town provide a huge relief from the daily activities taking place inside.

Commercial as well as public buildings may exhibit subtle variations within themselves. The traditional architectural forms of the place may showcase fusion styles of architecture due to the impact of external forces such as the Mughal and British rule. These external forces also play an important role in shaping the architectural image of the town.

Fig 2.13: Pushkar town plan showing dense city fabric

Fig 2.14: Built vs open on primary street

Fig 2.15: Built vs open on tertiary street

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 39

Commercial edge Lake edge Hot-spot activities On street On ghats

Commercial 10 m

Residential Lake Entry to shops Entry to residences/ Dharamshalas

5m

4m

Mixed use

Main street

Mixed use

Ghats

Lake

Fig 2.16: Section through Main street and ghats

Fig 2.17: Aerial view of Pushkar showing built mass in relation to street

Fig 2.18: Ghats are the only open space inside the town

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IN RESPONSE TO THE LAKE AND GHATS

12 m

The built mass along the ghats appears to be densely packed. The buildings are usually not less than three-storeyed in height. It is my experience that this does not allow us to engage with the city fabric beyond the built along the ghats. There is a huge contrast between the openness of the Lake, ghats, the surrounding mountains and the closely-knit structure of the town.

Entry to Ghats 4m 6m

Lake

Mixed use

Ghats

Main street

Commercial

Fig 2.20: Section through street and Ghats

Commercial Residential Ghats

N

Lake Fig 2.21: Key plan

Fig 2.22: Openness of the Lake and the surrounding hills Fig 2.23: Ghats as public open space compared to the built

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 41

Traditional architectural typologies The built form in Pushkar and other regions of Rajasthan are widely dominated by the haveli archetype which is considered to be the basic built form of the region. There are broadly two typologies, namely, the haveli temple type and the haveli garden type. Temples, public buildings and residences in Rajasthan are mainly governed by the concept of centric courtyard planning. It is observed that the haveli temple type is very common in Pushkar. Public buildings on the main street have elaborate entrances which contain a temple in center of the courtyard and there are rooms on the periphery.

SPATIAL ATTRIBUTES Urban Level At the town level, spatial planning exhibits a radially developed town around the Pushkar Lake. The main street around the lake connects the outer highway road of the town by numerous radial internal streets as discussed in chapter 2 earlier. The organization of built form is done in concentric layers with the shops and public institutions forming the edge and the residences located in the inner parts of each sector/block.

The public buildings directly open onto primary and secondary streets and the tertiary streets have direct access to residential havelis maintaining privacy in the inner parts. Due to the topography of the place, the internal streets and built form also follow the slope which steeply rises on the north-west part of the town.

Main commercial road

Lake

42

30

0m

0m

Fig 2.24: Part of Pushkar showing organization of commercial on street edge and residential inside

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Building level Courtyard centric organization The basic principle of spatial organization in this region is structuring around an open space to form a courtyard which is the private open space for the house. In Pushkar, the public institutions are temple havelis which are publically opened on to the main street. They have a temple in the middle of the courtyard which can be directly seen through the entrance on the main street. The residential rooms are introverted around this open space. The courtyards establish a visual link across spaces within the building that create interaction and a sense of transparency between the internal spaces.

7.5 m

Fig 2.25: The large open courtyard inside a temple haveli

3m Fig 2.27: Elevation showing entrance to the haveli 70 m

90 m

Fig 2.26: Built enclosing the courtyard of the haveli showing introverted organization

Plinth/Jharokhas Courtyard Rooms Temple Entry

Entrance Fig 2.28: Typical plan of temple haveli

Section through temple haveli Fig 2.29: Public institution organisation

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 43

7.5 m

Axiality and symmetrical planning A typical plan of a haveli has a strong sense of axiality. The geometry of the plan displays a balanced symmetry of spatial arrangement along either side of the axis. On a rectangular plan, the longer side holds the symmetrical axis.

Elevation of entrance of a private haveli 10 m Jharokha Services Courtyard Rooms Temple

25 m

Entry

Fig 2.30: Courtyard inside the haveli

Entrance Typical plan of Private haveli Fig 2.32: Private residence organization

Fig 2.31: Semi-open space leading from courtyard to inner rooms

One-way visibility Privacy is an important concern in havelis overlooking the outer street. Due to the highly introverted lifestyles of the people and the concept of inner courtyard, privacy is maintained through the massive walls and treatment of the exterior faรงade with elements like jaalis and jharokhas. The jaali is used as a screen for the jharokha, a small projecting balcony. The jharokha thus becomes a seating place for viewing outside onto the street. Thus, it provides a one-way visibility and also protects the interior spaces from the harsh climate of the desert region.

Fig 2.33: Entrance directly opening into the courtyard

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Building language

·· ·· ·· ··

Commercial shops on the ground floor Residential on above floors Entrances to typical public haveli temples Maximum 3 storey buildings

·· Residences with entrances on ground floor ·· High plinths for spilling out house activities ·· Privacy maintained by openings above eye level

·· Entrance gates towards ghats and Lake side ·· Commercial shops on ground floor ·· Restaurants on top most floor

Fig 2.34: Street elevations to understand built mass

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 45

Climatic response The harsh climate of the desert region of Rajasthan influences the built form and massing of the urban fabric of the town of Pushkar.

The housing clusters are densely packed with longer walls shared for maximum protection from the sun. The ratio of the street to the height of the built is proportioned in such a way that the street remains shaded for the maximum time of the day. Here, it is observed that the ratio of the height of the building to the street is approximately 1:3 on the main street whereas 2:1 in the inner streets. This allows maximum shading of streets and exterior facades during summer and sufficient sunlight on them during winter. Despite the closely knitted fabric, due to the courtyards and the number and size of openings, the built remains well-ventilated.

Fig 2.35: Built vs open plan

Orientation Mostly all buildings are oriented along the streets of the town, oriented in the North-west South-east direction. This allows for easy penetration of wind flow, not only on the streets but in the houses itself. Cool wind blows from the mountains over the lake and passes through the town.

The placement of openings and entrances are in coherence with this concept.

Compact planning and thermal massing The high density of the urban fabric is due to the compact planning of the town. The built arranged around open spaces forms a continuous mass. The edge to edge sharing of walls and buffer spaces like semiopen verandahs on the lower and upper floors allows the inner spaces to remain cool. In larger scale havelis, the built to open ratio is a lot to the extent that mutual shading of facades does not quite happen.

The thick stone walls that enclose the building create a thermal mass which delays the penetration of heat into the building during daytime and cools off the building during night. The roof is almost as thick as the walls to insulate the inside from the heat.

Fig 2.36: Courtyard typology for climate response

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Vertically projecting profiles In order to cut down the harsh glare of the sun, the external faรงade of the building is treated with projecting profiles of elements that are specially designed. These profiles are common to the whole region of Rajasthan. Most commonly, Jharokhas or cantilevered balconies with ornamented cornices and jaali stone screens are used. The chajjah running horizontally along the faรงade of the building or on top of the openings reduces the heat and glare of the sun. All these elements work together to not only protect the building from the sun, but also rain, harsh hot winds and cold winds.

Fig 2.37: Elevation of a temple in Pushkar showing various projecting profiles for shade and ventilation

Stone parapet Stone chajjah Metal chajjah Metal bracket

Stone bracket

Chattris Stone chajjah Fig 2.38: Section through a street showing various elements of a facade

Opening

Stone chajjah

Semi-open buffer

Parapet Opening

Stone bracket

Arched semi-open space

Stone wall

Fig 2.39: Section through a street showing various elements of a facade

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 47

Repetition of openings In a region where there is need for ventilation as well as keeping out the sun, the facades are designed to tackle both situations. In the inner streets of the town, openings on the ground floor are limited in number and are above eye level to maintain privacy. As one moves upwards, the number and therefore, the porosity of the openings increase. Mostly, it is observed that the primary and secondary streets in Pushkar comprise of semi-open shops on the lower floor and the above residential area has repeated windows or jharokhas with or without jaalis according to the orientation of the building and the need. All windows have chajjahs above them to protect the inside from the heat.

Fig 2.40: Different facade treatment with repeated openings with or without chajjahs/semi-open balconies to prevent the harsh sun to enter inside the building

Material and construction systems Due to the high availability of stone in the region, earlier structures have used stone as a potential building material. Stone is readily available from the nearby stone quarries in Kishangarh. The predominance of stone is seen at all levels from the structure and openings to intricate carving and perforations in all elements. The use of timber is also common for openings and other elements like columns, brackets, etc. Nowadays, brick and concrete have become a

48 |

common material in the area too. The combination of brick and stone is used to make walls of the new construction taking place in Pushkar. The new residential area coming up uses concrete to its maximum potential since it is easier to use and decreases the construction time.

Fig 2.41: Building materials such as stone and brick together are used to make walls

The structural system of individual buildings is commonly loadbearing due to the compressive strength of stone. The typical local construction system uses random rubble up to the plinth level. The walls are approximately 36 inches thick. Openings in the walls are mostly arched and the semi-open spaces are made by a series of columns instead of an opaque wall. The slab is again of stone or corbelled brick. Flat terraces are most common in Pushkar. For insulation, inverted clay pots are used in the slab to create a cavity and thereby reduce the penetration of heat inside the building.

