Redevelopment of endosomatic systems: a case of dhobi ghat at cuffe parade, Mumbai

Abstract

We often take definition of spatial orders to be pristine and the nature of use (activity, movement, weather etc.) to be secondary objectives following a form. But this takes the building as an endosomatic system wherein the functions are allowed to adapt over a very narrow time frame. The definition of spatial orders in a cultural landscape over a period of generations in itself isn't static in nature but kinetic. Various social, economic and environmental factors that are directly linked to the occupancies determine the eventual growth or decay of that spatial order. This effect/network is further strengthened if all these factors correspond to its order. In such a case, the occupancy itself is a cultural phenomenon and needs to be preserved and the nature of use, spatial memory and social network should be preserved by a certain sense of 'spectacle'. Dhobi Ghat in Cuffe Parade, Colaba is the second largest open air laundry system in the world. Having suffered economic losses over the decade, the site has decayed. However, the 'dhobi' as a functionary in the society can be retained by realising the social logics of ghats and redesigning spaces as cultural spectacles