THE NARRATIVE IN THE OPEN LABYRINTH - The Vasai fort area was at its earliest, a barren land along the Arabian coastline. CASE STUDIES

VASAI FORT FORT Located at a far end of the Vasai village, the walls of this Portuguese- built fort extend far and beyond into the wilderness. Remnants of a harbor with containers lurking and broken boats lay at the water edge of the fort. Walking further with trees for walls on both sides, one comes across a small temple at one of the entrances. The entire fort complex is sprinkled with small courts, churches and THE CLOSED LABYRINTHS - A small mud-fort was then built by the Mughals as a watch-point. Thereafter, the Portuguese seized it to build an entire citadel accomplished with a town hall, hospital, churches, low court, jail, etc. Years later after a prolonged war with the Marathas, the fort was seized by the Marathas. The Marathas built temples within the forts and occupied it for few years halls, all of which nature has climbed onto. Tiny spiral staircases, hidden doors, narrow passages are ducked into the corners. The space achieves a labyrinth- like quality due to the abundant vegetation; make every broken arch, wall or a step, a revelation. The fort complex houses within it 7 Churches, an Orphanage, a School, 2 Temples and a Graveyard. Only one out of the 7 churches is still in function; while the others are left to meet their natural end. One almost stumbles onto these structures as chance encounters while walking within the fort complex. A small shing village shares its compound wall with that of the fort complex. Due to this proximity, the daily activities of the koli people and that of the fort get closely integrated with each other. The sher folk depend largely on water drawn from the wells of the fort. The ruined infrastructure also serves as spaces for activities like washing clothes, THE RUIN/ HYBRID (PHYSICAL TRANSGRESSION)­ The Marathas believed the place to be haunted due to immense loss of life during the war. The violation of a space by change in faith also contributed to this fear. The fort was abandoned for a number of years after that. Time added lay ers and la yers of foliage onto it . The fort area was then infiliarted with the activities of the fisherfold from the adjoining fishing village. It has now also become a place for the abandoned; a place of hiding from the main city. net weaving/ drying, storage, etc. The same as that for the children from the Orphanage, who use the abandoned fort grounds as play areas, and spaces to laze around. The temples which were built after the Marathas won over the fort from the Portuguese are the only places within the fort where a fairly large number of visitors are seen, although majorly only during the Hindu festivals. The entire space with its distinct functions, develop a Garden- Monument relationship with nature. Nature has so silently overtaken the entire structure, almost like a parasite growing. CURRENT SCENARIO

Most of the fort complex now being in ruins, with over-grown vegetation, currently the fort caters to 4 kinds of individual bodies. THE RUIN/ HYBRID (HUMAN TRANSGRESSION)