Fig 2.42: Wall section of a typical haveli in Rajasthan

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 49

Structural principles for reinterpreting elements URBAN LEVEL The Streets have a very strong edge which defines a linear path in Pushkar. The enclosed feeling that is generated by walking through the street is an important factor which makes its streets unique. Even though there are ghats lying just along the edge of the street, its character is defined by its street proportions and massing. ·· Retaining the strong street edge condition and its linearity ·· Increasing the connection between the main street and the ghats and Lake The chowks of Pushkar are formed when streets from four sides intersect to form a place big enough to perform various social and religious activities of the town. A chowk is mostly marks its presence with a small deri (temple) which is common for the community living in its proximity. ·· Improvising the idea of a chowk as a public place for participation by people at town level The plinths are an extension to the house as a semi-open space where people sit and conduct various activities during the day. Public plinths are a place for social interaction directly connecting to the street. ·· Retaining the character of the plinth as a place for social interaction as well developing new ideas for more activities to take place

ARCHITECTURAL LEVEL Massing in Pushkar with building heights not more than 2-3 storeys and street proportions such that streets are shaded. ·· Retaining the massing character so the building gels with its surroundings The typology of a public institution is courtyard centric organization ·· Retaining the courtyard centric organization of Pushkar at urban level ·· Retaining direct connection from main street to temple inside the temple house Public/ private ·· Retaining main street edges as commercial in nature whereas secondary and tertiary streets being more private Building language ·· With modern technology, how the character can be continued forward is a task that will need reinterpreting the existing so as not to copy the same without knowing its meaning.

ELEMENTAL LEVEL Jharokhas, chajjahs and jalis ·· Detailing out the building language by understanding the reason for use of such elements as used in Pushkar and interpreting them to gel with its surrounding by being sensitive of its scale and proportions.

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UNDERSTANDING ELEMENTS IN TABLE FORM ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

USE

MATERIAL

ENTRANCES

INFERENCES Hierarchy of public to private entrances

Entrance to haveli from main street

Local stone

Public street facades found to be more articulated

All entrances open to public have temples exactly opposite the entrance across courtyard Semi-permeable layer Walls are non-permeable Openings make the place semipermeable

Entrance to haveli from secondary street

Local stone

Entrance to a shop

Timber

Shops on streets are marked with a wide wooden door, entrance raised on a plinth from the street Raised plinth Semi-open space in front of shop

Entrance to a residence on secondary street

Timber

The residences are marked with simple articulation and paintings on the wall Steps leading to the house Raised plinths along the front of the house for social interaction

Entrance to a residence on tertiary street

Timber

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 51

ARCHITECTURAL ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS ELEMENTS

USE USE

MATERIAL MATERIAL INFERENCES INFERENCES

COLUMNS COLUMNS Columns Columns supporting supporting the jahrokha jahrokha on the on upper upper floor floor

ARCHITECTURAL ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS ELEMENTS WINDOWS WINDOWS

Timber Timber

The The noted noted columns columns are are a a part part of the the structure of structure supporting supporting the the jharokha jharokha on on first first floor floor

Columns Columns covering covering semi-open semi-open space space

Local Local stone stone

Entrances Entrances to to a a house house has has Semi-open Semi-open space space leading leading to to private private spaces spaces enclosed enclosed within within walls and and openings openings walls

Columns Columns covering covering semi-open semi-open space space

Local Local stone stone

Chajjahs Chajjahs or or Jharokhas Jharokhas are are mostly mostly present present on on the the front front façade façade of of the the building building to to protect it from protect it from heat heat gain gain

Columns Columns covering covering semi-open semi-open space space

Local Local stone stone

British British influence influence is is seen, seen, but but in a very few buildings, such in a very few buildings, such

USE USE

as as round round columns columns spanning spanning flat arches flat arches

MATERIAL MATERIAL INFERENCES INFERENCES Timber Timber

Wider Wider openings openings are are present present on North North facades on facades Chajjahs Chajjahs are are placed placed for for protection against protection against the the harsh harsh climate climate The The windows windows are are usually usually made of wood made of wood and and are are repititive repititive on on the the main main street street facades facades

Timber Timber Metal Metal

Timber Timber Metal Metal

Timber Timber

The The surface surface relief relief of of façade façade is accentuated is accentuated by by the the protuding protuding chajjahs chajjahs and and jharokhas jharokhas along along the the wall wall of the façade of the façade

Metal

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is accentuated by the protuding chajjahs and jharokhas along the wall of the faรงade

Timber

Timber Metal

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

USE

Minimum openings are created on the ground floor in order to maintain privacy in internal spaces

MATERIAL INFERENCES

BRACKETS, CHAJJAHS & ARTICULATION Stone

Jharokhas are continuous along the faรงade supported on brackets

Stone

Earlier the brackets were made using local stone as building material

Stone

Stone

The entry to ghats faรงade is articulated and protuding jharokhas made of stone are present

Metal

Metal chajjahs and brackets have replaced the stone ones

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CHARACTER OF THE TOWN | 53

PARAPETS Brick

Protuding balconies on terrace act as chajjahs for protection from the sun

Metal

Jharokhas with metal railings have defined the interpretation of the old.

Stone brackets Blue painted faรงade

Stone

Flat terraces are used during summers to sleep at night as it becomes cooler outside Stone parapet walls and stair case

HAVELIS The havelis having temples inside are marked by huge entrances of double height The surrounding semi-open spaces are of public nature

A temple is present in the central court and it is surrounded by dharamshalas

The dharamshalas are marked with a raised plinth, wooden doors and windows, Chajjahs.

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3

CASE STUDIES Program based case studies Dilli haat, INA, Delhi National Crafts Museum, Delhi

Intent To understand the location, access and movement of various program based activities and hence derive a program based on these case studies for my design.

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Program based case studies CRITERIA FOR SELECTING CASE STUDY ·· Location of plaza, entry, information desk, food court and shops ·· For access and movement ·· Placement of services

Dilli haat, INA, Delhi Dilli haat is located in one of the most important commercial centers of South Delhi, opposite INA market. The 6 acres of land on which this sprawling complex is situated was salvaged as part of a reclamation project and transformed into a magnificent dream plaza. Extensive foundation work, small thatched roof cottages and kiosks with a village atmosphere have made the place into an attractive multiple center.

Dilli haat is not just a market place; it has been visualized as a showpiece of traditional Indian Fig 3.1: Map showing Dilli haat, INA culture- a forum where rural life and folk art are brought closer to an urban clientele.

It is here that the crafts persons find an opportunity to demonstrate their artistic skills to thousands of visitors everyday.

There are stalls dishing out sumptuous delicacies from different States and Union Territories; an Exhibition Hall; a Souvenir shop selling an assortment of small gift items; an open stage for cultural programmes and a playing area exclusively for children.

LOCATION OF AREAS Admin

Craft stalls/shops

Food court Performance area

Play area

Food court

Toilets

Stores & services

ATM

Parking Craft stalls Transport office

Fig 3.2: Plan showing location of areas in Dilli haat, INA

Entrance plaza

Admin/tickets

CASE STUDIES | 57

Services Services

Toilet block

Admin/tickets Services and store Fig 3.4: Plan showing services in Dilli haat, INA

Fig 3.3: Panaromic view of Dilli haat, INA showing various activities

ACCESS AND MOVEMENT ·· The spatial program includes an entrance plaza, raised to block vehicular access and bring a pedestrian circulation for entry to Dilli Haat. ·· It is followed by a linear movement arranged with stalls on both sides displaying regional crafts. ·· This kind of arrangement increases visual connectivity to all activities taking place in the haat.

Fig 3.5: Plan showing access and movement at Dilli haat, INA

Entry to parking70 cars >130 two wheelers

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Services at periphery

Recreational area

Entrance plaza

Shops

Fig 3.6: Plan showing linear movement and different activity zones

MATERIAL PALATE 路路 The built language is an attempt at the vernacular. As there are local craftsmen coming from different states, a vernacular approach using modern materials has been used. Sloping roofs with black slate tiles and unplastered brick walls, semi-open space, courtyards, etc have been used to bring about the character of a haat. 路路 Local material from Delhi itself have been used for flooring, paving, etc.

The traditional sloping roof is used with mangalore tiles supported on timber purlins

Exposed RCC beams are used with exposed brick walls

Fig 3.7: Various exposed materials used for structure

Timber doors/windows

Exposed brick walls with arched windows

Fig 3.8: Ticket counter showing materials used for openings and wall

CASE STUDIES | 59

Brick paving and slate stone are used for flooring which is good for long term use

Fig 3.9: Open plaza showing stones used for flooring

Slate stone used for steps and brick paving as flooring for pedestrian path

Fig 3.10: Flooring done for steps and pathways

Kota flooring in food court area

Fig 3.11: Flooring done in food court area

Non-structural bamboo shops are supported on bamboo sticks

Fig 3.12: Type of temporary structures used as shops

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PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY CRAFT STALLS

Fig 3.15: Plan showing crafts stalls in Dilli haat, INA

Fig 3.13: Permanent stalls Area: 18-24 sq. m

Closed space

Semi-open space

Semi-open space Fig 3.16: Types of spaces given for craft stalls

Permanent stalls Temporary stalls

Fig 3.14: Temporary stalls Area: 4 sq. m approx.

