ETHNIC SOLIDARITIES AND CULTURE OF COMMONS

Project idea

This thesis examines the emergence of commons within a community through the social networks of its residents, aiming to establish a thriving, self-reliant ecosystem. It challenges conventional ideas of urban development by opening up how communities create their own distinctive worlds through a mix of homegrown processes to claim space in the city. These spaces refl ect a form of city-making that is fl exible and resilient as the architecture of the place grows incrementally, based on the requirements and availability of funds.

Project description

The design is situated in the native town of Bhendi Bazar, an inner city enclave near JJ fl yover which was originally planned by the British during the early 1800s. Since the design is located in a densely populated area where open spaces are disappearing, it aims to function as a space of communal refuge. The design aim is to rework the logics of common spaces to develop newer aesthetics in continuation of the older type and cultural habitations of the community. The design consists of three major programs, the madrasa, the jamaat khana and a prayer hall, one nested within the other, creating a sequence of spaces. This sequencing is done in a manner such that it is a carefully scaled and proportioned volume where one enters the building through a public space which eventually scales down to an intimate, private space as one moves further inside. It encourages the reintegration of other community activities like administration, judiciary functions, and social activities into the building apart from praying to create hybrid spaces. Symbolic elements like domes and minarets that are associated with a mosque are rethought in the contemporary scenario to add value to the spatial characteristic of the building. This project emphasises tactile and sensory experiences of space using materials and designs that engage touch, sound, and light. The approach is not about romanticizing the past but critically engaging with it to reinterpret and inform a relevant and forward-looking architecture. By adapting to the local environment, integrating green spaces, employing sustainable design practices it becomes a continuation of the region’s history rather than a disruption.

Technical information

Constructed with perforated brickwork, the building breathes through porous brick walls in an attempt to keep the spaces cool and ventilated even during summer. Natural light fi lters into the spaces through a perforated roof, providing sufficient daylight. There is an interplay of light and shadow along with the brickwork jali, skylights and fenestrations that cast patterns of light on the surfaces. As light pours into the space through the perforated skin it will constantly change the atmosphere of the space and hence its experience. The scale of the building is domesticated whereas previously the mosque was imagined as a monumental space, making it humble for people of the neighbourhood to frequent.

Documentation

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