The ORPHANAGE/ SCHOOL which uses the abandoned spaces of the fort as playgrounds and also conduct small religious activities within the single functioning Church. The FISHERFOLK from the Koliwada, which uses the water from the wells of the fort complex for drinking,APOORVA washing, and cleaning purposes.IYENGARAPOORVA (Out of the 7 wells 5THIYENGAR within the YEAR, 5THKRVIA YEAR,DESIGN KRVIA NARRATIVESDESIGN NARRATIVESSCALE 1:500 NSCALE 1:500 N fort complex, 2 of them are used by the sher folk for drinking and cleaning purposes, 2 of them are usedCASE by the visitors STUDIES to wash theirCASE vehicles, oneMADHSTUDIES is used for domesticFORT MADH FORT FORT MAHIM FORT WORLI FORT FORT BANDRA FORT APOORVA IYENGAR 5TH YEAR, KRVIA DESIGN NARRATIVES SCALE 1:500 N water supply to the settlements right outside the fort wall and rest of them are abandoned). APOORVA IYENGAR 5TH YEAR, KRVIA DESIGN NARRATIVES SCALE 1:500 N CASE STUDIES MADH FORT WORLI FORT BANDRA FORT The other is the VISITOR/ TOURIST who are majorly seen at the Nageshwar Temple and the ruin situatedMAHALASHMI at the main entrance. MAHALASHMI TEMPLE BANDRA TEMPLE BANDRA COMPLEX KURLA COMPLEX BEACH JUHU BEACHUSERS USERS The ASI, has a small office within the fort premises which continues its ongoing restoration work. SITE PLAN SITEN SCALE PLAN 1:2000 NCONTOURSCALE 1:2000 MAP CONTOUR TEXTURECASE MAP STUDIESMAP TEXTURE MADH MAP FORT MAHIMSCALE FORT 1:2000 WORLISCALE 1:2000 FORT BANDRA FORT MAHALASHMI TEMPLE JUHU BEACH USERS CURRENT SCENARIOCURRENT SCENARIO FORT LAYOUTFORT DURING LAYOUT THE DURING PORTUGUESE THEMAHALASHMI PORTUGUESE ERA THETEMPLE TYPE ERA FACTORS BANDRATHE TYPE OF TRANSGRESSION KURLAFACTORS OFCOMPLEX TRANSGRESSION JUHU BEACH USERS SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIO SCALE 1:2000 HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF SITE N THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSION MASTER PLANMASTER / PROGRAM PLAN / PROGRAMFORMULATIONSITE FORMULATION PLANFIRST SCALEFLOOR FIRST1:2000 LEVELCONTOUR FLOOR PLAN MAP LEVEL NTEXTURESCALE PLAN 1:200 MAP N CURRENTSCALE 1:200 SCENARIO SCALE 1:2000 FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSION MAHALAKSHMI TEMPLE In the early 1400s, Bahadurshah, a Mughal Sultanate from , built a small earthen fort as an outpostGROUND in the region of Vasai FLOOR duringGROUND is rule. LEVEL FLOOR PLAN LEVELN SCALE PLANFORT 1:200 LAYOUTNSECTIONSCALE 1:200 DURING CC'SECTION SECTION THE CC' PORTUGUESE EE' SECTION N SCALE 1:100EE' ERA N SCALE 1:100 MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200In 1534 AD, the Portuguese forced Bahadurshah to cede Vasai in perpetuity. SECTION AA'SECTION SECTION AA' BB' SECTION SECTION BB'MASTER DD' SECTIONN SCALEPLAN DD' 1:200 / PROGRAMN SCALE 1:200 FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTION EE' N SCALE 1:100 It took them more than 30 years to remodel the original structure into a very strong fort, with arrangements and layout similar to the ones in Portugal. BANDRA FORT The fort became the northern capital of the Portuguese. GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTION EE' N SCALE 1:100 N SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' SCALE 1:200 The coastal land- fort was surrounded by sea on 3 sides and to the landside it had a moat, which was lled by sea-water. SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' N SCALE 1:200 They built a 4.5 kms long strong wall with 11 bastions. They built within it a Citadel, a town hall, 7 Churches, a hospital, a jail and a Bath. From 1534 to 1739 i.e. a period of 204 years it was under the Portugese rule. In the 18th century (1739), the fort was attacked by Chimaji Appa (Peshwa) and after a long bloody battle, it was captured by the Marathas. The Marathas built 2 temples within the fort complex. But the Marathas had incurred great human loss during the long battle and they considered the fort a ‘Haunted’ place and also feared losing ‘Religious values’ staying in a place of Christian domain. Hence the fort remained mainly neglected in the regime. Further in 1818, the fort was passed on to the British as a part of a treaty. APOORVAThe British by then had IYENGAR developed the neighbouring5TH port cityYEAR, of whichKRVIA was under their ruleandDESIGN hence ignored NARRATIVES the Vasai fort at large SCALE 1:500 N Many structures in the fort were demolished to make way for commercial utilization of the place. CASE Natives ofSTUDIES the region also carried stones MADH from these FORT dilapidated and unguardedMAHIM structures FORT to build their homes.WORLI FORT BANDRA FORT MAHALASHMIMost part of the fort complex TEMPLE is in ruins although it isBANDRA governed by the ASI andKURLA awaits much delayedCOMPLEX restoration process. JUHU BEACH USERS SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIO SCALE 1:2000 FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSION MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 Y GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTIONAPOORVA CC' IYENGAR SECTION5TH EE' YEAR,N SCALE KRVIA 1:100 DESIGN NARRATIVES SCALE 1:500 N SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' CASEN SCALE STUDIES 1:200 MADH FORT MAHIM FORT WORLI FORT BANDRA FORT MADH FORT MAHALASHMI TEMPLE BANDRA KURLA COMPLEX JUHU BEACH USERS SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIO SCALE 1:2000 THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSION BANDRA- KURLA COMPLEX FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTION EE' N SCALE 1:100 SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' N SCALE 1:200 SITE - VASAI FORT SITE STUD

ARCHITECTURE AND TIME

IIn analogy with human existence,the built environment demonstrates the delicate co- existence of logevity,gradual ageing and sudden destruction.That these changes can occur in a time span of only a few years or after several hundred years is what makes architecture so fascinating.

A building constantly leaves traces in its journey to meet its natural end. The manner in which we treat these traces has to con- stantly be modiied as meanings, associa- tions evolve with time.

