a verdant nook
frontage garden for Max Muller Bhavan
Mumbai
125 sqm
completed
2020
design team:
Arjun Sharma, Gaurav Shetty, Nishi Doshi
project architects:
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This project is the small front yard of the Max Muller Bhavan at Fort, Mumbai and is backed by the impressive facade which dates back to post-independence modernism. The space is also randomly dotted with old trees. We were asked to add a breakout area with seating space for the students who visit this building.
The memorial is envisioned as a plaza. To save water, the site will be entirely paved with water percolating cobbles. This may increase the capital investment, but it will in the long run, save all the water required for lawns. In that sense, although there is ample planting in the design the the space is inherently without any lawns, thus saving between 50’000 to 75’000 liters of water every week.
The Site should perform as an open Urban Public Realm, For this reason the planting fronting the road edge is transplanted to either side of the site. This allows the plaza to open up to the road. A 3mts wide footpath connecting two ends of the site is installed, hopefully other developments along the Necklace roads will also provide for a footpath along their site, and continue this pedestrian movement.
The Layout is anchored on two sides by ‘the Smruti Sthal’ installation on one side and ‘The Samvaad Sthal’ installation towards the center of the site.
As you walk through the site, you notice that each part of the plan responds a little differently to existing conditions. So although there is a de-facto monotony in the layout, you are always mindful of negotiating your way under one low trunk (at the entrance), to walking beside two other trees on either side of the pathway (middle), to a retaining wall that forces the layout to readjust itself (back entrance). These variations are subtle and sensory, and unfortunately do not lend well to photography.
All the trees and understorey will be native plants and locally sourced. There will be enough variety for the bird and bees to make a home here. The Lake edge should also be planted with a set that is sensitive to the lake edge ecology of the Hussain Sagar lake.
image credits:
groundstory, urvashi chodnekar