Spaces and Places

‘Urban gardens’ are a plethora of socio-cultural, historical and environmental learning, that allows varied observant assert the sense of ‘the right to the city’ or reclaim an ‘urban commons’. One such urban garden uniquely hanging upon a historical water reservoir on Malabar Hill has been a source of solace and wonder for all. Beautifully designed by Ulhas Ghapokar in 1881 and dedicated to Sir Pherozshah Mehta, it is narrated to have been built over one of Bombay’s main water reservoirs to protect it from getting polluted by the nearby towers of silence. The garden is a manifestaton of a positive energy welcoming diverse group of visitors who see their interests towards fostering ‘civic ecological sense’ and ‘social associations’ with the flora-fauna and history in the city. 

Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh, India is one of the oldest Rockcut stupas. I was on a study trip when I happened to visit this place. It carries a lot of sanctity, calmness and tranquility that one would wish to run away from their daily chaos. The architectural details in the stupas resemble the Eightfold principles leading to liberation in the form of 'Nirvana'. The carvings, monasteries and lush gardens of Sanchi Stupa have been designated as the World Heritage site by UNESCO and thus it truly catches the eye where one can experience enticing natural beauty.

The browns of the walls have grown pale and peel. The wooden drawers are the cash register. The lone chandelier, dusting peeling paintwork and ceiling fans that whirr above the chattering crowd with life-sized cutouts of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge smiling down at visitors from the dining room's slightly slanting balcony, amongst all this pageantry, Welcome to Britannia & Co in Ballard Estate, Mumbai. One of the many Iranian/Parsi cafes in Mumbai, it is one of the most revered space to learn the cultural extravaganza of Parsi community. This place is a phenomenon of cultural capital that has been exported from a foreign land, brought to this land by a settler community and yet it has ingrained itself in the rhizomatic layers of the city. These cafes, with their magnificently faded, time-capsule dining rooms and speciality dishes, are a gloriously eccentric part of the fabric of Mumbai. They are democratic and inclusive places, where people of all backgrounds, classes and sexes meet to indulge in conversations, cuisine and langauage that forms the crux of intangible cultural heritage of the city. 

While I sip my Irani chai(tea) with Maska-bun and wholesome Berry Pulao, I wonder how a smaller space like this has been a witness to mutilitudes of stories, emotions and cultural transactions over a century and has formed a cultural niche in the identity and imageability of the city. 

Squatters are often considered the filth of our cities. These are a group of underprivileged dispossessed families who migrated to urban areas in search of livelihoods. One such Squatter housing in Mumbai where the adjoining neighbourhood depends on them for daily help like maids, clerks, watchman, tiffin services, etc. As they provide the help, their living conditions are always neglected. Living on the encroached lands along sewage lines bearing erratic climatic battles like floods, fires and serious health disorders, leaves behind the only dream of normal city life and an end to their miseries... 

i'm interior architect student in the north of cyprus. most of the time i'm walking around historical ruins in the city. in this view we passed near the st George of the Latins (the remains of one of the earliest churches in famagusta) and in one moment i had strange feeling . it was as if all the energy was there. i though for a moment what had happened here , what people have lived here . and once i came back to the present and saw in what calm and good weather i'm passing by this historic ruins with my best friend (my dog) and i quickly felt the past and present in one moment.

The marsh of Monastir (in Tunisia) is a favorable environment for a delegation of migratory birds such as "flamingos", as well as many other types of birds such as ducks and various types of gulls. Despite the construction of the airport and the metro line that crosses the marsh, the birds have remained attached to this ecological station and have not abandoned it. One of the characteristics of this bird is that it forms incubators, as some husbands stay to guard the chicks, while the others start bringing food from nearby slums and distant places to return to their seat to feed their young at sunset. This place is then associated with birth, fertility and life.

Due to the sewage being poured into this lake, the number of birds gradually decreased and the birds' nests became empty.

This problem inspired me to create my project. According to different cultures, the egg is considered a symbol of life, fertility and the victory of the love of life over the darkness of death. According to Finnish legend, the egg is the beginning of the universe or the beginning in which the universe was born.

