Khyati Upendragiri Goswami

AR2009

      Re-organizing the Unbuilt.       Home is the space where people relive, the space to interact and to share emotions. Children to play, elders to sit, ladies to gossip and men to work. Re-rehabilitating the Shahpur Slums considering the vernacular context and the river edge.

"Let's begin the journey together"A scavenger returning back from his village after long time was unaware of the fact of re-habitation of his local area and got anxious, ran towards the entrance seeking for his home. The lush green trees around the houses, streets paved and the golden cock crowing in the bright sun. In panic he picked a way to his left leading him to a semi open space, bridges spanning over connecting the clusters. The place looked somewhat familiar to the past, the spaces connected to the ground, the doors and windows, peeping in and out, creating an informal interaction. The passages not so closely packed but not wide enough for any car to pass, is something that makes one walk the way and communicate. From the massive fort wall, the denser masses stagers into scattered clusters. The clusters arranged in a linear pattern with certain offsets happening. Seeing every house having unique characters, the colour, texture etc he was a bit surprised and shocked as well.
He found it a bit confusing but followed the weird description given by Joe. Leading his way to the open space he saw the balconies jutting out, creating volume and people sitting out there and having their chai. He was about to take the stairs and saw some women climbing down the stairs, He asked them why are you in a hurry, where are you all going? They answered that they were going to the market nearby for buying vegetables. He took the staircase and finally reached the second floor. The children playing outside their houses made him nostalgic and he stood there for a while watching them playing. The little kid went from the cross connected floors and his friend running after him to catch him. He ran between those columns then to the bridge connecting the opposite cluster and disappeared. He made his way to the left; he could see some of his neighbors and his grandmother sitting there on ‘khatla’ and ran towards them and finally found his home. The experience was different, there is a contrast between the peaceful surrounding of the houses and the chaotic public squares. The space is quite inside but full of life. All his fear vanished and was able to connect with the new environment.
“The place however does not tell its past, but holds it like the lines of hands; the compulsory walking down the streets, the light poles, the Otlas and the people.”
The culture and the values leading the way, one could connect to the past and could relive it with new experiences.