Unfolding Narratives

south gate road plan
section: proposed streetscape
The urban redevelopment proposal attempts to tie the entire stretch
with a coherent but non-uniform urban design, prioritising nonmotorised
mobility through a radical change in the visual texture of
the place. Several amenities such as landscaped seating areas, shelters
for parking/boarding tangas, cycle rickshaws and battery operated
carts security check posts, toilet blocks and drinking water facilities
are also proposed across the project area. Community Centers, parks
and other infrastructure are proposed for the slum areas.
Families living in the Taj Ganj practice several household craft
traditions – marble inlay, zardozi, leather artifacts and so on.
However, the excessive focus on the Taj Mahal seldom leaves tourists
with patience or interest in visiting and engaging with them. A one
acres site, less than 100 M from the East Gate of the Taj complex,
offers the opportunity of gathering tourists and orienting them towards
Taj Ganj. The Taj Ganj Visitors’ Center responds to and
accommodates the dual program: a tourist facilitation center as well as
an institution for the living cultural traditions.
The building comprises of a low-key, two-storey cuboid with a 6m
structural grid, and a truncated pyramid surrounded by courtyards.
While the cuboid is aligned to the South-East boundaries of the site,
the pyramid is placed diagonally with its axis of symmetry orienting
towards the Taj Mahal. The entire complex is sunk into the ground by
one floor; the orientation of the green sunken square is cardinal. This
lowering of the datum helps addressing two problems: one, the
gallery
section, aerial view and interior views of Taj Ganj Visitors’ Center
38 Architecture Update March 2016