Category: Charles Correa Gold Medal 2026

Narratives of Lost Links: Architectural Interpretations of Memory, Space and Community

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Author: Vaibhav Sanghani
Site Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Institute: School of Architecture, Anant National University
Advisor: Prof. Sandeep Paul

Description

Narratives of Lost Links explores the transformation of the abandoned Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal into a public landscape of memory, healing, and community engagement. Once the epicentre of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the 70-acre site today exists as an isolated urban void-physically disconnected yet deeply embedded within the surrounding neighbourhoods. Observing how local communities have gradually appropriated its edges despite restricted access, the project seeks to return the land to the people without erasing its painful history.
The proposal preserves the existing industrial remains as witnesses to the past while introducing a museum, memorial, and a network of community follies that reconnect the site with the city. The master plan is structured around three conceptual systems: the Axis of Catastrophe, derived from the MIC plant; the Axis of Witness, extending from the existing memorial; and the Lines of Continuity, generated from the factory’s internal road network. Together, these systems organise movement, memory, and public life across the site. Inspired by Bhopal’s identity as the City of Lakes, water bodies and elevated boardwalks weave through the landscape, allowing nature to regenerate while creating spaces for reflection, learning, and collective resilience.

Drawings

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A Warming Planet: Barcelona 2051

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Author: Renardo A
Site Location: Barcelona
Institute: Crescent School of Architecture
B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology
Advisor: Ar. Sangeetha

Description

This thesis investigates the future of dense urban living through the lens of speculative design, megastructural theory and modular architecture, applying these frameworks to the city of Barcelona as it confronts the escalating pressures of climate change by mid-century. Drawing on foundational movements in twentieth century architecture  including the Japanese Metabolists, Archigram’s Plug-In City, and the theoretical projects of Yona Friedman and Buckminster Fuller  the research traces the intellectual lineage of large-scale, systems-based urban thinking and asks how relevant these ideas remain today. At the centre of the investigation is Barcelona’s Superblock (Superilla) programme, a pioneering urban intervention that reclaims street space from motor vehicles in favour of pedestrian life, green infrastructure and climate resilience.

The thesis weighs the programme’s well-documented gains  reductions in air pollution, noise and urban heat  against its real and persistent limitations: traffic pushed onto surrounding streets, vulnerability to shifting political winds, and the ever-present risk that rising desirability displaces the lower-income communities the programme was meant to serve. Looking toward 2051, the thesis proposes a second-generation Superblock model that treats climate adaptability not as an add-on but as a core design principle. This means drought-tolerant planting, passive cooling infrastructure, distributed solar energy systems and circular economy programming woven into the fabric of the neighbourhood from the outset.

The thesis concludes with a design proposal: a speculative megastructure complex in Barcelona comprising an entry pavilion, a centre of innovation, a living tower and a co-working block, each element working together to form a coherent, climate-responsive urban district.

Drawings

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Space Matter: Ground for all

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Author: Sneha Shyam
Site Location: Mumbai
Institute: Asian School of Architecture and Design Innovations
Advisor: Ar. Asish Kannan Badusha J

Description

The Space matter proposes a child-centric infrastructure system that transforms fragmented, high-density urban environments into connected and inclusive communities. The project responds to a site where high-rise towers, mid-rise housing, LIG and MIG communities, commercial edges, roads, and informal settlements exist in close proximity but remain socially and spatially disconnected.

Rather than treating play, learning, nature, and community spaces as isolated amenities, the proposal weaves them into the everyday urban fabric through a continuous network of Care Ribbons, Sky Loops, Sky Streets, Senscapes, and Community Commons. These connections transform circulation into opportunities for play, exploration, social interaction, and learning.

The elevated network bridges physical barriers created by roads and fragmented development while creating safe, pedestrian-oriented connections between different communities. Multisensory landscapes introduce sand, timber, rope, stone, planting, water, and varied levels, allowing children to engage with materials and nature through touch, movement, and exploration.

Equity is central to the proposal. The infrastructure connects HIG, MIG, LIG, and informal communities, providing shared access to play, learning, nature, and social spaces. A replicable prototype extends these principles into neighboring informal settlements. The project reimagines the city through the perspective of childhood, transforming isolated buildings into an interconnected urban community where play, learning, nature, and belonging become part of everyday life.

Drawings

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Sutra Vinayasa

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Author: Israth Kalburgi
Site Location: Belgaum
Institute: Dayananda Sagar College of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Veena C

Description

1. Revitalizing the Weaving Community

The proposed thesis, Sutra Vinayasa, aims to revive Belgaum’s traditional weaving industry by creating a socio-architectural habitat that integrates housing, workspaces, training facilities, and community spaces. The project strengthens the social, cultural, and economic life of artisans while preserving the city’s weaving heritage.

2. Live–Work Integration

The design follows a live–work concept where residential units and weaving workshops coexist within the same environment. This allows artisans to balance domestic life and production, reduces travel time, improves productivity, and creates a stronger relationship between work and community.

3. Community-Oriented Planning

The settlement is planned around shared courtyards that function as social spaces for interaction, recreation, festivals, and collaborative weaving activities. These courtyards also enhance natural ventilation, daylight, and strengthen community bonding among residents.

4. Flexible and Incremental Housing

Housing units are designed as modular and expandable spaces inspired by Belapur Housing and Aranya Housing. Families can expand their homes vertically or horizontally as their economic conditions and household requirements change over time.

5. Hierarchy of Spaces

The master plan establishes a gradual transition from public spaces such as markets and galleries to semi-public courtyards, semi-private streets, and private residences. This hierarchy creates a balance between community interaction and personal privacy.

6. Contextual Architecture

The project adopts architectural forms and materials that are native to Belgaum, including laterite stone, exposed brick, lime plaster, timber, sloping tiled roofs, verandahs, and arched openings. These elements create buildings that are climatically responsive and culturally rooted for generations.

Drawings

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