This thesis looks at this struggle which CURRENT SCENARIO occurs at the junction between time, archi- tecture and its associations. Most of the fort complex now being in ruins, with over-grown vegetation, currently the fort caters to 4 kinds of individual bodies. ‘GENIUS LOCI’ JUHU BEACH Situated along the western coastline the Vasai-Vihar region, a large portion of the fort lies THE APPROACH neglected, being over-powered by wild vegetation. There are large trunks of trees and heaps of rubble where once were majestic white walls, stems and weeds creeping The ORPHANAGE/ SCHOOL which uses the abandoned spaces of the fort as playgrounds and also conduct small religious activities within the single functioning Church. In ‘GENIUS LOCI- Towards a Phenomenology This thesis acknowledges the wandering body and its transgression as it is essential to through the roooess oors, Portuguese inscriptions camouuaged by moss, branches N of Architecture’, theorist Christian Norberg – APOORVA IYENGAR 5TH YEAR, KRVIA DESIGN NARRATIVES SCALE 1:500 jutting out of the thick stone walls, the effects of war and death still seen in the soot- The FISHERFOLK from the Koliwada, which uses the water from the wells of the fort complex for drinking, washing, and cleaning purposes. (Out of the 7 wells within the continual existence of the RUIN. Schulz argues that every space has a ‘pro- ridden and burnt fort walls. tected spirit’, a GENIUS LOCI, which reso- MAHIM FORT CASE STUDIES MADH FORT MAHIM FORT WORLI FORT BANDRAfort complex, FORT 2 of them are used by the sher folk for drinking and cleaning purposes, 2 of them are used by the visitors to wash their vehicles, one is used for domestic nates the peculiar traits of that space. A APOORVA IYENGAR 5TH YEAR, KRVIA DESIGN waterNARRATIVES supply to the settlements right outsideSCALE the fort1:500 wall and restN of them are abandoned). GENIUS LOCI of a place gives it its identity, MAHALASHMI TEMPLE BANDRA KURLA COMPLEX JUHU BEACH USERS Also a historical structure has an additional burden to convey the lives and times as its sense of purpose. The other is the VISITOR/ TOURIST who are majorly seen at the Nageshwar Temple and the ruin situated at the main entrance. they were thousands of years ago. This burden often rests on the hands of the architect CASE STUDIES MADH FORT MAHIM FORT WORLI FORT BANDRA FORT dealing with the architecture. The only manner in which ‘history’ can be interpreted by Man’s constant debate with architecture is SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIOThe ASI, has a smallSCALE office within 1:2000 the fort premises which continues its ongoing restoration work. the present time is by the act of viewing. It is the act of viewing that is employed by the the unconscious yearning to regain or MAHALASHMI TEMPLE BANDRA KURLA COMPLEX JUHU BEACH USERS architect in museums to interpret a different time. return to its ‘true original spirit’; where archi- FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSION tecture and its intent exists in its pure form. SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIO SCALEHISTORICAL 1:2000 CONTEXT OF SITE MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVELTHE PLAN TYPE FACTORSN SCALE 1:200OF TRANSGRESSION ACT OF TRANSGRESSION FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTIONIn the early EE'1400s, BahadurshahN SCALE, a Mughal 1:100 Sultanate from Gujarat, built a small earthen fort as an outpost in the region of Vasai during is rule. This thesis also employs the act of viewing, not to interpret a different time, but to mediate on the effects of time ‘Buildings are constantly defaced by new uses MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 on a structure and to understand that there is use even in the dying of a space,a ruin. Its want to go back to nature; and by disuse; their failure to mean any longer SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' N SCALE 1:200 In 1534 AD, the Portuguese forced Bahadurshah to cede Vasai in perpetuity. and to treat it as an experience. The thesis treats the RUIN as a process, and not as an object. what they did at rst can be extraordinary It took them more than 30 years to remodel the original structure into a very strong fort, with arrangements and layout similar to the ones in Portugal. painful’ GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTION EE' N SCALE 1:100 - Robert Harbison, The Built, The The fort became the northern capital of the Portuguese. Unbuilt and the Unbuildable N SCALE 1:200 This approach contradicts the general approach to historical sites, where there is a constant yearning to restore it SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' The coastal land- fort was surrounded by sea on 3 sides and to the landside it had a moat, which was lled by sea-water. as it was at an earlier time, to be viewed only as an object and not as an experience. TThe yearning to identify this nostalgic spirit They built a 4.5 kms long strong wall with 11 bastions. called GENIUS LOCI, proves futile; as the APOORVA IYENGAR 5TH YEAR, KRVIA DESIGN NARRATIVES SCALE 1:500 N nature of the spirit