Ar. Ratan J. Batliboi

The conservation efforts at one of the most significant pieces of fort architecture in India, the Mehrangarh fort, aims to build on the existing assets and develop a comprehensive master plan that will integrate best practices in museum design with the latest public infrastructure to support the fort complex. RJB-CPL along with the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, aimed to create a trend-setter vision plan that integrated sustainable principles for heritage sites in India. A strong framework that is executable in a phased manner enhances all the facilities to international standards while expanding the museum to meet increasing footfalls and engage with the local community.

Connecting three floors of the RPG house in Worli, an open office plan aims to incorporate CEAT’s corporate values CAIRO (Challenger, Aspiration-led, Integrity, Result Obsession and Openness). A competition winning entry between 5 architectural firms the design is driven by the optimal utilization of spaces, a cheerful daylight-filled interior that engages people and offsets a diverse palette of the Client’s art collection. A signature-tyre-imprint wall brands the entry, while a swooping ceiling design in gypsum ties the interiors cohesively. This swoop becomes the kinetic module driving the placement of varied modules of workstations to allow for different kinds of interactions.  These extended into ad-hoc meeting spaces to the terraces, encouraging staff to step outdoors. Each space like the conference room gets a differential touch by material treatments and customised surface treatments to lend character. Similarly ights and decorative fixtures with the tyre pattern were specially created.

The Signature Bridge across the Yamuna River has been envisioned downstream from an existing baraage at Wazirabad, Delhi. It draws inspiration from being a symbolic structural expression of welcoming  progress and development for the nation. The bridge pylon, rising to 150mts is the country’s tallest. The cable stayed deck spans 250mts out while the bridge’s total length is 575 mts. The multilevel viewing gallery, a 30-metre high glazed space at the apex of the pylon will be illuminated from within to appear like a shining jewel in a crown.

India at 70 was a project born out of a collaborative scheme between RJB-CPL and Observer Research Foundation. It aimed to revitalize one of the city’s most historic open spaces – the grounds of August Kranti Maidan. It is here that India’s freedom struggle was awakened with the “Quit India Movement”. A detailed stakeholder analysis and brainstorming related to the creation of social, economic and environmentally sustainable open spaces, led to a design brief and project proposal of a activity driven space in the centre of the city.

Presently IIT Bombay has strength of about 9000 students and over a period of time it is likely to reach a capacity of 20000 students. The objective of the competition was to have a comprehensive master plan for redevelopment, to accommodate expansion as well as relocation of the class rooms, workshops, teaching and research laboratories, academic departments and service areas, preferably in a modular expansion mode. The proposed master plan sets a precedence to the design directives for urban design, landscape and architecture. The new built form responds to the existing infrastructure of the campus to promote walkability and encourage interaction with nature & bio-diversity on site.

How does one re-align and design an iconic landmark that is synonymous with Mumbai? The competition-winning Masterplan for Marine Drive became a solution-findings exercise driven by an understanding of environmental impact, socio-cultural behaviour, circulation and movement pattern, and stakeholder interests. The first phase, now completed, focused on improving the infrastructure, like a new sea wall that reduced the onslaught of waves, whereas Phase II was more about value creation, inspired by the local character and focused on enhancing the experiential quality of the space. This one element radiated out from the seafront to provide comfortable seating, better pavements, accessibility ramps, crossings, medians, and street furniture. Pedestrian lighting design spot-lit the new aesthetics with safety and public amenities like the bus stops clubbed with green landscaped areas.

Proposed as an urban landmark, the project was a coming together of a dynamic brief which was bound by the cultural ethos of the historic city of Nagpur and its geographical significance as the centre of the nation. Catering as a commuter centric mixed-use development, it featured an elevated metro station ‘Zero Mile’, that rose above the street level as tiered terraces before being crowned by a iconic high-rise commercial development. The many layers of public-use plazas and spaces, engaged with various social parameters of the visual, the transit, the rest points, public amenities and guidance systems. Keeping an eye out for the environment also featured in the proposal which adopted renewable energy parameters from PV glazed south façade and canopy to water recycling and re-use.

The project addresses an offered land parcel and sees the holistic potential that it can offer its residents. The larger ambit of the scheme created housing for the tea estate workers while optimizing on the natural resources which they are dependent on. It further issued ideas on integrating it into an economically viable eco-tourism strategy. The plan proposed a comprehensive housing solution that also addressed societal needs and sensitivities of architectural form prevalent in the region.

A contemporary office with clean lines and smooth finishes, the office for PCI is designed to be a simple premise, with minimal elements and light colours with only a couple of bold colour injunctions to identify departments. The space is aptly lit by the ample amount of natural light that enters through the full length glass windows along the periphery, while also harnessing a close connection with the plants on the exterior. It adds freshness to the space, in tandem with the lightness that the space emanates owing to the humble lights and neutral colours. The glass cubicles ensure transparency in the functioning of the company. The reception desk is designed keeping the visitors’ needs in mind, by offering a double layering for the convenience of keeping one’s articles without cluttering the main desk. Meeta to review this text.

This iconic urban centre of South Mumbai was re-envisioned as part of the India@70 initiative in partnership with Observer Research Foundation. The proposal redeveloped the grounds as an active hub by becoming a nucleus for connections between the dynamic neighbourhood functions. Various place making strategies and interventions include pavilions, squares and parks, that help to reclaim the streets around the maidan by changing their interface with pedestrians. The project aims to maximize the use of the available space and to make the project feasible for all stakeholders.

This initiative is driven by the need to resolve the traffic congestion between two of Mumbai’s commercial centres Worli and Nariman Point. It illustrates an alternative, sustainable and economic solution driven by practicality.  It proposes a much needed investment supporting 92% of the citizens who use public transportation or are pedestrians. A review of various issues was carried out relating to traffic, environment, connectivity, heritage and aspirations of the city, with a clear understanding of traffic patterns in Mumbai. This along with the stalemate of the proposed sea route, made the tunnel alternative the most non-intrusive during its construction phase and shortest, once built for commuters.

The project was one of the centennial gifts for the city of Jamshedpur from Tata Steel as a way of celebrating its rich evolution with its citizens. What better gift than a vision plan that consistently upgrades the city itself, especially its epicenter. The proposal delved into the transport connectivity, narrating history of Jamshedpur through branding, making public spaces more accessible to all and also creating iconic monuments that make new identities and landmarks for its citizens and a sense of pride.

The site is spread over a 50 acres plot of land, located almost abutting the mouth of a lake, spanning a 2 to 2.5 kms width bank-to-bank, providing ample space for water-sports and other water-based activities. The site was divided into zones of recreation- wood lands, hospitality, heritage and socio-economic, conference and business and linked with various pedestrian experiences. It was envisioned as a celebration of serene nature and rich cultural heritage, a model of Sustainable Socio-Cultural Tourism, an economic and cultural development for Basohli.