·· The craft stalls are defined by a semi-open space leading to a closed area. The approximate area of the stall is 18-24 sq.m ·· All the stalls face the main central axis of movement so that they are welcoming and easily accessible. ·· Temporary craft stalls are placed in the way of the pedestrian movement. There is no regularity in the way the shops are arranged and it gives the feeling of an informal haat which makes it all the more interesting. The space given to each temporary shop is approximately 4 sq. m.

CASE STUDIES | 61

Inference ·· The people enter into a plaza which is a public place open to all. This plaza is pedestrianized by steps and landing onto a plinth so that no vehicles can enter the area. ·· All shops/stalls are placed at the periphery of the haat and a linear axis of movement allows the pedestrians to view all stalls, somehow, it lacks the possibility of creating interesting vistas, hidden surprises for the visitors. ·· After the stalls zone, there is a recreational area at the end of the haat, where there are all kinds of food stalls. So after the intense viewing and shopping in the previous area, visitors can sit and relax in the food court. Also, there is a performance area which people can enjoy at the end and then go back. ·· The services in the haat are provided at the periphery of the site, so that it is accessible easily from the outside. The toilet block is placed in the mid-periphery of the site, so it is accessible at the same distance from both ends of the haat.

62 |

National Crafts Museum, Delhi The area was envisaged as an ethnographic space where craftsmen from various parts of India would come to work towards preservation of various traditional arts and crafts. The museum is popular for an exhaustive collection of textiles. The museum also houses a village complex spread over 5-acre (20,000 m2), with 15 structures representing village dwellings, courtyards and shrines from different states of India, with items of day-to-day life displayed. The entire village complex is a remnant of a temporary exhibition on the theme of rural India, held in 1972. Today several traditional craftsmen in residence at the museum, can be seen working in a designated area within the museum complex, who also sell the crafts they create.[3]

Fig 3.17: Map showing National Crafts museum

Fig 3.18: Panoramic view of the craft village in the museum

In this project, the architect succeeds in interpreting the timeless quality of India, where tradition and modernity coexist into a building that resists the label ‘museum’.

LOCATION OF AREAS

Fig 3.19: Plan of National Crafts museum showing location of areas 3 http://www.museumtrove.com/museum 4 Aug 2016, 12:15 pm

CASE STUDIES | 63

SERVICES

Fig 3.20: Plan of National Crafts museum showing services

Showing all areas: ·· There is a central linear axis which connects the two entries(main entry and entry from Pragati Maidan).

This axis is not visually perceived by the visitor but it is the shortest distance to access all the activities taking place in the museum. ·· After entering from the main gate, there is a café and all exhibition related galleries and AV rooms and craft stalls are placed on the right side. A craft village complex is on the left side where exhibits are placed in the open for people to see and experience live. ·· The services like security office and toilets are placed along the central axis so that they are easily accessible.

Village complex Craft stalls Cafe Admin office Exhibition/gallery area

Fig 3.21: Plan of National Crafts museum showing all activity areas

64 |

MATERIAL PALATTE The built language is an attempt at the vernacular. As there are local craftsmen coming from different states, a vernacular approach using modern materials has been used. Sloping roofs and semi-open spaces, courtyards have been used as a response to climate. The vernacular approach using modern materials gives a traditional feel to the whole museum which blends in with the program.

Material like red stone from Agra, brick paving, bamboo installations have been used in the museum.

Traditional form of house is designed using modern materials -Mild steel members used to support roof

Bamboo used as screen Timber doors and windows

Fig 3.22: Entrance of the museum

Mangalore tiles roof supported on timber members

Timber posts

Flooring- brick paving

Wooden planks on plinth

Flooring- brick paving

Fig 3.23: Street inside the museum

Fig 3.24: Semi-open spaces showcasing traditional spatial quality

CASE STUDIES | 65

Red stone slabs for walls

Fig 3.25: Entrance to the Lota cafe inside the museum Bamboo

MS support members

Flooring-kota stone

Fig 3.26: The Lota cafe

These photographs show how the architect has responded to the climate and context of Delhi.

The shaded open and semi-open spaces made using courtyard, verandahs and the natural environment is very sensitively approached.

Fig 3.27: Red stone used for slabs

Fig 3.28: Timber doors and windows

66 |

CRAFT STALLS The museum holds a place where craftsmen from different parts of India are given a platform to produce and sell the crafts they excel in.

Fig 3.29: Keyplan showing area where craftsmen work

Fig 3.30: Semi-open space provided for craftsmen to work and display

Craftsmen are given their own stalls where they sit the whole day producing and selling their products.

The space required for the crafts they produce is enough. They have been provided with semi-open space where they display their products on the floor or hanging vertically.

According to the program, Charles Correa has kept in mind that the place is being made for local craftsmen from all over India. Therefore, the architecture is traditionally approached with modern materials and techniques.

Fig 3.31: Craftsman working in his place

Plan Size of a stall module: 6 sq. m approx.

Fig 3.32: Craftsmen working throughout the day

Fig 3.33: Section through the craft stalls

CASE STUDIES | 67

Program derivation Table 2:

DILLI HAAT, INA, DELHI SPACE

AREA (in sq. m)

QUALITY OF SPACE

NO. OF PERSONS

Ticket counter

80

closed

5 staff

CRAFT STALLS Temporary stalls Permanent stalls

5 16

semi-open semi-open

1 staff 1 staff

20-24 2000

closed open

4-5 staff

Open air theatre

80

open

Toilets

190

closed

Food stalls Eating area

NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM, DELHI SPACE Reception Craft stalls shop Cafateria Exhibition space toilets

AREA (in sq. m)

QUALITY OF SPACE

NO. OF PERSONS

20 6 200 300 300 165

closed semi-open closed closed closed closed

1 staff 1 staff 2 staff

68 |

Conclusions for program from site visit and case study

PLAZA SIZE: For dilli haat: 1000 sq. m for Delhi For Pushkar: should be less than half of 1000 sq. m

PLINTH SIZE: National Crafts museum: 3 m width (for craftsmen to work and display)

SHOPS SIZE: Dilli haat: 15 sq. m with semi-open corridor (Served purpose for selling all kinds of handicrafts)

Space allocation for utensil making craftsmen with dimensions

Space allocation for printing block making craftsmen with dimensions

Space allocation for Jewellery making craftsmen with dimensions

CAFETERIA Kitchen Store and wash Toilet FOOD COURT TOILETS

Program and its requirements

50 25 15 200 50

closed open closed semi-open closed

5 staff

1000 AREA (in 30 sq. m) 140

closed/semi-open QUALITY OF SPACE closed closed/semi-open

visitors NO. OF PERSONS

9 25 25 25 20 50 20 50 20 100 100 20 20 20 50 30 305 400

closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed

1 staff 2 staff & visitors 2& staff 1 satff visitors 2staff staff 2& staff 1 staff visitors 2 staff 1 staff & visitors 7& staff 1 staff visitors 1 staff 1 staff

semi-open semi-open open semi-open closed closed open

30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors staff & visitors visitors visitors

150 500 150 150 5600

closed open semi-open

1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 10 staff & visitors

50 25 15 200 50

closed open closed semi-open closed

5 staff staff visitors visitors visitors

1000 30 140

closed/semi-open closed closed/semi-open

visitors

25 20 20 20 100 20 20 50 30 305

closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed

2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 7 staff 1 staff 1 staff

150

closed

visitors

CASE STUDIES | 69 staff

visitors visitors visitors

DEMOLISHED DHARAMSHALA: SPACE

AREA (in sq. m)

QUALITY OF SPACE

NO. OF PERSONS

SPACE INFORMATION RELATED:

AREA (in sq. m)

QUALITY OF SPACE

NO. OF PERSONS

9 25 9 25 25 50 25 50 50 100 50 20 100 20

closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed

1 staff 2 staff & visitors 1 staff 1 satff & visitors 2 staff & visitors staff 1 satff & visitors 1 staff & visitors staff 1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors

400 120 400 400 120 150 400 30 150 30 150 150 150 150 150 150

semi-open semi-open semi-open open semi-open semi-open open closed semi-open closed closed open closed semi-open open semi-open

30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors staff & visitors 30 staff & visitors staff & visitors

INFORMATION RELATED: TICKET COUNTER/INFO OFFICE RECEPTION & WAITING TICKET COUNTER/INFO OFFICE INFORMATION DISPLAY CENTER RECEPTION & WAITING CONFERENCE ROOM INFORMATION DISPLAY CENTER VIDEO ROOM CONFERENCE ROOM EXHIBITION AREA VIDEO ROOM TOURISM OFFICE EXHIBITION AREA TOURISM OFFICE CRAFT RELATED: CRAFT RELATED: PRODUCTION AREA Printing blocks PRODUCTION AREA Beading products Printing blocks Utensils Beading products SHOPS Utensils STORE ROOM SHOPS WORKSHOPS STORE ROOM Dance classes WORKSHOPS Yoga classes Dance classes Jewellery by beading classes Yoga classes Jewellery by beading classes OTHER UTILITIES: OTHER UTILITIES: CAFETERIA Kitchen CAFETERIA Store and wash Kitchen Toilet Store and wash FOOD COURT Toilet TOILETS FOOD COURT TOILETS DEMOLISHED DHARAMSHALA: DEMOLISHED DHARAMSHALA: Dormitories Toilets Dormitories Kitchen & dining Toilets Kitchen & dining DEMOLISHED MUNICIPAL OFFICE DEMOLISHED MUNICIPAL OFFICE General adminstration Revenue admin General adminstration Engineering section Revenue admin Public health and cleaniliness Engineering section 5 functional committee rooms Public health and cleaniliness Vice chairman office 5 functional committee rooms Chairman office Vice chairman office 50 persons meeting room Chairman office Service area-Toilet/drinking water 50 persons meeting room Service area-Toilet/drinking water PUBLIC SPACE PUBLIC SPACE Changing rooms/toilets

