Jain Aishwarya Pradeepkumar

CR4001

Approach:Mandvi ni Pol is the largest pol lying in the heart of the old city and is close to Manek Chowk and many of the important heritage sites and walks of Ahmedabad. The pol itself has a number of listed structures and historic temples and buildings. However, currently the pol is succumbing under the new utensils market that has sprawled along the main spine of the pol as well as some of the sub-pols. Most of the residents of the pol have started moving out. Even as the sub-pols have started to become empty, cultural heritage can still be witnessed in bits and pieces at these different pols through festivals and beliefs of the residents. We also see past residents frequently visiting due to their associations. These potentials of the pol in terms of its location and the variety it has to offer can be tapped into to mitigate the abandonment of the pol as well as to improve the quality of life of the current residents. During our visits to the pol we saw and from the people of the pol also heard about a lot of students who keep coming to the pol to study it and research about it. Along with students from Ahmedabad, a lot of these students also come from various national as well as International places. Ahmedabad walled city, being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these researches and studies are going to increase. A lot of these students would prefer to stay in the pol while doing these researches but are unable to do so as most of the facilities available in the city aren’t affordable for students. The idea is to provide affordable student hostels and create opportunities for student interactions with the residents of the pol in an effort to revive the pol. The new function will also help to mitigate the effects of the existing Utensils Market and to plug in life in the almost ready to die pol. Project Target: A new plug-in in terms of student hostels and workspaces to the existing pol such that it can generate activities and opportunities in a way that helps to sustain the community. Programme: Student Hostels, Museums, Cafes, Exhibition Spaces, Workspaces