The legend says that the goddess "Luonnotar" spent her life alone in the vast emptiness of space.  Then she fell from the sky to the earth. Then the seagull came from the distant horizon, and on her lap she built her nest. Then the goddess felt a heat flowing through her body, as if her knee was burning and her veins were melting, the bird laid her eggs on her knee, which trembled, then the eggs rolled on the water and were broken. From the lower part of the eggs was formed the earth, mother of all beings; from their upper part, the sublime sky; from their yellow parts, the radiant sky; from their white part, the bright moon; their speckled debris became stars; their black debris the clouds of the air. "Luonnotar" continued the process of creation, creating the seas, bays and shores, and the depths of the oceans.

From this legend I began my project . I made a sculpture in the shape blue phoenix with two large wings protruding from its head, The phoenix bird symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death but this time the bird is weak and his heart is bleeding , I chose the blue to be in harmony with the blue of the sky and the marshes, and to contrast with the color of the ground. Then I distributed a group of gypsum eggs among the marsh grass, indicating that this place is the source of life, fertility and birth so we should protect it and stop polluting it . I colored the eggs blue, referring to male birth, pink to female birth, and purple gradient, which is the mix between pink and blue for other sexual orientations. Then I took photographs of the installation to document it, as the final work will be in the form of photographs, as I have no desire to leave the installation in the marsh or to make the marsh an open exhibition space where I wish to preserve the purity and tranquility of the place and its vitality without leaving a trace, as I am ultimately interested in the images that perpetuate the trace.

This place reminds me of childhood. Sometimes I come here just to sit and enjoy the view. I let the warmth wrap me in a hug and comfort me as i dream of the good old days. This is a place where i let myself think of you, father. I think of the joke you told me, the kiss on the forhead you gave me. I know as i sit here, you are sitting next to me. This is the place where i can feel you. I feel you sitting next to me, smilling, enjoying the sun setting in the distance. This is the place where i you can hear me. I will forever be gratefull of the memories we made, for the feelings i feel when i am here. This will forever be my favourite place.

Fotografía digital toma directa. EDDMC (El Desorden De Mi Cama) 

Eligo la cama porque lo considero un espacio dentro del espacio. Su forma rectangular me remite a perímetro delineado donde circula mi existencia de manera cotidiana y recurrente. La cama como territorio íntimo que da cuenta de una existencia pasajera.  

Het onzichtbare zichtbaar maken

In het heden is NU de ander kwetsbaar en fragiel. Samenkomen is heden tien dagen vergeten. Het belang van ontmoeting, het missen van creativiteit en het leren van elkaar. Het is een zoektocht naar het terug verbinden met de ander. Met een ruimte die van de oudheid al bestaat, die anders is, een heterotopie van zijn tijd. Een terugblik naar de oudheid. Zonder de aanwezigheid van een patio zou er geen bestaan ​​​​van een villa kunnen zijn, daarom was het meteen een gedeelde plek. In een patio waar de ander samenkwam, werd gezien als een ontmoetingsplek. De publieke ruimte bestaat niet meer. Het streven om de publieke ruimte te vormen, die vertrekt vanuit de innerlijke ruimte van de ander.Een poëtische marge waar de ziel van de andere zal raken.

De patio geeft een thuisgevoel, waarin architectuur vertrouwd zal worden. Het doel is om van de patio een zichtbare publieke plek te maken die gedeeld wordt met de ander. De herinnering van de ander is essentieel, maar deze wordt vandaag de dag vergeten.
Een metafoor van een patio. Een ruimte die gedeeld werd met de buitenwereld, waarbij het interieur openstaat en samen in verbinding is met de buitenwereld. Het begint vanuit een omsloten patio waardoor de wand zich ontwikkelt door de naar binnen kleinere kleinere patio. Deze trekt de kenmerkende eigenschappen van de buitenwereld naar binnen. Door de omkering van een ruimte in een ruimte ontstaat er een patio in een patio. Deze omkeerbaarheid vormt een drempelloze toegankelijkheid naar de innerlijke ruimte.
Zo wordt de onzichtbare wereld zichtbaar voor de buitenwereld, en wordt de onzichtbare onzichtbaar.