1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 10 staff & visitors 1 staff & visitors 10 staff & visitors

50 25 50 15 25 200 15 50 200 50

closed open closed closed open semi-open closed closed semi-open closed

5 staff staff 5 staff visitors staff visitors visitors visitors visitors visitors

1000 30 1000 140 30 140

closed/semi-open closed closed/semi-open closed/semi-open closed closed/semi-open

visitors

25 20 25 20 20 20 20 100 20 20 100 20 20 50 20 30 50 305 30 305

closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed closed

2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 2 staff 7 staff 2 staff 1 staff 7 staff 1 staff 1 staff 1 staff

150

closed

visitors

Dormitories SPACE Toilets Kitchen & dining INFORMATION RELATED: DEMOLISHED MUNICIPAL OFFICE TICKET COUNTER/INFO OFFICE RECEPTION & WAITING General adminstration INFORMATION DISPLAY CENTER Revenue admin CONFERENCE ROOM Engineering VIDEO ROOMsection Public healthAREA and cleaniliness EXHIBITION 5 functional committee rooms TOURISM OFFICE Vice chairman office Chairman office CRAFT RELATED: 50 persons meeting room Service area-Toilet/drinking water PRODUCTION AREA

Printing blocks Beading products PUBLIC Utensils SPACE SHOPS Changing rooms/toilets STORE ROOM Open space WORKSHOPS Dance classes CIRCULATION Yoga classes Jewellery by beading classes TOTAL AREA REQUIRED

120 400 150 150 30 1000

OTHER UTILITIES: CAFETERIA Kitchen Store and wash Toilet FOOD COURT TOILETS DEMOLISHED DHARAMSHALA: Dormitories Toilets Kitchen & dining DEMOLISHED MUNICIPAL OFFICE General adminstration Revenue admin Engineering section Public health and cleaniliness 5 functional committee rooms Vice chairman office Chairman office 50 persons meeting room Service area-Toilet/drinking water

PUBLIC SPACE visitors

Changing rooms/toilets

70 |

4

SITE Site selection criteria Possible site options Site finalization and reasons

Intent The process undergone in order to select a good site from a few options so as to fulfill the objectives of my thesis project clearly is shown in this chapter.

72 |

Site selection criteria ·· The proposed program should be in the center of the city so that it is in proximity to the Lake, Ghats and the main road ·· The site should be easily accessible and approachable to all the people all year round. ·· A site which would challenge urban response towards the street and Lake ·· Varied typology of building context which would provide a good challenge

Possible site options

1

3

2

4

5

Fig 4.1: Map showing possible options for site in Pushkar

SITE 1

SITE 2

SITE 3

Pros: ·· Government land ·· It is near the mela ground, hence can be used during mela. ·· Tourists buses mostly stop here, so the center will be the first place they arrive at. ·· Close to railway station Cons: ·· It is on the outskirts of town ·· Gives only view of the desert

Pros: ·· It is in front of main public bus stand ·· Near highway where tourists arrive during mela ·· Governement land Cons: ·· It is a community land

Pros: ·· It is in the center of the city ·· Located on main market road accessible to everyone all year round ·· Close to all sites to visit Cons: ·· It is a community land

SITE | 73

Fig 4.2: Possible site 1 analysis

Site finalization: Site 2

Fig 4.3: Map showing chosen site

SITE 2 SELECTION IMPORTANCE: ·· ·· ·· ·· ··

Connectivity to main street Connectivity to highway, bus stand Closeness to ghats and Lake Only open space in the center of the dense fabric of the town Proximity to all landmarks of the town

74 |

5

SITE ANALYSIS Building use plan Understanding surrounding context of the site Existing site Structures to be demolished and redesigned Topography Access and movement Site understanding

Intent Understanding and analyzing the existing site and its context that will further help in design responses

76 |

Building use plan

SITE ANALYSIS | 77

Small deri

Small deri

Old Rangji temple

Temple

N

Mosque Building use plan around final site

Municipal office

Commercial

Temples

Ghats

Residential

Governmental

Lake

78 |

Understanding surrounding context of the site

SITE ANALYSIS | 79

Fig 5.1: View of tertiary street on the North side of site

Fig 5.2: Residential area on tertiary street

Fig 5.3: School in close proximity to the site

Fig 5.4: Secondary street access to the site

4 2

3 11

1

Site

Fig 5.11: Secondary street with commercial shops on both sides and residences on the first floor

9

5

6

7

Fig 5.5: Main commercial spine of the town which has direct access to site

Site

10 8 Pushkar Lake

N

Fig 5.6: Historical building at the junction of primary and secondary street Fig 5.10: View of secondary street with commercial area on ground floor and residences at its rear

Fig 5.9: View of the Lake from a Ghat entry on the primary street

Fig 5.8: Gau Ghat- one of the most important Ghats in close proximity to the site

Fig 5.7: Municipal office of Pushkar

80 |

Existing site

SITE ANALYSIS | 81

Fig 5.13: Existing Dharamshala and toilet block facing South

16

12

t

13

22

21

19 20

Fig 5.18: View of the existing vacant land

18 14

17

Fig 5.16: Vehicular entry from secondary street

Se

et

stre

Fig 5.15: Entrance from main street

stree

y tiar Ter

Fig 5.14: Existing North facade of the site

ary cond

Fig 5.12: Existing South facade compound wall

23

15

Main

street

N Fig 5.17:Entrance from secondary street Fig 5.19: Existing structure containing the relics of the Jain saint

Fig 5.20: Existing kitchen and dining space

Fig 5.21: Existing East facade

Fig 5.22: Existing Dharamshala-West facade

Fig 5.23: Existing Dharamshala-West facade

82 |

SITE ANALYSIS | 83

Fig 5.24: View 1

Fig 5.25: View 2

Fig 5.26: View 3

Fig 5.27: View 4

3 2

1

4

84 |

SITE ANALYSIS | 85

Structures to be demolished and redesigned

N

Kitchen and dining area

Dharamshala

Municipal office of Pushkar

Fig 5.28: Plan showing existing structures that are being demolished on site and rebuilt in the new proposed program

Topography

Selected site

N

Fig 5.29: Plan overlaying contours on google earth map of site and context in Pushkar

86 |

Access and movement The main access to the site is from the main market road which is also the parikrama path along the lake. This road can be accessed from the highway outside the town by secondary streets which radially connect the highway to the main road. Therefore, the site has two entrancesfrom the primary and secondary street.

Fig 5.30: Diagrammatic plan showing access and movement to the site

N Primary road

Secondary road

Tertiary road

Fig 5.31: Plan showing primary, secondary and tertiary street along the site

SITE ANALYSIS | 87

Site understanding

N

88 |

6

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE Reinterpretation of existing context as new typology Response to urban context elements- Lake, water bodies & historical buildings Understanding and comparing scale of projects on site

Intent After understanding the elements of the finalized site and its context, case studies for spatial responses to these elements such as water body, historic context, etc were taken to help in the design of the institute.

90 |

Reinterpretation of existing context as new typology CRITERIA FOR SELECTING CASE STUDY ·· Reinterpretation of existing urban context: Introducing a new typology which also relates to the surrounding context

Sao Paulo Museum of Art by Lino Bo Bardi Sao Paulo museum of art is in Paulista Avenue in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It has distinguished itself for many important initiatives concerning museology and art education in Brazil, as well as for its pioneering role as a cultural center. It was also the first Brazilian museum interested in Post-World War II artistic tendencies.

The architect was given the job under one condition: under no circumstances could the building block the site’s panoramic vistas of the lower-lying parts of the city.

Therefore, the architect designed a building with a massive split through its midsection, burying half of it below the terrace and lifting the other half into the sky. As a result, the plaza remained open and unobstructed to the public.

Hence, the main importance was given to the public through the plaza which becomes a very important criteria for making a good design.

Bo Bardi repeatedly prompts a powerful dialogue between lightness and mass. When underneath the building, you feel absolutely no sense of oppression due to the immense presence above you.

The building exemplifies the best of the brutalist effort to improve the urban condition through architectureas stated in archdaily.

