OTTO KOENIGSBERGER (1908-1999) ARCHITECT and DEVELOPMENT PLANNER
OTTO KOENIGSBERGER
OTTO KOENIGSBERGER, architect, planner and Egyptologist, enjoyed a long and remarkable career that began with work as a government architect in Berlin in the 1930s. He introduced the concept of "action planning" community-based schemes supported by government agencies - into many parts of the Third World. He was one of the founders of modern urban development
Works
1931- Diploma of Engineering (Architecture), Technical University, Berlin 1933-1937-Research and excavation in Egypt (Swiss Institute) 1935-Dr.-Ing, Technical University, Berlin, (Thesis on The Construction of Ancient Egyptian Doors) 1939-1941-Chief Architect and Planner Mysore State, India 1948-1951-Director of Housing, Government of India. 1952-Planning Advisor, Basildon New Town 1954-1981-UN Planning and Housing Adviser to Governments of Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Singapore Planning Consultant to Governments of Zambia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, Philippines, Brazil, Penang State 1966-1970-Housing Adviser to the UN Economic Commission for Africa 1957-1972- Director of the post graduate course in Tropical Architecture, later the Department of Development and Tropical Studies at the Architectural Association, London 1973-1978 Professor of Development Planning and Head of the Development Planning Unit, University College London
Awards
1933 Schinkel Medal and State Prize in Architecture
1979 Hon Dr-Ing University of Stuttgart
1989 UN Habitat Scroll of Honor (awarded by the then UN Center for Human Settlements)
Key Concepts ARCHITECTURE
AND PLANNING IN THE TROPICS The special problems in architecture and planning in the tropics, based on Koenigsberger’s experiences as chief architect in Mysore, India. Developed from his experience as Director of Housing for India when he was faced with the task of housing an estimated number of 5 million refugees, and from the situation of migrants and squatters found in rapidly growing cities. ACTION PLANNING AND PLANNING EDUCATION His teachings were that town planners in the developing world
should be prepared to dynamically adapt their plans, and involve local communities and techniques, as opposed to imposing a static master plan based on Western ideas – an approach he called Action Planning, Action Planning which were developed during his time of teaching at the Architectural Association and at the DPU University College London .
BHUBANESWAR
Bhubaneswar (20 degree 15'N latitude and 85 degree 50'E longitude) is the name, which has been given to a area covering 91.9414 square kilometers
The place has evidently derived its name from its principal deity TriBhubaneswar or Bhubaneswar . Has two distinct divisions, viz., the Old Town and the New Capital.
OLD AND NEW TOWN
The Old Town is characterized by mixed land-use which is a usual phenomenon with all ancient towns and cities of India. It contains splendid specimens of Kalinga architecture spanning some twenty-five centuries of history, depicting the grace, the joy and the rhythm of life in all its wondrous variety.
The New Capital, the foundation of which was laid in 1948, was started with a portion of a reserved forest as nucleus. It has now become a city which has been built spending crores of rupees. This part is planned administrative town with broad avenues, self-contained residential units, modern buildings and institutions. Thus Bhubaneswar offers an opportunity to behold centuries-old art and architecture, side-by-side modern massive buildings and institutions.
The site for the New Capital was selected after careful consideration. It has the advantage of lying on the border between the fertile delta land and the hilly forest areas of Orissa.It has the natural advantage with regard to drainage. The ground slopes from west to east and is divided into two parts intersected by the railway line. The western part is high land with laterite soil that permits the growth of forest and the eastern part is low with alluvial soil suitable for
• A
plan for the New Capital was prepared in 1948 by Dr. Otto H. Koenigsberger. On his recommendation the design of the New Capital is based on the system of neighborhood units which means a group of houses, large enough to afford the major amenties of urban life like schools, dispensaries, shoping-centres, entertainment, public libraries, etc. but at the same time small enough to keep all these amenties in short distances, so that the main advantage of rural life can be preserved. To avoid boredom and unformity the neighbourhood units are designed individually with the object of giving it a distinct character. In contrast to the Old Town, the land under different uses are segregated from each other so that the foul smell, smoke or dust of an industry does not affect the residential areas nor the crown and noise of a commercial area affect the
• Four
categories of roads have been adopted for the city
viz. (a) Arterial Road, (b) Major Unit Road, (c) Major Housing Street and (d) Minor Housing street. The Arterial roads are 200 feet(60.9600 metres) in width with earthen flanks or foot-path of 10 feet (3.0480 metres) on each side and provided with drains and plantations. Rajpath, Janpath, Gandhi Marga, Sachivalaya Marga, and Udyana Marga come under this category. The Major Unit Roads are 150 feet (45.7200 metres) in width with earthen flanks, drains and plantations on each side. Ekamra Marga, Lewis Road, Gopabandhu Marga, Bhubaneswar Marga, Vivekananda Marga, Bidyt Marga and Puri Marga are under this category. The Major Housing Streets are the roads which collect the internal traffic of housing units and transmit to the major and arterial roads. The width of such roads is 100 feet (30.4800 metres) provided with earthen flanks and drains. The width of
SCHEMATIC ROAD MAP
Few notable buildings in the New Capital are as follows • The Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House) • The Orissa Secretariat • The Orissa Legislative Assembly • The Orissa State Museum • The Multi-storied Heads of departments • The Industrial Development and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd., • The Orissa State Housing Board • The Rabindra Mandap • The Orissa State Archives, • The University of Agriculture and Technology • Tribal Research Bureu, State Forensic Laboratory • Regional Research Institute (Ayurveda) • The Central Market
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