New life beneath the overpass
One Green Mile in Mumbai by MVRDV and StudioPOD
© Suleiman Merchant
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
In the megalopolis that is Mumbai, a new urban space has been created beneath a freeway overpass. The project forms just one part of a larger redesign of the road.
© Suleiman Merchant
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
Senapati Bapat Marg, a busy and frequently jammed north-south freeway, runs a good eleven kilometres through Mumbai. Parts of it consist of an overpass beneath which Rotterdam studio MVRDV and their Indian partner architects from StudioPOD have now reclaimed around 100 m as a sort of outdoor public living room featuring seating and playground equipment.
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
The whole thing is part of the One Green Mile project, a redesign of about 800 m of this urban space by the Indian studio. The client is a property developer working on behalf of the municipal infrastructure agency BMC.
© Suleiman Merchant
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
In time, this project will implement pedestrian-friendly crossings, create paths for cyclists and those on foot, install new lighting and street furniture, and much more. BMC’s grandiose aim is to transform Senapati Bapat Marg into a “world-class commercial street”. At least that is what was printed in the Times of India.
© Suleiman Merchant
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
Working from plans prepared by StudioPOD, MVRDV designed a series of spaces with various functions underneath the overpass: lounge, fitness area, reading room, seating in the shade and a sort of performance stage. The entire area is characterized by a unified colour scheme of white and blue as well as footpaths marked by lines on the ground.
© Suleiman Merchant
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
Even plants play an important role here, appearing in the form of trough planters and greened supporting walls, but also in screens featuring climbing plants and a planted archway at the entrance to the Green Mile.
Architecture: MVRDV, StudioPOD
Client: Nucleus Office Park
Location: Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai (IN)
Gallery
These articles might also interest you
-
A colourful intervention
Golden Barnyard by Wutopia Lab
On the island of Chongming by Shanghai, Yu Ting and his Wutopia Lab studio have redesigned a farmyard as a vibrant “Cockaigne for everyone”.
-
Regional typology
The Flowing Garden
In the Chinese province of Fujian, More Than Arch Studio have designed a courtyard house with a labyrinthine interior.
-
Typological diversity on the outskirts of town
Residential Complex by Lahdelma & Mahlamäki in Helsinki
This two-part building complex in northeast Helsinki demonstrates the quality of public housing in Finland. In terms of both typology and facade design, the architects favoured the greatest possible degree of diversity.