Fig 6.3: View showing transparent connection from the main road to the plaza and the other side

Fig 6.1: Map showing Sao Paulo museum of Art

Fig 6.2: Aerial view of the museum and surrounding context- the road, tall buildings and a park

Fig 6.4: The public plaza open for all types of activities taking place in the city

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 91

Temporary exhibition space

Permanent exhibition space

Fig 6.5: Longitudinal section through the museum and plaza

Uninterrupted through out

Fig 6.6: Transverse section through the museum and plaza

Fig 6.7: Street view of the open plaza covered with museum on the upper floors

Fig 6.8: The rear side of the plaza and museum half of which is constructed underground

Spatial response : ·· Urban gathering space-to not hinder site’s panoramic vistas of the lower-lying parts of the city- creation of public realm. ·· Importance is given to the public by splitting the building in two- above and below the ground, leaving the ground open for cultural activities. ·· New typology in contrast to existing vertical buildings in surrounding context.

Fig 6.9: The plaza being used as an open market place which can be accessed from all sides

92 |

Maxxi center by Zaha Hadid

Fig 6.10: Map showing Maxxi center, Rome

Zaha Hadid states that the museum is ‘not an object-container, but rather a campus for art’, where flows and pathways overlap and connect in order to create a dynamic and interactive spaceFluid architecture concept. ·· A new typology has been introduced which is very different from the surrounding context. ·· It’s a response to the classic heritage ·· The curved smooth walls create a dialogue with the neo-classical symmetrical facades. ·· This museum will be a central point for Rome, which is in constant look for its contemporary identity.

Fig 6.11: Aerial view of the building and its historic context

Fig 6.12: The main plaza and pedestrian street in front of the building connecting two major roads on either side

Outside, a pedestrian walkway follows the outline of the building, restoring an urban link that has been blocked for almost a century by the former military barracks.

The flow of the new building is in response to the existing context. This gives respect and importance to the old.

Fig 6.13: View showing response of the new with the existing

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 93

Response with the existing building Existing

Fig 6.14: Connection between the new and the existing

Existing Connectivity Fig 6.15: Connectivity of the street, plaza and the existing structures

Visual connection

Fig 6.16: Visual connection from the building to outside surroundings

Interior walkway connecting back to the city and its buildings

Spatial response: ·· Flow of the building according to the context- the river and buildings ·· Building edge conditions with existing old structures ·· Building mass according to existing old city of Rome

94 |

Response to urban context elementsLake, water bodies & historical buildings CRITERIA FOR SELECTING CASE STUDY ·· Understanding massing as response to the element ·· Understanding the views and vistas leading to this response ·· The public nature as an important factor in response to the element

Horizontal skyscraper- Vanke center by Steven Holl

Fig 6.17: Map showing Vanke center

Hovering over a tropical garden, this ‘horizontal skyscraper’ – as long as the Empire State Building is tall - unites into one vision the headquarters for Vanke Co. ltd, office spaces, apartments, and a hotel.

A conference center, spa and parking are located under the large green, public landscape.

The building appears as if it were once floating on a higher sea that has now subsided; leaving the structure propped up high on eight legs.

This was done to create views over the lower developments of surrounding sites and to generate the largest possible green space open to public on ground level.

The floating structure allows sea and land breezes to pass through the public gardens.

Fig 6.18:Map showing all the water bodies around the Vanke center and how each building part is responding to the views on each side

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 95

City

Proposed building mass Green open space to the public

Water body

Fig 6.21: Section through the center showing green open space as connector between the city and the water body

Fig 6.19: The whole building is lifted up to ensure visual connectivity and openness on the ground floor

Fig 6.22: The building is oriented to give different views of the water bodies and the city

Fig 6.20: The structure seems to be floating on a higher level allowing open space to the public on floor level

Fig 6.23: Sketch by Steven holl on the idea of the building

Spatial response: 路路 Lifting up building for uninterrupted public space from the city to the ocean on the ground floor 路路 Building orientation according to the views of different water bodies and city scape

96 |

Sydhavn School, Denmark by Steven Holl The school literally stands with its feet in the water, connecting with the harbor like a ship alongside the quay. On the seaward side the school opens up towards the landscape with terraces set at various levels providing space for ball games on the roof and for playing and learning while moving.

Towards the road side, the school’s tall, vertical, block-like facade structure echoes the mass and scale of the surrounding city. The facade is made of materials which allow it to constantly change character according to the viewer’s position and the time of day.

Fig 6.25: View of the school from the water body

Fig 6.24: Aerial view of Sydhavn school

Fig 6.26: View showing layers lowering down in an attempt to reach the water body

View of water body

Fig 6.27: Transverse section of the building with view of the water body

Fig 6.28: Steps to reach down to the water body as a public open space where activities can be conducted and has direct connection to the water

Spatial Response: ·· Direct connection with the water ·· Openness towards the water body whereas massing toward existing context on road side

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 97

Pompedou centre, Paris by Renzo Piano The President of France wanted to construct a culture center in Paris that would attract visitors and be a monumental aspect of the city.

Therefore, the architect exposed all the infrastructure of the building.

The skeleton itself engulfs the building from the exterior so that: 路路 All different mechanical and structure systems could be understood 路路 Maximize the interior space without interruptions Fig 6.29: Map of Pompedou center in Rome

Fig 6.30: The site for the cultural center was in the middle of the historical city( Land area- 2 hectares)

Fig 6.31: The site was used as a parking lot before the center was proposed Surrounding historical context

Pompedou center

Open plaza-a space of relief from the chaotic city experience.

Fig 6.33: Diagrammatic plan of the proposal with site and context

Fig 6.32: Various options proposed for placement of the building

Fig 6.34: Plan proposed with context

98 |

The functions taking place in it: ·· Museum for modern art ·· A public library ·· Center for music and acoustic research ·· Book shops, restaurant, cinemas, children’s activities and car parking Paris is a homogenous city and it is cloistered. The center Pompedou ,when you catch a first glimpse of it, is startling indeed, but it registers as a relief, not as an interruption.

The center reflects the supreme moment of technological euphoria in western society which expressed freedom in all ways.

Exposed services

Live projection

Fig 6.35: Transverse section through building and plaza

Fig 6.36: The building was almost twice as high as surrounding buildings

Fig 6.37: Treatment of building edge with context

Fig 6.38: An open public plaza in the center of the city

Fig 6.39: View showing contrast between the existing and the new

Fig 6.40: An exposed elevator on the facade of the building

Fig 6.41: Services of the building are exposed and color coded

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 99

Fig 6.42: The main facade of the building is transparent that you ca see all activities taking place inside

Fig 6.43: Views showing how plaza is used at different times of the day

Spatial responses: ·· A radical approach to building in the center of the city. ·· It totally leaves the historical context behind and provides relief to the users from the clustered city. ·· The concept of having a plaza is the main reason this building contributes to being a part of the city. It feels like the cultural center which is made for the people of Paris. ·· The plaza gives a view of the center as well as keeps relevance to the surrounding historical context. A good response in design.

100 |

Understanding and comparing scale of projects on site National crafts museum, Delhi Conclusion: The museum is double of the site in Pushkar. The scales of the courtyards provided in this museum are much smaller compared to the courtyards in the typology of public buildings in Pushkar.

Dilli haat, INA, Delhi

Conclusion: The plan is almost half the size of the site in width. The plaza for the entrance is more than the area as the proposed plaza on the site in Pushkar. This seems appropriate because Delhi is larger compared to Pushkar as more visitors will be approaching.

CASE STUDY FOR SPATIAL RESPONSE | 101

Maxxi center, Rome

The institute is almost the same size as the site in Pushkar. Also, the plaza size is larger than the plaza proposed as Rome is a larger city. The width of the building is proportionate to the surrounding existing buildings in Pushkar.

The plaza when kept on the second site, is approximately the same as the proposed plaza in width and length. So the plaza serving the purpose for a specific area in Rome will be appropriate for the whole town of Pushkar as it covers a very small area.

Sao Paulo museum, Brazil The open public plaza in this museum covers half of the site in Pushkar. It covers the whole of the second site. Therefore, providing a public place twice the size of the plaza in Sao Paulo museum in Pushkar on the first site will be a waste and the whole of ground floor on the second site seems appropriate to serve the purpose of a public place for the town.

102 |

7 IMPLICATIONS Conceptuals Design development

Intent To show the process undergone from the conceptual stage to the final stage

104 |

Conceptuals Reinterpretation of elements of Pushkar Diagram of main elements: ·· Streets ·· Plinths ·· Chowks as public open space ·· Typology of public institute ·· Massing(heights)

Fig 7.1: Existing building heights

Fig 7.2: Commercial vs residential

Fig 7.3: Streets- new and existing

Fig 7.4: Option 1: Open space far from site 2

Fig 7.5: Option 2: Open space responding site 2

Fig 7.6: Views and vistas supporting open space near site 2

IMPLICATIONS | 105

Fig 7.7: Option 3: Open space-center of site 1

Fig 7.8: Open space near Ghats

Typology based form options for public institution Criteria for form-based response: ·· Completing the edges of the site: by studying the massing of Pushkar, it is only necessary to complete the edges of the site so that the building does not look out of place but gels with the existing buildings. But, open pedestrianized street and plaza is given on the ground floor which opens up the street and gives a place, other than a street, for public activities which can happen all year round as well as during mela. For example: street shows, ceremonies and festivals can take place. ·· The formation of a courtyard: Studying the typology of building in Rajasthan and Pushkar, courtyards are formed as a response to climate. They provide shade to the streets as well as the court. They also provide ventilation in the buildings. I have proposed courtyards within a courtyard. Also, because of this, the site is not divided into parts but looks as a single unit made up of different entities and corresponds to typology in Pushkar. ·· Giving importance to the 2nd site as well as Lake and Ghats: the form in front of the plaza on the first site should be such that it is directed towards the second site and the Lake and the Ghats. Also, the 2nd site in turn should have the same form which directs the users from the institution to the lake in a linear axis and ensures direct connection to the water from the public space and the street.

