Visakha Festival Plaza: Waterfront Development, Beach Road, Visakhapatnam

Waterfronts, the unique places where land and water meet, are a finite resource embodying the special history and character of each community. Urban waterfronts, like the cities help define, dynamic places. In each era, the needs for relaxation and the pursuit of leisure activities resulted in planning forms and architecture solution that expresses the human response to lakeside or seaside. Waterfronts are often the most valuable resource of a city and many people feel they are a stakeholder: from the residents beautiful view to marine industry to waterfront shops, everyone wants their interests protected.

As a student of Architecture, I wanted to explore, understand and develop an approach towards waterfront city. And Visakhapatnam is recognized as the fifth-fastest growing "Industrial Metropolis" in the Asian subcontinent and the fastest growing industrial city on the East coast of India strategically located midway between Calcutta and Chennai. This comes down to vision of Visakhapatnam city -to become an economically vibrant, safe and inclusive city
providing the best social and physical infrastructure facilities for its residents, businesses and visitors.

Research. Analysis. Ideation: Introduction to Waterfront Development

Water is a defining force that fundamentally shapes the character of each place it touches. It is a feature to be honoured and celebrated not to be treated merely as cosmetic or as just a commodity. This project deals with the development of a recreational landmark at the Beach Road in the city of destiny, Visakhapatnam. The city is expanding at a rapid pace with aggressive promotion of industrial development with the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, the Pharma City, Special Economic Zone and Information Technology units. Generally, waterfront/riverfront/lakefront represents a citys identity in terms of development and culture.

This citys waterfront had to be developed from the perspective of citys image, tourists expectation and as a recreational edge.

Research. Analysis. Ideation: Site Reading at City Level

Research. Analysis. Ideation: Site Reading at Precinct Level

Beach road in Visakhapatnam is planned as recreational stretch and is being beautified with landscaping and by widening the road, but there was further scope of developing the recreational waterfront of Vizag to make it a destination for tourism, celebration and enjoyment and making an image of the city from the waterfront.

Research. Analysis. Ideation: Conceptualizing and Area-Brief

Development

After analyzing the area program of various waterfront cities, the crescent shaped land in front of Submarine Museum at Beach Road in Vizag city (which is owned y Andhra University at present) was proposed to be developed as Visakha Festival Plaza consisting both convention and entertainment facilities catering to business needs, tourists and citizens of the city. AREA PROPOSED:

Exposition Centre Conference Centre Administration Performance Theatre Auditorium Food Centre Recreational Zone Services Public Plaza Outdoor Performance Area Viewing Deck Picnic Greens Terrace Activities

Research. Analysis. Ideation: Design Approach

Context Model showing Visakha Festival Plaza in context of Beach Road

CHALLENGES:
To celebrate the existing image of city and enhance its identity with new contemporary addition. To develop new area program for the crossing and the available land along the Beach Road with variety of activities and opportunities considering the functional aspects of existing buildings. To accommodate existing festivities of Visakha Festival at the beach. The views of the sea are important and experience of pedestrians and in vehicles are equally important. To design a pedestrian corridor connecting the recreational edge to sea side.

Landscaping of the green edge to be created along the road and seafront.

Site Plan (with the pedestrian link to the sea)

Landscaped Roof Plan

Sectional Elevation

Elevations

Section through the Auditorium

OPPURTUNITIES:
EDGE : to continue the green edge and built form along the street edge to retain the existing character of the street. POROSITY : to develop an appropriate interface between centre and sea through street to invite people respecting the views of sea from site and street. INTEGRATION : with surrounding building form, activity pattern, urban connections, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, etc. CONTINUITY : street promenade with open activities to celebrate festivity and enlighten the place. IMAGE : create architecture that has landmark value representing the history, character and spirit of Visakhapatnam and providing a destination for both citizens and tourists .

INTERACTIVE : Diverse activities of the complex are to be related with each other activating the place and flow into the open activities.

Photographs of the model

DESIGN TRANSLATION: Citys elements were symbolically incorporated into the design at various levels of planning, interiors, materials, etc. Various options of planning the site according to a building/complex/structure were explored. Universitys area or the activities on the site were decided. The physical barrier of vehicular traffic from the site to area was broken. The scale of the various components on the basis of different activities and existing built-forms on the Beach Road was understood. An activity had to be incorporated in the Street Promenade to make it more interactive rather than just a forced beautification of the edge. An element/structure/faade had to be incorporated in built-form/complex to create architecture of landmark value. The different components had to be designed with a common interface with the open areas.

Me giving my Thesis jury

Posted by Somya at 10:55 PM Labels: 7) Architectural Thesis: Waterfront development, Delhi, Designer in India, School of Planning and Architecture, SPA, SPA Delhi, Visakhapatnam