TA: Vyoma ShuklaContemporizing Historical Precincts of The Sovabazar Sector of North Kolkata
The studio focuses on learning various approaches to urban conservation that integrate existing historic fabric with today’s needs. The studio will use the case of Sovabazar Sector in North Kolkata for the demonstration. This historic neighborhood dates itself back to the origins of Kolkata located on the River Hoogly and sandwiched between the ancient canal and spine road that runs north-south along the city. The site offers an array of urban transportation options like the ghat on the river for transportation, a circular rail train station Metro station with spine road having already established bus routes.
The historic neighborhood is ripe for revitalization and development keeping urban conservation and adaptive reuse to make this is a competitive live work precinct in the core of the old city of Kolkata. This method of conservation of the historic neighborhood of buildings that can be classified for restoration as well as be tactically transformed with sensitive urban design interventions to suit the current needs will allow the team to handle urban design issues, conservation and adaptive-reuse. One can create a toolkit of policy measures and design ideas that will allow this precinct to re-invigorate the entire old city as a model development.