Fig 7.9: Options for built vs open with response to Site 2 and Lake

106 |

Types of responses

Fig 7.10: Different movement strategies that can direct a user

Fig 7.12: Response to immediate context and street through elements like massing, plinths and jalis

Access, movement and open space diagram concept

Fig 7.11: This conceptual was rejected as the dharamshala has been placed near the tertiary road which will not help in giving importance to it. Also, the entrance will not direct towards the relic structure of the dharamshala which faces the East

IMPLICATIONS | 107

Conceptual model exploration- Some points kept in mind: ·· Response to street edge (continuous street edge) ·· Courtyard typology of a public institution (as studied in previous chapter) ·· Massing according to immediate context

According to the diagrams worked upon previously, I came to the conclusion that: ·· There should be a plaza at the entrance corner on the right side of the site, directing towards the lake. This will give importance to the 2nd site on which the municipal office will be placed and the lake and ghats will serve as a place of relief and openness from the chaos of the market street. ·· As there are a lot of shops already present on the main road in front of the site, an extension of the street as a semi-open exhibition space is given to start giving a feel of the craft center and also provide relief from the road. ·· The main plaza which leads towards the ghats will be a linear plinth along the street for passersby to sit for a small time and can be an extension to the activities happening on the street. Steps with places for pause will be given to reach the same level as the

Fig 7.13: Basic concept idea which is finalized to be worked upon

ghats and the lake to relax and enjoy during morning and evening. ·· Continuous plinths inside the institute for people to work and sell their products ·· Craft and other classes in the program are included on the first floor. ·· The dharamshala will be separated from the institute. This will also form a court within a larger court, which reflects the typology of the place.

108 |

Design development 路路 This conceptual helped me in gaining importance of the dharamshala as a separate building yet a part of the institute. 路路 The concept of a court within a court which is generally seen in Pushkar and other Rajasthani havelis is reflected.

Court within a court Public plinth

Fig 7.14: Response to different street edges

Fig 7.15: Nature of spaces for the craft haat

IMPLICATIONS | 109

Craft area Info area Exhibition area

Exhibition wall

Public plinth

路路 Entrance of plaza is directed towards the Lake and Ghats 路路 Concept of courts as a central space for each activity

110 |

Nature of spaces

Fig 7.16: Section through primary street

Fig 7.17: Option for public open space

Fig 7.18: Central open space inside craft haat

IMPLICATIONS | 111

Fig 7.19: Direct connection that needs to be established betweeen entrance and existing relic structure

112 |

Fig 7.20: Option with various activities with individual courts

Fig 7.21: Design development to ‘A COURT WITHIN A COURT’ which is an important area

IMPLICATIONS | 113

CONCEPTS FOR GHATS

Fig 7.22: Various options for placement of Municipal office to site 2- Understanding scale of the street and open space vs built

114 |

Fig 7.23: Division of spaces according to activities on ghat and street

Fig 7.24: Section of Municipal office and public space below

Fig 7.25: Types of spaces ghats may use for different activities

IMPLICATIONS | 115

Work on elevations and response to street

Work on plan Fig 7.26:This was the plan which freezed the major activities taking place on all parts of the site.

116 |

Fig 7.28: Sections

·· Sections were worked out to understand the relationship with the existing as conceptualized in the 3D models. ·· Different activities taking place were also worked out in sections. ·· Size of the courts and streets in the design were worked out in the plan during this stage where the built was almost decided.

Therefore, proper sizing for good visual experience and the space activities were taken into consideration. ·· Plan of ghats and public space was worked out according to the hierarchy of activities taking place from the street level to the water level.

Fig 7.27: Ground floor plan

IMPLICATIONS | 117

Fig 7.29:First floor plan

118 |

Fig 7.30: Ideas for different sitting spaces for the court areas

IMPLICATIONS | 119

The main material used to build in Pushkar is stone. Therefore, stone is used as a material in this design to demonstrate the importance of this material.

Matka insulation is widely used in Rajasthan to keep the inner spaces of the building cool from the hot desert climate.

Over-looking the street is an important characteristic of Rajasthan. Therefore, Jharokhas are reinterpreted as a plinth to sit and be a part of the inside as well as outside of the building.

120 |

FINAL DRAWINGS

GROUND FLOOR PLAN SITE LOCATION: PUSHKAR, RAJASTHAN

CRAFT HAAT: Reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar DESIGN DISSERTATION

0

5

N 10

15

20 m

IMPLICATIONS | 121

122 |

FIRST FLOOR PLAN SITE LOCATION: PUSHKAR, RAJASTHAN

CRAFT HAAT: Reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar DESIGN DISSERTATION

0

5

N 10

15

20

IMPLICATIONS | 123

124 |

TERRACE FLOOR PLAN SITE LOCATION: PUSHKAR, RAJASTHAN

CRAFT HAAT: Reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar DESIGN DISSERTATION

0

5

N 10

15

20

IMPLICATIONS | 125

126 |

SITE LOCATION: PUSHKAR, RAJASTHAN

DESIGN DISSERTATION

NORTH ELEVATION

SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS

SOUTH ELEVATION

CRAFT HAAT: Reinterpreting the local character of Pushkar

0

5

N 10

15

20

IMPLICATIONS | 127

128 |

IMPLICATIONS | 129

WALL SECTION Elements like Plinths, jharokhas, chajjahs and jalis which protrude onto the street give a certain character to the town. Reason for placing is understood and according to the orientation of the faรงade, climate and interaction between these elements, the plinth and the street is worked out as shown in the section.

130 |

IMPLICATIONS | 131

132 |

Conclusion The problem with the current academic discussion on the topic of construction in a historic setting is mainly on the approach to new materials and technology or using the local materials in a better way for today’s time. Though, this is important for a student to understand and explore new ideas and give their contributions, the little consideration that needs to be given towards sensitivity towards context and style go unnoticed. One of the main reasons for this is that each semester is of limited time period and when exploring new ideas, we do not get time to analyze the context in order to express the continuation of ideas that tie our building to its context. It may happen for some people but not for all.

It is suggested that the most compelling design solutions are the ones that not only address the present needs of the people, but also express a continuation of ideas that tie together the significance of the site in the past and the present.

Thus, I had this opportunity to understand the site and its context completely and reinterpret the continuation of its character or the genius loci of the place without compromising on the exploration of materials and structure in a historical context like Pushkar.

The goal of this project was to approach with a method that takes into account how a new building can perform successfully and contribute to the growth of Pushkar after its completion.

After understanding the town and analyzing its urban and architectural elements, I derived a list of structuring principles to reinterpret these elements while designing a craft haat and a public open space. The elements that were chosen were the most prominent features of Pushkar that craft the architecture of this town.

Conclusion | 133

Street edge The street edge, which runs continuously along the streets of Pushkar and defines a strong linear path, has been continued by the proposed building edge so that it is maintained. Though the street has been opened on the 2nd site towards the ghats, the municipal office on the first floor covers the street edge.

d

d’

c’

c

a

a’

b

b’

Section aa’

Primary street section: Public plinths in shops respond to the proposed exhibition plinth.

Connectivity between the public street and the craft haat through windows LAKE

View of the street and facade of the facing building through the first floor ensures connectivity using new elements

Urban level elements such as the strongly defined street edge, the chowks and its activities, continuously running plinths along the commercial edge that extend onto the streets were reinterpreted to bring this craft haat to not only be introverted in nature by a court provided inside, but the building should also interact with the adjacent streets and its elements (Street edge, plinth, jharokhas, chajjahs) which will try to bring out the local character of Pushkar in a modern way of living.

Section bb’

Section cc’

The public open space towards the ghats and the municipal office concentrate on the publicness of the place.

The proposed building on the right hand side is kept at a lower height to give importance to the existing old structure in front of it.

A historic structure is just in front of the proposed which is given importance by providing public space.

Section dd’

A private street is proposed to give distance between the proposed institution and the existing residential building.

134 |

Conclusion | 135

Public space: chowk A public open space in front of the entrance of the haat allows town level religious, social and cultural activities to take place. This open space directly connects the users to the open space given on the adjacent side of the street towards the ghats. This allows extension of activities during big events in the town like the Pushkar mela.

Section ee’: Through the public open space e

e’

Plinth Plinth in front of an existing plinth will allow interaction between people. Craft Exhibition is provided along the plinth running on the primary street to allow more social activities to happen on the street.

View of open public space at the entrance of the craft haat

Main street view leading to the open public space

View of open public space below the municipal office which connects the street to the lake directly

Main street view leading to the open public space

136 |

Conclusion | 137

Massing Main commercial road

As buildings in Pushkar are not more than 2-3 storeys, the same built mass is followed in the proposed building so as to retain Pushkar’s character and the building gels with its surroundings.

