Charminar Open Spaces PDF
Charminar Open Spaces PDF
Charminar Open Spaces PDF
Vandana-34
PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN AND AROUND -Namrata B.-19
CHARMINAR AREA -B.Sindhura-27
“.........HISTORY deals with human action, that is, the actions performed by individuals and groups of individuals. It
describes the conditions under which people lived and the way they reacted to these conditions. Its subject are human
judgments of value and the ends men aimed at guided by these judgments, the means men resorted to in order to attain
the ends sought, and the outcome of their actions. History deals with man’s conscious reaction to the state of his
environment, both the natural environment and the social environment as determined by the actions of preceding
generations as well as by those of his contemporaries........”
“Accessible open space is critically important in any densely populated city and active space, such as gardens, is particularly
valuable. Protecting open spaces also increases the property value of the land surrounding them.”
-Christine Anderson, singer, songwriter, pianist and Social Activist, New York City
Having being founded as a potential site for accommodating the growing needs of the people of Golconda, the then capital to the Qutb
Shahi Dynasty by the emperor Quli Qutb Shah, Hyderabad was laid out in grid iron pattern, and the Charbagh concept.
The city had two major axial centres. On one, Charminar was constructed in the year 1593 A. D. while on the other was marked by the char
Kaman (four arches), north of Charminar, each 60 feet high, 36 feet wide at the base and 6 feet thickness, facing the four cardinal points,
separated from the centre by about 375 feet in each case.
These arches served as gateway to the Jilu Kaman (ante Chamber) or the Royal Palaces. These arches are named Machli Kaman-North,
Naqqar Khana-e-Kaman- East (now known as the Kali Kaman), Sah-e-bati l Ki Kaman (west) and Charminar Ki Kaman- South (presently
called the Char Kaman). Exactly in the centre of these kamans (arches) was built a large octagonal cistern provided with jets of water called
Char- Su- Ka Hauz, which is now called Gulzar Hauz.
The four main streets were lined with 14,000 double-storeyed shops selling variety of goods. The NS
axial street was lined with canals on either side. Mir Jumla tank was the then main source of
drinking water having been constructed in SE of the city in A. D. 1625.
The streets were purposely made broad so as to accommodate the large processions during that
time. It was during the reign of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah that the city was not only planned in
terms of the desires of the royalty but infrastructural provisions, like, schools, hospitals, mosques
for the mass, proper irrigation works, were executed. This is said to have been never surpassed by
any other Muhammadam Kingdom in the Deccan.
Hyderabad in the
Qutub Shahi Period
Gulzar Houz,
Glimpses of Nizam’s Dominion, A. Claude Campbell 1887.
The reservoirs, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were constructed in the year 1917 and 1927 respectively. They were meant for, alpha,
governing the unprecedented ways of Musi River and beta, they became the prime source of drinking water for the whole city.
As evident, Hyderabad did not have any natural lakes for the topography of the same did not permit so. As the terrain north and south of
Musi drained into her, Sir Visvesvaraya got constructed many impoundments across the city intending to control the future floods and
thereby providing the potentials for newer settlements around these water bodies.
As the walled city had been damaged infrastructurally, it was decided thereupon to rejuvenate the city for proper administration in the
future. The same was laid keeping the geometry of the city intact. Proper electrical lines were also commissioned for this purpose. As the
“Street Bazaars” had already been marked by the Qutub Shahis , which were constructed during this phase for the commercial activity
marking the permanence of the identity of the same space- space which was primordially, meant for pedestrians but now with an extra
dimension- the automobiles.
The Musi floods is worth mentioning among all the floods faced by Hyderabad for the redevelopment after this episode redefined the
architecture of the city in whole.
The Ravages of the Musi River, 1908
Seen here partially
The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so
proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar
arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to
Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.
The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal
point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a
double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with petal like designs at the base.
Excerpt from-
Overview Hyderabad: Restructuring the Historic Core, VSC, Ahmedabad.
CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN- M.ARCH. (E.D.) -C.V.Vandana-34
PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN AND AROUND -Namrata B.-19
CHARMINAR AREA -B.Sindhura-27
RESTRUCTURING THE HISTORIC CORE OF HYDERABAD CITY and CHARMINAR PEDESTRIANIZATION PROJECT
In the recent past, with the advent of urbanization and the IT industry in Hyderabad, the city’s core area has lost the importance it
rightfully deserves, being a part of its heritage. Wherein earlier, a layman conjured up the image of only the Charminar upon being said
Hyderabad, now it is the Charminar AND the Hi-Tech City.