evolves as it transcends They built within it a Citadel, a town hall, 7 Churches, a hospital, a jail and a Bath. through time. The identity, the purpose of a space changes with time. CASE STUDIES MADH FORT MAHIM FORT WORLI FORT BANDRA FORT From 1534 to 1739 i.e. a period of 204 years it was under the Portugese rule. In the 18th century (1739), the fort was attacked by Chimaji Appa (Peshwa) and after a long bloody battle, it was captured by the Marathas. The transgression, the morphing of a MAHALASHMI TEMPLE BANDRA KURLA COMPLEX JUHU BEACH USERS THE NARRATIVE DESIGN space to its context is essential for it to The Marathas built 2 temples within the fort complex. endure. Architecture cannot pretend to be The design method acknowledges the hybrid activities of the fisher folk, the children SITE PLAN N SCALE 1:2000 CONTOUR MAP TEXTURE MAP CURRENT SCENARIO SCALEBut 1:2000 the Marathas had incurred great human loss during the long battle and they considered the fort a ‘Haunted’ place and also feared losing ‘Religious values’ staying in a frozen in a particular time; its transgression from the orphanage, the visitor etc, and weaves a narrative around it. The visitor is essential for its presence, in whatever THE TYPE FACTORS OF TRANSGRESSIONplace of Christian domain. Hence the fort remained mainly neglected in the Maratha regime. to the site understands the site with all its complexities of a ruined condition. The form. FORT LAYOUT DURING THE PORTUGUESE ERA Further in 1818, the fort was passed on to the British as a part of a treaty. design employs a garden –monument The act of transgression is a continuous N relationship; as the monument is what the wanderer clings to in an open labyrinth. cycle. As the proverb goes, the ‘true spirit’ of MASTER PLAN / PROGRAM FORMULATION FIRST FLOOR LEVEL PLAN SCALEThe British 1:200 by then had developed the neighbouring port city of Mumbai which was under their ruleand hence ignored the Vasai fort at large a space begins to decay, the moment the Many structures in the fort were demolished to make way for commercial utilization of the place. last craftsmen has left the building. The GROUND FLOOR LEVEL PLAN N SCALE 1:200 SECTION CC' SECTION EE' N SCALE 1:100 human body then continuously animates Natives of the region also carried stones from these dilapidated and unguarded structures to build their homes. these dead spaces by transgressing them; SECTION AA' SECTION BB' SECTION DD' N SCALE 1:200 THE NARRATIVE DESIGN while unconsciously modifying this ‘true Most part of the fort complex is in ruins although it is governed by the ASI and awaits much delayed restoration process. TheRobert design Irwin method expresses acknowledges his thoughts the about hybrid landscape activities design of the process: sher folk, the children from the orphanage, the visitor etc, and weaves a narrative spispirit’. aroundThis means it. The sitting, visitor watching to the site and understands walking through the site the with site…What all its complexities is the site’s of relation a ruined to condition. applied and The implied design employs a garden –monument relationship;schemes or organizationas the monument and systems is what ofthe order, wanderer relation, clings architecture, to in an open uses, labyrinth. distances, sense of scale?...What kinds of Every space /object is in either state of trans- natural events affect the site – snow, wind, sun-angles, sunrise, w ater, etc.? What is the physical and people density?... gression. This thesis looks at some spaces which are in RobertWhat Irwinare the expresses qualities his thoughts of surface, about sound, landscape movement, design process: light, etc.? What are the histories of prior and current uses, either states of transgression of the OPEN Thispresent means desires, sitting, watching etc? and walking through the site…What is the site’s relation to applied and implied schemes or organization and systems of order, relation, architecture, LABYRINTH, THE HYBRID and the RUIN, as uses,A quiet distances, distillation sense of of scale?...What all this - while kinds of directly natural eventsexperiencing affect the thesite – site snow, – determineswind, sun-angles, all thesunrise, facets water, of etc.?the Whatsculptural is the physical and people density?...What are the case-studies. qualitiesresponse…whether of surface, sound, the movement, response light, should etc.? What be monumental are the histories or of ephemeral,prior and current aggressive uses, present or desires,gentle, etc? useful or useless, A quiet distillation of all this - while directlydi experiencing the site – determines all the facets of the sculptural response…whether the response should be monumental or ephemeral,

TRANSGRESSION OF SPACES THROUGH TIME TRANSGRESSION OF SPACES IYENGAR, APOORVA KRVIA sculptural, architectural, or simply the planting of a tree, or maybe even doing nothing at all.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE ARCHITECTURAL OBJECT OF THE LIFE AND DEATH aggressive or gentle, useful or useless, sculptural, architectural, or simply the planting of a tree, or maybe even doing nothing at all.