Lake

0m

30 0m

42

A view showing massing around the existing site.

Plan showing institutions existing and proposed around the site

Existing

Proposed

Existing

Proposed

Existing

North Elevation

Existing South Elevation

138 |

Conclusion | 139

Typology Typology of a public institution : a courtyard centric organization with a direct connection from the main street to the temple inside has been tried to be incorporated in the proposed building. The design of a courtyard within a courtyard divided by a semi-transparent wall makes a large open space.

Visual connection The relic structure existing on site has been given importance by directly connecting it to the main entrance of the dharamshala so that people moving on the street have a visual connection with the structure like many others in Pushkar.

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List of illustrations | 141

List of illustrations Fig a: No public open spaces 11 Fig b: A lot of Rajasthani handicrafts in Pushkar 11 Fig c: Deep-rooted heritage in Pushkar 11 Fig f: Existing site chosen to design a craft haat 12 Fig d: Existing dharamshala on site 12 Fig e: Existing municipal office on site 12 Fig 1.1: Map of Rajasthan 16 Fig 1.2: Jaisalmer 16 Fig 1.3: Udaipur 16 Fig 1.4: Pushkar 16 Fig 1.5: Jodhpur 17 Fig 1.6: Jaipur 17 Fig 1.7: Rajasthani painting 17 Fig 1.8: Fabrics 17 Fig 1.9: Wood carvings 17 Fig 1.10: Durries 17 Fig 1.11: Pottery 17 Fig 1.12: Leather works 17 Fig 1.14: Map of Rajasthan showing Pushkar 18 Fig 1.15: Google earth map of Pushkar 18 Fig 1.13: Map of India showing Rajasthan 18 Fig 1.16: Tale of Lord Brahma in Pushkar(photo credit: Mridula Dwivedi) 19 Fig 1.18: Originally the temple was much closer to the lake as the lake was much larger. the first settlements started coming up in the 10th century 20 Fig 1.19: 12th century 20 Fig 1.17: Possible evolution pattern of the town of Pushkar[3] 20 Fig 1.20: The town grew and the water level decreased increasing distance between temple and lake 20 Fig 1.21: The town grew further around the lake 20 Fig 1.22: Pushkar Ghats 21 Fig 1.23:Pushkar Lake 21 Fig 1.24: Brahma temple 21 Fig 1.25: Savirtri temple 21 Fig 1.26: Mela ground and stadium 22 Fig 1.27: Varah temple 22 Fig 1.28: Old Rangji temple 22 Fig 1.29:Jahangir’s palace 23 Fig 1.30: Pushkar fair 24 Fig 1.31: Ceremonies taking place on Ghats 24 Fig 1.32: Camel racing 24 Fig 1.33: Local craft stalls 24 Fig 1.34: Traditional dance form ‘Kalbelia’ 25 Fig 1.35: Folk music 25 Fig 1.36: Camel riding 25 Fig 1.37: Hot air balloon ride 25 Table 1: Statistical data of Tourist arrivals in Ajmer, Pushkar and Pushkar Fair 26 Fig 1.38: Tourist guide map 27 Fig 1.39: Map of Pushkar 27 Fig 1.40: Craftsman making printing blocks 28 Fig 1.41: Family of Pushkar making jewelry from beads 28 Fig 1.42: Family of Pushkar making jewelry from beads 28 Fig 1.43: Jewelry made from beads 28 Fig 1.44: Printing blocks displayed for shoppers 28 Fig 1.45: Local family of Pushkar making utensils 29 Fig 1.47: Hand-made cooking tools 29 Fig 1.49: Spots where local craftsmen work in Pushkar 29 Fig 1.46: Hand-made utensils 29 Fig 1.48: Hand-made utensils 29 Fig 2.1: Plan of Pushkar showing primary, secondary and tertiary streets 32 Fig 2.2: Primary street of Pushkar with main market area 32 Fig 2.4: Entrance to Gau Ghat 33 Fig 2.5: Primary street 33 Fig 2.6: Secondary street of Pushkar 33

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Fig 2.3: Section through Primary street Fig 2.8: Tertiary street of Pushkar Fig 2.9: Tertiary street section Fig 2.7: Section through Secondary street Fig 2.10: Chowks of Pushkar with the presence of a deri Fig 2.11: Chowk in Pushkar Fig 2.12: Plan of Pushkar showing landuse and building use

Fig 2.13: Pushkar town plan showing dense city fabric Fig 2.14: Built vs open on primary street Fig 2.15: Built vs open on tertiary street Fig 2.16: Section through Main street and ghats Fig 2.17: Aerial view of Pushkar showing built mass in relation to street Fig 2.18: Ghats are the only open space inside the town Fig 2.20: Section through street and Ghats Fig 2.22: Openness of the Lake and the surrounding hills compared to the built Fig 2.23: Ghats as public open space Fig 2.21: Key plan Fig 2.24: Part of Pushkar showing organization of commercial on street edge and residential inside Fig 2.27: Elevation showing entrance to the haveli Fig 2.29: Public institution organisation Fig 2.28: Typical plan of temple haveli Fig 2.25: The large open courtyard inside a temple haveli Fig 2.26: Built enclosing the courtyard of the haveli showing introverted organization

Fig 2.32: Private residence organization Fig 2.33: Entrance directly opening into the courtyard Fig 2.30: Courtyard inside the haveli Fig 2.31: Semi-open space leading from courtyard to inner rooms Fig 2.34: Street elevations to understand built mass Fig 2.35: Built vs open plan Fig 2.36: Courtyard typology for climate response Fig 2.37: Elevation of a temple in Pushkar showing various projecting profiles for shade and ventilation Fig 2.39: Section through a street showing various elements of a facade Fig 2.38: Section through a street showing various elements of a facade Fig 2.40: Different facade treatment with repeated openings with or without chajjahs/semi-open balconies to prevent the harsh sun to enter inside the building Fig 2.41: Building materials such as stone and brick together are used to make walls Fig 2.42: Wall section of a typical haveli in Rajasthan Fig 3.2: Plan showing location of areas in Dilli haat, INA Fig 3.1: Map showing Dilli haat, INA Fig 3.4: Plan showing services in Dilli haat, INA Fig 3.3: Panaromic view of Dilli haat, INA showing various activities Fig 3.5: Plan showing access and movement at Dilli haat, INA Fig 3.6: Plan showing linear movement and different activity zones Fig 3.7: Various exposed materials used for structure Fig 3.8: Ticket counter showing materials used for openings and wall Fig 3.9: Open plaza showing stones used for flooring Fig 3.10: Flooring done for steps and pathways Fig 3.11: Flooring done in food court area Fig 3.12: Type of temporary structures used as shops Fig 3.15: Plan showing crafts stalls in Dilli haat, INA Fig 3.13: Permanent stalls Fig 3.16: Types of spaces given for craft stalls Fig 3.14: Temporary stalls Fig 3.18: Panoramic view of the craft village in the museum Fig 3.19: Plan of National Crafts museum showing location of areas Fig 3.17: Map showing National Crafts museum Fig 3.20: Plan of National Crafts museum showing services Fig 3.21: Plan of National Crafts museum showing all activity areas Fig 3.22: Entrance of the museum Fig 3.23: Street inside the museum Fig 3.24: Semi-open spaces showcasing traditional spatial quality Fig 3.25: Entrance to the Lota cafe inside the museum Fig 3.26: The Lota cafe Fig 3.27: Red stone used for slabs Fig 3.28: Timber doors and windows Fig 3.29: Keyplan showing area where craftsmen work Fig 3.33: Section through the craft stalls

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List of illustrations | 143

Fig 3.32: Craftsmen working throughout the day Fig 3.30: Semi-open space provided for craftsmen to work and display Fig 3.31: Craftsman working in his place Table 2:

Fig 4.1: Map showing possible options for site in Pushkar Fig 4.2: Possible site 1 analysis Fig 4.3: Map showing chosen site Fig 5.1: View of tertiary street on the North side of site Fig 5.11: Secondary street with commercial shops on both sides and residences on the first floor Fig 5.10: View of secondary street with commercial area on ground floor and residences at its rear Fig 5.2: Residential area on tertiary street Fig 5.9: View of the Lake from a Ghat entry on the primary street Fig 5.8: Gau Ghat- one of the most important Ghats in close proximity to the site Fig 5.3: School in close proximity to the site Fig 5.7: Municipal office of Pushkar Fig 5.4: Secondary street access to the site Fig 5.5: Main commercial spine of the town which has direct access to site Fig 5.6: Historical building at the junction of primary and secondary street Fig 5.12: Existing South facade compound wall Fig 5.18: View of the existing vacant land Fig 5.19: Existing structure containing the relics of the Jain saint Fig 5.20: Existing kitchen and dining space Fig 5.21: Existing East facade Fig 5.13: Existing Dharamshala and toilet block facing South Fig 5.22: Existing Dharamshala-West facade Fig 5.14: Existing North facade of the site Fig 5.16: Vehicular entry from secondary street Fig 5.17:Entrance from secondary street Fig 5.23: Existing Dharamshala-West facade Fig 5.15: Entrance from main street Fig 5.24: View 1 Fig 5.26: View 3 Fig 5.25: View 2 Fig 5.27: View 4 Fig 5.28: Plan showing existing structures that are being demolished on site and rebuilt in the new proposed program Fig 5.29: Plan overlaying contours on google earth map of site and context in Pushkar Fig 5.30: Diagrammatic plan showing access and movement to the site Fig 5.31: Plan showing primary, secondary and tertiary street along the site Fig 6.3: View showing transparent connection from the main road to the plaza and the other side Fig 6.1: Map showing Sao Paulo museum of Art Fig 6.2: Aerial view of the museum and surrounding context- the road, tall buildings and a park Fig 6.4: The public plaza open for all types of activities taking place in the city Fig 6.7: Street view of the open plaza covered with museum on the upper floors Fig 6.5: Longitudinal section through the museum and plaza Fig 6.6: Transverse section through the museum and plaza Fig 6.8: The rear side of the plaza and museum half of which is constructed underground Fig 6.9: The plaza being used as an open market place which can be accessed from all sides Fig 6.10: Map showing Maxxi center, Rome Fig 6.11: Aerial view of the building and its historic context Fig 6.12: The main plaza and pedestrian street in front of the building connecting two major roads on either side

Fig 6.13: View showing response of the new with the existing Fig 6.14: Connection between the new and the existing Fig 6.15: Connectivity of the street, plaza and the existing structures Fig 6.16: Visual connection from the building to outside surroundings Fig 6.17: Map showing Vanke center Fig 6.18:Map showing all the water bodies around the Vanke center and how each building part is responding to the views on each side Fig 6.21: Section through the center showing green open space as connector between the city and the water body Fig 6.19: The whole building is lifted up to ensure visual connectivity and openness on the ground floor Fig 6.22: The building is oriented to give different views of the water bodies and the city Fig 6.20: The structure seems to be floating on a higher level allowing open space to the public on floor level Fig 6.23: Sketch by Steven holl on the idea of the building Fig 6.25: View of the school from the water body

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Fig 6.27: Transverse section of the building with view of the water body 94 Fig 6.26: View showing layers lowering down in an attempt to reach the water body 94 Fig 6.28: Steps to reach down to the water body as a public open space where activities can be conducted and has direct connection to the water 94 Fig 6.24: Aerial view of Sydhavn school 94 Fig 6.29: Map of Pompedou center in Rome

95 Fig 6.30: The site for the cultural center was in the middle of the historical city( Land area- 2 hectares) 95 Fig 6.32: Various options proposed for placement of the building 95 Fig 6.33: Diagrammatic plan of the proposal with site and context 95 Fig 6.34: Plan proposed with context 95 Fig 6.31: The site was used as a parking lot before the center was proposed

95 Fig 6.35: Transverse section through building and plaza 96 Fig 6.36: The building was almost twice as high as surrounding buildings 96 Fig 6.38: An open public plaza in the center of the city 96 Fig 6.40: An exposed elevator on the facade of the building 96 Fig 6.37: Treatment of building edge with context 96 Fig 6.39: View showing contrast between the existing and the new 96 Fig 6.41: Services of the building are exposed and color coded 96 Fig 6.42: The main facade of the building is transparent that you can see all activities taking place inside 97 Fig 6.43: Views showing how plaza is used at different times of the day 97 Fig 7.1: Existing building heights 102 Fig 7.3: Streets- new and existing 102 Fig 7.5: Option 2: Open space responding site 2 102 Fig 7.2: Commercial vs residential 102 Fig 7.4: Option 1: Open space far from site 2 102 Fig 7.6: Views and vistas supporting open space near site 2 102 Fig 7.7: Option 3: Open space-center of site 1 103 Fig 7.9: Options for built vs open with response to Site 2 and Lake 103 Fig 7.8: Open space near Ghats 103 Fig 7.12: Response to immediate context and street through elements like massing, plinths and jalis 104 Fig 7.11: This conceptual was rejected as the dharamshala has been placed near the tertiary road which will not help in giving importance to it. Also, the entrance will not direct towards the relic structure of the dharamshala which faces the East 104 Fig 7.10: Different movement strategies that can direct a user 104 Fig 7.13: Basic concept idea which is finalized to be worked upon 105 Fig 7.14: Response to different street edges 106 Fig 7.15: Nature of spaces for the craft haat 106 Fig 7.16: Section through primary street 108 Fig 7.17: Option for public open space 108 Fig 7.18: Central open space inside craft haat 108 Fig 7.19: Direct connection that needs to be established betweeen entrance and existing relic structure 109 Fig 7.21: Design development to ‘A COURT WITHIN A COURT’ which is an important area 110 Fig 7.20: Option with various activities with individual courts 110 Fig 7.22: Various options for placement of Municipal office to site 2- Understanding scale of the street and open space vs built 111 Fig 7.23: Division of spaces according to activities on ghat and street

112 Fig 7.24: Section of Municipal office and public space below 112 Fig 7.25: Types of spaces ghats may use for different activities 112 Fig 7.26:This was the plan which freezed the major activities taking place on all parts of the site.

113 Fig 7.28: Sections 114 Fig 7.27: Ground floor plan 114 Fig 7.30:First floor plan 115 Fig 7.29: Ideas for different sitting spaces for the court areas 115

Illustration credits

Illustration credits | 145

Fig 1.1: Map of rajasthan. Digital image. Lahistoriaconmapas. Maphill, 2011. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.2: Jaisalmer Town Panaromic View. Digital image. Traveltoexplore. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.3: “White City” Udaipur, Viewed from City Palace. Digital image. Saiyuindia. Web. 5 May 2016.

Fig 1.4: Pushkar. Digital image. Voyage-au-rajasthan. La Alliance. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Fig 1.5: Jodhpur city. Digital image. Vii. Virtual India Index, 20 Dec. 2008. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Fig 1.7: Akhil Agarwal. Rajasthani painting. Digital image.rajasthantourismajmer. 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.8: Fabrics. Digital image. rajasthanvisit. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.9: Furniture and Wood. Digital image. Indovacations. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.10: Durrie. Digital image. Indovacations. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.11: Rajasthani Pottery. Digital image. Indianetzone. 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 6 Aug. 2016.

Fig 1.12: Lahiri, Sudeep. Camel Leather Shoes. Digital image. Flickr. 19 July 2009. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.14: Map of Rajasthan. Digital image. ciceroneindiatravel. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.15: “Pushkar, India”. 26°29’19.24” N 74°33’19.24” E. Google Earth. 4 Dec 2015. 3 March 2016.

Fig 1.16: Mridula Dwivedi. A Mural Depicting the Brahma Story. Digital image.traveltalesfromindia. Web. 29 July 2016.

Fig 1.24: Pushkar Temples. Digital image. Thepushkarbaghresort. Puhskar Bagh Resort. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.29: Hotel pushkar palace , Pushkar. Digital image. Indiatravelinfo. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.30: Puhskar camel fair. Digital image. colouricious. Colouricious, 5 Aug. 2015. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.31: Roy, Swapan Kumar. Holy Bathing at Pushkar Lake - Rajasthan. Digital image.Trekearth. 1 Aug. 2014.

Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.32: Pushkar fair camel racing. Digital image. Rajasthantouradvisor. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.33: Pushkar Fair. Digital image. rajasthan-holidays. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.34: High-pitched Kalbelia and Other Dance Forms. Digital image. waytoindia. Utsavpedia, 15 Oct. 2015.

Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 1.35: Cultural programme in pushkar-music. Digital image.Thepushkarbaghresort. Web. 6 May 2016.

146 |

Fig 1.36: Safari in India. Digital image. Reiseindien.de. Qualified Search Media Pvt. Ltd. Web. 24 May 2016.

Fig 1.37: Joyce, Arwen. Floating Over The Fair. Digital image. Afar. Web. 6 May 2016.

Fig 3.1: “Dilli haat, INA”. 28°34’23.42” N 77°12’28.03” E. Google Earth. 25 sept 2014. 30 April 2016.

Fig 3.17: “National crafts museum, Delhi”. 28°36’46.92” N 77°14’35.40” E. Google Earth. 25 Sept 2014. 18 May 2016.

Fig 3.19, 3.20, 3.21, 3.29: Crafts Museum, Delhi. Digital image. Nationalcraftsmuseum. Web. 18 May 2016.

Fig 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.15: Sachdeva, Pradeep. Dilli haat, INA plan. Digital image. Psda. Web. 18 May 2016.

Fig 3.8: Entrance and Tickets. Digital image. Hangouts. Web. 22 May 2016.

Fig 6.1: “Museum of Art of Sao Paulo, Brazil ”. 23°33’42.78” N 46°39’19.91” E. Google Earth. 20 April 2015. 30 April 2016.

Fig 6.10: “Maxxi center, Rome”. 41°55’42.24” N 12°27’54.36” E. Google Earth. 17 July 2015. 30 April 2016.

Fig 6.17: “Vanke center Shenzhen”. 22°35’59.93” N 114°18’07.19” E. Google Earth. 29 Sept 2015. 23 May 2016.

Fig 6.29: “Pompedou center, Rome”. 48°51’39.73” N 2°21’09.70” E. Google Earth. 16 April 2015. 23 May 2016.

Bibliography | 147

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Rapoport, Amos. House form and culture(foundations of cultural geography). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall. 150 pp.

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