Subsequently in 1993 - `94 APSRTC, QQSUDA, HUDA, TraffiC Wing of the City Police
Department along with few eminent local architects came up with proposals of
restricting movement of buses/four wheelers and Pedestrianisation of Charminar
area.
It was concluded then that there was a need to prepare a separate zonal map for
architectural control of buildings. Prior to the commissioning of CPP to VSC,
Ahmedabad by APTDC, CRAPTHS Consultants (India) Private Limited proposed a
comprehensive traffic management scheme for Charminar area, which recommended
an inner and outer ring road to ease out traffic volume and enable Pedestrianisation
of Charminar area.
VSC in turn, at the outset, made a study of the entire old city area to determine inter-
linked proposals and actions necessary during Pedestrianisation of the area around
Charminar. These included a study of the traffic for re-routing, parking provisions,
and lost heritage properties due to proposed road widening.
This time graph tabulates in sequence, in summary, the organisations involved in the upliftment and
conservation of the Charminar
Both Vaasthu Shilpa Consultants, Ahmedabad and Kshetra Consultants, Hyderabad have in their proposals of Revitalizing
the Historic Core of Hyderabad through the CharMinar Pedestrianization Project and the Proposals for the Development of
the Madina-Gulzar Hauz and Pathergathi stretch envisaged the creation of an Open Space Network as a part of the overall
plan by removal of encroachments and Detailed design of individual open spaces.
According to the Council of Europe, recommendation No. R (86) 11 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on
Urban Open Space, Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 September 1986 at the 399th meeting of the Ministers'
Deputies :- “Open space is an essential part of the urban heritage, a strong element in the architectural and aesthetic form
of a town, plays an important educational role, is ecologically significant, is important for social interaction and in fostering
community development and is supportive of economic objectives and activities.
Conflict can occur in the use of historic urban spaces which form the setting of significant historic buildings especially if
there is little other urban open space or where alternative areas are strictly regulated. Successful management of urban
open space will recognise that where regulation of historic sites is necessary, perhaps in order to safeguard a particular
function or the appearance of an area, measures should be taken to ensure that the area as a whole fulfils all the urban
space requirements of those living and working in it.”
PREMISE OF STUDY
Physical Environment
Activity Pattern
Road Network,
their hierarchy, Built and
capacities and Open Space
character Structure
Area dug for basement, partly Opt 2: Negotiation with the owners for additional parking on GF/
Near Salarjung Deorhi Private Basement on 'pay and park' system'
constructed
Opt 3: Acquisition & development as a plaza with shops/ restaurants
opening into it and provision of parking at basement.
Kshetra Consultants believe that the two and the only factors governing this entire
approach and thought process are- the History and its products (the heritage buildings
and complexes) & the Existing Activity, within the precinct.
It is the liaison between the two, the past and the present (and thus the hope for an
empirical and rational future), that demands and administers the design process of
such a multi faceted framework, not only to maintain the same, but at the same time
not to present a “Sanitized Stage Set” that borders on the generic.
Though the government started C.P.P. with the initial two phases namely Charminar Buffer Zone and the Pathargatti Street, for the simple
fact of easy co-ordinance and execution, the range the project encompasses in subtle terms would be the now undecipherable Walled City.
At every stage, the prime concern which needs to be revised is the link which is to be maintained between its past- direct or relative, and
the present, in terms of interventions, design, policies and so on.
THE IDEA THAT KSHETRA CONSULTANTS HAVE WORKED WITH IS NOT TO LOSE THE IDENTITY THE AREA IS IDENTIFIED WITH, WITH THE
EXISTING COLOURFUL ACTIVITIES, BUT TO ENHANCE IT WITH THE DESERVING ATTENTION FOR THE MOVING DIMENSION- AUTOMOBILES.
