Lakefront Design
Urban design interventions and park design, Central Library Precinct, Old Bhopal Area, India
The central library precinct of Old Bhopal region to be analyzed and design interventions to be made.
The area is in vicinity to Sultania Zanana hospital and Kalkaji temple along with a park which was rarely used as it was neglected and inaccessible to public.
The final design addresses the problems of traffic congestion due to multiple conflict points; added public transport interventions and wheelchair accessibility.
Also redesigned the park with sit-outs and public spaces and made the temple ghat as an accessible, walkable lakefront.
Context to the place
The site was a mix of residential old buildings in the east side and open areas on the other side with a lake view present on south. The street to be intervened was the railway station road which is also the main route to the station making it the Gateway to the city. The region has a rich history of the Begum’s rule which saw its peak during 1901-1926 under Sultan Zahan Begum. The major landmarks built in Bhopal were Saidia Middle School (1905), Central Library (1909), BHEL (1964) and Sri Kalika Mandir (1968). The region was urbanised after India’s Independence when immigrants from Pakistan settled in. Their houses were further built after the Gas Tragedy in 1984 when people got compensations. Lady Lansdowne Hospital for women, now known as the Sultania Zanana Hospital lies in the precinct and its location makes it one of the important nodes in he context of the city. The site was analysed and the design interventions were given as shown further.
