Author: Rahul Kustagi
Site Location: Minerva Mills, Bangalore
Institute: Wadiyar Centre for Architecture, Mysore
Advisor: Ar. Kukke Subramanya
description
The permanence of change.
In the 20th century due to rapid urbanisation, there are very few public spaces for the people in the city to slow down from their fast-paced urban lives.
The evolution of the cities lead to loss in relevance of the industries that initiated the city’s growth in the first place. These urban lands lie vacant due to lack of vision, and get labelled as urban voids. The voids have a distinctive landscape that have capabilities to absorb large public activities. The need of the hour is to create accessible public spaces and these voids can be the catalyst of change.
Climate change and pollution are global problems and cities contribute considerably, and the process of building is inevitable. The question becomes, rather do we need to rebuild from scratch every time we build? Or make sustainable what already exists? Why demolish when the built could be reintegrated into the fabric of relevance by re-examining the overlaps and divergences between, “necessity”, “program” and “function” of the already built? The ability to adapt to evolving programs, uses and culture is a great strength of a building. One can’t predict the future, but there is a possibility to design for change.
drawings
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