CHAR MINAR
PEDESTRIANIZATION
PROJECT
REVITALIZATION OF
PATHERGATHI STREETFRONT
N
CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN- M.ARCH. (E.D.) -C.V.Vandana-34
PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN AND AROUND -Namrata B.-19
CHARMINAR AREA -B.Sindhura-27
CHARMINAR- STATISTICS
A) Institutional
1. Government City
college
2. N.B Science college
3. Agarwals girls high
school
4. City high school
B) Administrative:
1. A.P. High court
C) Recreational:
1. Quli Qutb Shah mini
stadium
D) Religious:
1. Baad Shahi Ashoor
Khana
E) Markets/ Commercial:
1. Osmania Bazar
A) Administrative:
1. City civil court
2. Old commissioner office
B) Recreational:
1. Salarjung museum
2. Abbas union football ground
3. Playground
N
CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN- M.ARCH. (E.D.) -C.V.Vandana-34
PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN AND AROUND -Namrata B.-19
CHARMINAR AREA -B.Sindhura-27
CHARMINAR- LIST OF OPEN
SPACES-QUADRANT 3 ( SE )
List of Open spaces in Q3:
A) Administrative:
1. GHMC office
B) Recreational:
1. Malwala palace
2. Moghulpura playground
3. Playground
N
CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN- M.ARCH. (E.D.) -C.V.Vandana-34
PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IN AND AROUND -Namrata B.-19
CHARMINAR AREA -B.Sindhura-27
CHARMINAR- LIST OF
OPEN SPACES-
QUADRANT 4 ( SW )
List of Open spaces in Q4:
A) Recreational:
1. Khilwat palace
2. Khilwat playground
B) Religious:
1. Jamia Masjid
2. Makkah Masjid
C) Administrative:
1. Pension office
D) Open space:
1. Clock tower
E) Transportation:
1. Charminar Bus stand
"You are in the midst of a crowd of people meandering through lively streets, alleys and open piazzas. On all sides are
stores, cinemas and cafes, in vivid buildings with dazzling signs,' around you are colourful stalls and push carts, fountain and
trees. There is a cacophony of sound enchanting from all directions; there are mime artists and sired performers. It's
chaotic, vibrant and loud. Where are you," You are in public space.”
Jon Jerde,
American architect based in Venice, California, Founder & Chairman of The Jerde Partnership, a design architecture and
urban planning firm that pioneered the concept of placemaking and "experience architecture"
•Public places have always been a part of human civilization be it a road joining two important destinations, a vibrant street
developed along a linkage, a temple square or even a heritage site which aspire people.
•The best loved public spaces are characterized by certain philosophical attitudes or value system, that seek to support the
development of human life. They are not merely memorable because of their physical features but stand out in public
memory as representatives as epitomes of type.
•Indeed, the most memorable public spaces are those in which the sense of being lost and yet safe co-exist.
•To achieve such a status, they court participation. This involves the ability of the people to add something to the place,
individually or collectively. People stop to talk, or maybe they sit and watch, as passive participant, taking in what the place
has to offer.
•There is magic to great public places. We are attracted to the best of them not because we have to be there, but because
we want to.
•The retail precinct, in particular has always been the hub of activity in the city.
•Using shopping as one of the essential functions, historically, the public open space in the city has bought together diverse
elements and people of the city in close contact to create and support public life .
A Street Bazaar with immense Geometric Monumentalism and Variety of Street Environments.
The average ambient air quality data for the year 2008 puts Charminar junction as the most polluted area in the city. It's
air quality is worse than even Paradise junction, one of the busiest commercial areas in Secunderabad.
While health is of prime concern, the heavy pollution is causing irreversible damage to the majestic monument itself. The
increasing blackening of the structure has been attributed to air pollution. The diversion of the buses which was meant to
check pollution levels in the area has not helped since there is no restriction on the other vehicular traffic. Though we are
moving towards cleaner fuels and efficient automobiles, the pollution is on the rise because of the increase in number of
vehicles.
Although the measurements taken from June to October 2011 showed a huge drop in air pollution compared to the annual
average as during this period motorists were not allowed to go towards Charminar and were diverted at Gulzar Houz, as
the GHMC had taken up Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) work.
THE CURRENTLY ONGOING CHARMINAR PEDESTRIANIZATION PROJECT ENVISAGES LOWERING AIR POLLUTION LEVELS
THROUGH EFFECTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, CURTAILING OF VEHICULAR MOVEMENT AND ENCOURAGING MORE
PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT, AND THIS MIGHT JUST PROVE TO BE THE ONLY LONG TERM SOLUTION TO CONTROL THE AIR
POLLUTION IN THE AREA.
This typology includes hawkers using thelas for This typology includes hawkers who move along the
display of their items of sale. They move along the stretch with their items of sale on their shoulders.
stretch on a slow pace and may even cater to areas They do not have a permanent position but move
outside this stretch. They are usually stationed on around in specific zones.
the road edges and sell a wide variety of items.
PUBLIC MEETING SPACE AROUND A CENTRAL TREE IN A OPEN SPACE IN THE CHARMINAR COURT:-
HOSPITAL COMPLEX :-
These visitors to the hospital prefer to wait outside, for The Open Court in the Charminar itself acts as a resting
even though it is a sweltering day with soaring place for weary travellers and citizens alike. A lot of
temperatures, it is definitely more pleasant outside than people were observed having their midday meal, snacks,
inside. Strategically located trees like this, in dense and some even an afternoon siesta in the cool confines,
urban areas act as a condensed form of huge urban open activities generally carried out in a public urban open
spaces which used to exist prior to urbanization. space.
The vast open space in front of the Mecca Masjid not only Upon speaking to several people ( i.e. residents,
acts as a space for the thousand of residents of Charminar shopkeepers, children, etc ) in the area, based on their
to offer their Friday prayers, but also as an open lung answers to a series of unseemingly bland questions, we
space in the densely populated locality and also as a concluded that the school going children after their daily
resting space / interaction space for the thousands of chores head back to the school for utilization of the school
daily visitors to the mosque. grounds as open spaces to play games, various sport and
generally interact with other neighbourhood kids.
There is lots to take away from our site visit to the Charminar area, as with any other old city in any other part of the
country, the whole scenario plays put like a scene from a film in your mind :- the vivid mohalla (neighbourhood) ethos, the
court yarded old homes, mohalla inhabitants' interactions on the roofs, the roofs being crucial spaces of play and action in
the area, temples, mosques, and dargahs, and hawkers, bangle shops, street performers, and so much more.
In India, traditionally Indian rooftops have been used for a variety of purposes- flying kites in the Sankranti festival, drying
of papads, red chilies and other spices, sleeping areas when the house is too overcrowded due to visiting relatives, and
simply areas for children to cross over and indulge in childhood escapes and skirmishes.
These rooftops in urban areas, and specifically in the context of the Charminar area have the potential to be used as they
are, but with a little aesthetic development to become more pleasing visually. They will act as the much needed open space
in the already overcrowded and over dense residential area.
Fortunately, through the Charminar pedestrianization project, the government has recognized the importance of
developing the area around for pedestrians which may potentially activate tourism and other forms of economic
development. Designers are taking thoughtful steps toward incorporating icons of cultural significance into their
streetscape design. Once this is realized, the potential of the street bazaars as urban open spaces meant for community
interaction and also reducing pollution will be truly achievable.
MUMBAI
THEN AND NOW BHUBHANESHWAR:-
Modern Bhubaneswar is a well planned city
with wide roads and many green spaces.
The plan was made by
Otto H. Koenigsberger, a
German town planner.
JAIPUR Most parts of the city
THEN AND NOW have stayed faithful to
the original plan.
Sense of attachment to the immediate surroundings is essential in order to ensure the neighbourhood is
maintained well. We have to find a way to do it. History has COUNTLESS examples in its fold.
- Gehl, Jan (2003). Life Between Buildings. Danish Architectural Press. 5th edition
“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
- Albert Einstein
The basic idea is to preserve the history of Charminar, but to make it more accessible to more people; so that historical
monuments can become a stage for current events and bind the social fabric of a city as rich in heritage as ours. Life for the
people living in these heritage areas should be equally rewarding in terms of services and infrastructure, both social and
physical as in other areas of the city.
There are enough examples around the world where ancient monuments and heritage areas and precincts are actively
used by people to get a sense of the history. But for a city that boasts of priceless heritage monuments, Hyderabad's
monuments and heritage areas have been reduced to numberless crumbling ruins in the tourist circuit. They need a face-lift
so that they are more people-friendly.
Presently, there are very few enforceable developmental controls, infrastructure serving the teeming masses or even roads
there, besides the main streets which are the tourist attractions. These heritage areas need to be preserved for posterity,
and its not only the monuments but the entire area that needs to be preserved.
WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED: TO MAKE THESE AREAS INTO OPEN SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY AND SAUNTER AROUND
WITHOUT TRAFFIC BOTHERING THEM, WHILST CREATING AN IMAGE OF THE CITY IN THEIR MINDS.
Commercial activities in these areas would enable these areas to sustain themselves, but they should no be overused and
preservation has to be done alongside. They should be landscaped and designed by professional architects and landscape
artists, with minimum political and bureaucratic interference.
In Paris, there are wooded areas with restaurants in them, but they are carefully camouflaged. They don't stand out like
pimples on an otherwise flawless face. Something like that could give us taxes and sustain the areas also. An integrated
plan is needed where minimum reconstruction activity is done and specialised, detailed designs are made.