Premkumar S

LA4002

Dharapuram in Tamilnadu is the oldest town with an extent of 7.02 sqkm, situated along the banks of the Amaravatiriver which originates from the Western Ghats. It’s an agrarian town with agriculture as its major economy so the social gatherings and cultural celebrations of the citizens revolve around it. The Town has few historical temple complexes and cultural markers that date back to the history of Mahabharata. Outskirts of the town have Agrobased storage godowns and rice mills. There are nearly 50 villages around the town so the villagers also have aspirations towards the town majorly for commercial purposes. There is no culture of park evolved here yet, so the recreational activities and celebrations happen in coherence with nature either in the backyard of the houses, riverbanks, in agricultural fields in the outskirts, Temple complexes and sometimes market place act as a hotspot for locals. The selected site is an old weekly market where villagers gather every Tuesday to sell their household products or agricultural goods. Now, this market lost its importance and looks abandoned, due to the emergence of the new daily market inside the town. There are few built structures inside the complex which is in an abandoned stage Currently so, the whole site is taken over informally by locals. This project aims to reorganize and reimagine the existing character of the site by enumerating a dynamic program. The site already demonstrates the identity of the town, formally from the past and informally in the present. Weaving the socio-cultural behavior of the ideal citizens in harmony with the existing character will make the site more vibrant. Here formally from the past is the trading and informally in the present is the recreational activities by locals.