CITY AT EYE LEVEL
Urban Design Studio
City at Eye Level - Aerial View
Jaipur, which is called the 'Pin City' is now emerging as a metropolitan city. A rapid growth in commercial sector witnessed in past 5 years. GAURAV TOWER through time has emerged as a vibrant community space. However, due to increasing congestion, an urgent re-imagination is required to arrest the deterioration of public life in the area.
So, this project aims vitalization of Gaurav Tower as a public hub and incresing the recreational area within this chunk of buildings.
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TOTAL SITE AREA - 3,01,215 sq.m
City at Eye Level - Existing Site Data
City at Eye Level - About the Site
City at Eye Level - Pedestrian Bridge at Upper Level
The site is edged by JLN Marg and Railway line in the east and a nala on the south. The GT road is the major vehicular axis and perpendicular to it is the major pedestrian axis through the pedestrian bridge.
Gaurav Tower area is one of the major commercial hubs of Jaipur city. The largely preferred building type is Commercial. To keep the primary activity of the area alive without increasing it , an activity is assigned to each zone.
A number of civic spaces and squares of various scales are formed. To create landmarks, we aim at generating contrasting heights within the site which also promotes better image-ability and legibility.
Visual corridors are achieved by the combination of streets and plazas and attaining height difference within the site. Visual corridors lead to the created landmarks.
TRANSITION IN SKYLINE
Gradual change in land-use from commercial to residential enhances mobility in the area and also forms a uniformly descending skyline.
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This provides with the opportunity to confine the commercial activities to an area, with the apartment building as a barrier from expansion of commercial activities, hence enhancing the privacy of the residents.
City at Eye Level - Site Plan
Section 1
Key
Section 2
Circulation Data
Proposed exit from JLN Marg flyover towards GT road
Proposed entry to JLN Marg flyover
FLYOVER ENTRY
Existing entry to the JLN Marg flyover creates a critical junction that was prone to accidents. The proposed entry eliminates such turn and creates a safe vehicular movement.
FLYOVER EXIT
Existing exit from the JLN Marg flyover creates a sharp turn to GT road resulting in traffic conflict between vehicles entering and exiting GT road.
FIVE PRINCIPLES OF URBAN DESIGN
PRINCIPLE 1 : VITALITY
“ If you want to seed a place with activity, put out food” - William H. Whyte
"A key aspect of creating a lively and well-used public realm is the spatial and temporal concentration of different activities"
RECREATIONAL AREA
Centrally placed recreational area to maximise the liveliness of the space.
COMMERCIAL FORM
Shopping consolidated in the form of linear streets with single storey structures.
ICONIC ELEMENT
A central structure in plaza which provides shade and cool to sit in.
LARGER GREEN SPACE
To promote the walk-ability of the area, and enhance the quality of the space.
ENTRANCE PLAZA
Inviting entrance to attract more people towards the area.
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
To improve the connectivity between the areas, by giving importance to pedestrians
Entrances to the buildings are fronting onto the plaza to maximise pedestrian use
Vehicles are kept off these areas as they would detract from the quality of the space.
Taxi drop off via the outer edge
Multi purpose area for pedestrian movement and interaction.
Mixed use development with outdoor cafe and commercial areas.
Commercial buildings overlooking central plaza and WTP
Commercial building overlooking pedestrian bridge
BUILDING USE
The largely preferred building type is retail shopping to maintain the character of the Gaurav Tower. A number of civic spaces and squares of various scales are formed due to the coarse grain - uneven texture of the urban fabric.
PRINCIPLE 2 : VIEWS AND VISTAS
“Visual permeability and connectivity to form the Image of the City”
Key views and new vistas help people locate themselves in the space and create links within and beyond the immediate area. Hence, protecting existing views and creating new vistas becomes important.
BUILDING HIEGHTS
View from pedestrian bridge : Lively yet peaceful environment in contrast with the busy city-escape around it
View from flyover exit : Gives an overview of entire site which is welcoming, indulging and layered
View from JLN flyover : Building heights are kept in levels towards west to facilitate a view from the flyover of the site, which would in turn attract people to visit the place.
PRINCIPLE 3 : A CONNECTED DISTRICT
“ If you want to seed a place with activity, put out food” - William H. Whyte
Friendly walk-able STREETS in combination with open PLAZAS to promote various activities and create opportunity to organize events activities a life in the urban space.
One of the street leading to the plaza with iconic elements
A series of shops and cafeterias form the street views within the complex
The streets leads to plazas and vice-versa
CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM FOR CONNECTION BETWEEN STREET AND PLAZA
Natural flow of pedestrian through and to the destination.
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Plazas acting like break out areas after moving through a street within an urban realm.
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The open space network acts as a structural spine around which the built-ups are developed. Thus, the activity pattern of these regions are greatly affected by green and open spaces.
The streets leads to plazas and vice-versa
PRINCIPLE 4 : PEOPLE PLACES
“ If you plan cities for cares and traffic, you get cars and traffic.
If you plan for people and places, you get people and places ” - Fred Kent
Pedestrian Bridge from Gaurav Tower to all the Commercial Buildings
Creating a Central Recreational Area involving Activitites
Punctures Created on the Bridge to Provide Lighting in the Ground Floor
The Main Entrance of Gaurav Tower Connects the Pedestrian Bridge with Rest of the Area
The Entrance from the Rear Road Overlooks the Plaza
PRINCIPLE 5 : ONLY IN GAURAV TOWER
To make the place landmark and a must see destination of the city an iconic structure which is unique to the place must be added.
The structure provides a sculptural expression to the entrance. The structure depicts something that provides people with with shade and cool to sit, stay, stand and initiate unexpected conversations
The pedestrian density varies along the entire site. It is more near the major anchor points. It also varies throughout the day.
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Iconic Element
