Abstract:
What happens to places when they are abandoned, when they fail to solve their
purpose anymore? When on a patch of land all that is left are mere boulders and
chunks of rocks left to decay and die. In most cases, we would break those chunks into
smaller chunk until they can be disposed. However, in Archeological sites, places with
ruins remaining there for centuries, as these ruins boast of the richness in the
architecture, it is not feasible, nor wise to reduce them to rocks. These ruins are a
source of the place’s identity. They reflect a culture, a style and in a manner give us an
imagery of what life would have been like, years ago. Just because at some point of
time they became isolated from everything around them and lost relevance to the
context, it isn’t justified to cast them away.
Keeping in mind my thesis topic, “Redefining abandoned places with archeological ruins
in urban landscapes”, I approach my research with an attempt to delve a deeper insight
into methods, practices and urban design strategies used to regenerate abandoned
places and understand how through design, an abandoned region is later transformed
into a thriving social space.
I through my design, not only aim to revive the place, but also intend on creating a
design which lasts over various cultural time periods and would not become a ruin in
near future. The proposed program and suggested interventions shall be flexible and
incremental in nature; and shall continually develop the context around Bada Bagh as
well over time.
