CONNAUGHT PLACE-- BUILT AS ?

Dignified shopping centre for elite

Location : New Delhi carriages driven to the destined shops doorsteps
Typology : Commercial (Market for the Elite) and Business District
Construction :work began in 1929 and was completed in 1933

•Connaught Place (CP)-officially called Rajiv Chowk -is one of the largest
financial, commercial and business centers in New Delhi, India..
•The area's environs occupy a place of pride in the city and are counted among NOW ?
Focus of urban life shifted out of
the top heritage structures in New Delhi. It was developed as a showpiece
chandni chowk to connaught place OUTER CIRCLE (OUTWARD LOOKING)
of Lutyens' Delhi with a prominent Central Business District.
• The Inner Circle of Connaught Place was renamed Rajiv Chowk Shopping centre for masses (sunday Various public/ semi public functions
• The Outer Circle became Indira Chowk . market etc.) MIDDLE CIRCLE
Each block, central greens stand as A service road for merchandise.
islands in the pool of vehicular traffic Residences for the staff and servants on the
Connaught Place divided it into six sectors, each making an
first floor &Ground floor for godowns.
angle of 60 degrees at the centre
INNER CIRCLE
The sector here central processional route (now Parliament The central green was meant to serve as a lung space for the area and large fountains Convenient vehicular access
Street) met the circus, was designated as a green wedge, to in central park and smaller ones in the inner circle were provided to cool the place. Central park and the green wedge
emphasis the notion of ‘gateway’. Ground floor of inner circle purely commercial first floor for the residences. (presently occupied by Palika)
Central procession route -theme of joining the ‘old’ and the
‘new’ creates visual , physical and symbolic continuity

It houses important institutional and public buildings

Three important nodes enclosed in hexagons of the which include hospitals, libraries, art galleries, heritage
•Its circular form makes it stand out from the layout
same scale sites, temple, hotels, schools and college.
India Gate: the hexagon being its physical boundary. of the area around.
•Wide roads were planned in and around Connaught Besides this it acts as the centre of the city offering
Government House: the hexagon being the layout of connectivity by means of private and public transportation
roads around it. Place even though they were not required since the
systems (including the latest development- mass rapid
Connaught Place: the hexagon being circumscribed traffic consisted of horses, horse carts and few cars.
transit system or mrts)
about a circle this circle being the outer circus of This has proved to be a boon for coping with today’s
Connaught place. large traffic volume.
•The lavish design of CP provided for large open
spaces and have proved to be valuable public spaces Palika Bazaar is an underground market located between the
in today's context. inner and outer circle of Connaught Place ,Delhi, India.
Shows – socio- cultural platform and metro The Grand Scale and architectural character of PALIKA BAZAAR Palika Bazaar hosts 380 numbered shops selling a diverse range of
Connaught Place makes it stand out amongst the items; however, the market is dominated by electronic items and
buildings which surround it. clothing.
Palika Bazaar was set up in the late 1970s, but since the 1980s it
has seen a decline in customers, in part due to the opening of
GATES OF PALIKA BAZAAR several new, modern shopping malls all over Delhi.
Public Interface… Gate no. 1: Main gate. Faces Connaught Place Central Park, with F Block on the
Central Park generates lot of public Palika Bazaar is estimated to have some 25,000 people within its
Visual Connector… interest and thus draws large right and Palika Underground Parking on the left. Staircase entry.
Recreational Area… confines at any given time and also attracts many foreign tourists.
number of visitors. Gate no. 2: Faces Palika Underground Parking. Handicap ramp entry. It is known as a place with a very level prices. It also has a
Socio Cultural Platform… More visitors => More consumers => Gate no. 3: Not in use. Faces Palika Underground Parking. Closed to the public.
More revenue reputation for a wide availability of illegal products such as
Gate no. 4: Spiral staircase entry with two doors, one not in use. Door in use pornography, stolen goods, fake designer products and pirated CDs,
faces Parliament Street, Regal Building and Jeevan Bharti building. software and movies.
Gate no. 5: Spiral staircase entry with two doors. One door faces Janpath, N
PROBLEMS Block and Jeevan Bharti building, the other faces towards Palika Underground
Parking.
• Inadequate parking facilities Gate no. 6: Staircase entry. Faces N Block and F Block.
•Traffic congestion Gate no. 7: Handicap ramp entry. Faces F Block.
•Neglect and dilapidation of facades
•Rampant modification of facades
•Ill- maintened and dirty middle lane
•Lack of public concern andresponsibility
•Hawkers Connaught Place with its three concentric
•Overcrowding circles and seven radial roads initially
•Encroachment designed with two-way directional roads.
•Unchecked facade renovations Was converted into one-way with 4-enteries
•No pedestian walk between central park and retail shop and 3-exits
•No comfortable connection between block
•Parking till the edge of the walkway A number of parking lots were also
•Lack of street furniture and present are not comfortable. generated to serve those through radial roads.
•Inadequate street light in certain place

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT
LITERATURE
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CASE STUDY
 Streets & Plazas Program
Introduction
Karol Bagh is a mixed residential-cum commercial neighbourhood in Delhi, known for its shopping streets, like the
Ghaffar Market and Ajmal Khan Road. It is one of the three administrative subdivisions, of the Central Delhi district,
of the NCR.

History
In 1920s, residents of villages like Madhoganj, Jaisingh Pura and Raja ka Bazaar evacuated to build Connaught Ajmal Khan road
Place and nearby areas, they were relocated in Karol Bagh to the West, then a rocky area populated by trees and
wild, bushes. The District is structured around Ajmal Khan Road
and Arya Samaj Road that form the major shopping
The area was primarily residential with a large Muslim population until the exodus of many Muslims to Pakistan and streets along with Pusa Road/ Dayal Chowk as the
an influx of refugees from West Punjab after partition in 1947, many of whom were traders. gateway to the district. DB Gupta is a strategic city
Ajmal Khan road wide connector.
There remains a sizeable Marathi, Tamil-speaking population. Karol Bagh was also home to a Initial Concepts:
large Bengali community, and has one of the oldest Durga Puja in the city, though their numbers have now Placemaking at major pedestrian Establishing the street network- Major North South • Reinforce the pedestrian character of Ajmal Khan
nodes Connector Roads- Saraswati & Gurudwara Road
REDEVELOPMENT

increased many folds most of them working as jewellers. Road

• Create opportunities for placemaking at major
pedestrian nodes: Karol Bagh Metro Station and
STREETSCAPE CHARACTER: Intersection of Ajmal Khan & Arya Samaj Road
• Establish the street network as per pedestrian
AMENITIES guidelines by UTTIPEC

Context, Principles and intervention area

• South east: Connaught place
• North East: Old Delhi Station, Shahjahnabad
• East: New Delhi Station

STRATEGY
MPD-2001 proposed urban renewal of 2600 ha. of old built
up area, known as 'Special Area' which has been divided into
4 Urban Renewal Areas namely (i) Walled City (ii) Karol Bagh
(iii) Other Urban Renewal Areas, and, (iv) Specific use zone Detail segment showing various
areas. street components Seating and Kiosk Art and Shelter

Karol Bagh has a distinct physical structure of walkable PLAZAS: METRO CHOWK, ARYA SAMAJ, AJMAL

1
blocks and a network of neighbourhood parks. It is Strategy
also a shopping destination and a thriving business district
KHAN
making it one of the most important mixed use districts in
LITERATURE STUDY: KAROLLBAG

EXERPTS FROM MPD 2021 the NCR region.

• Important Commercial Centre outside Walled City
• Redevelopment based on Mixed Use Concept
• Provision of Parking
• Up-gradation of facilities and utilities
• Gridiron pattern is an asset to be used to regulate Existing scenario around parks: Parking, inaccessible (high walls)
& pedestrianize traffic movement Proposed interventions: No barriers, change in texture

PARK
C

Two step approach to address the public realm improvements in

Karol Bagh. Ajmal Khan Road to park connection: Park A &C
H

Existing Character of a typical Park Interventions:

Strategy 1: • No visual connection • Pedestrian friendly traffic calming

S
S TTR ER ES E
R ET SO FRI TET ITN R O F I T
Streets & Plazas Program • measures
High Boundary wall with high • Boundary wall lowered to minimum with fence
Strategy 2:
E T T R
fence • Shade and shelter elements
Parks & Places Program • Parking all around the park • Seating and lighting

G :
TING :
PEDESTRIAN GUIDELINES AND KEY
Parks & Place JUNCTIONS:
Program

The network of parks and streets in Karol Bagh create a

strong contrast of urban experience between active
Ajmal Khan Road and the passive, more local parks. We
Strategy

STRATEGY 2
propose to enhance the fabric of the park along with Arya Samaj road and Ajmal Khan Road
the improvements in public realm of the streets. These
in turn are seen as being anchors in the local life of the
neighbourhood.
Initial Concepts:
The area is characterised by • Enhance the visual linkages of the park with the
commercial development along the public realm.
Ajmal Khan road, Gurudwara road
KAROL

• Propose special paving on the streets around the

etc. followed by mixed use park.
development along with typologies • Proposed special treatment to the park edge along
like hotels and lodges along the the major street to highlight the entry and create a
second/ third block in the area green zone.
• Propose small neighbourhood plaza where space is
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Pusa Road Arya Samaj road and Gurudwara Road
Key Junctions Proposed traffic circulation plan Gurudwara Road
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URBAN DESIGN TASKIN C

EWSA STRATEGIES 1WS20AT017
 •POOR SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE:
•INADEQUATE ROADS:
W •LIMITED ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE:
•LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

OPPORTUNITIES:
1. URBAN DEVELOPMENT:.
2. COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT: 10

3. INVESTMENT IN HEALTHCARE:
THREATS:
4. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES:.
5. ECONOMIC DISPARITIES:

TASKIN C
1WS20AT017 EAST WEST
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE