Dm

Mumbai is a city that defies traditional conceptions of planning and design. Rather than view the city as a series of geographic territories or zones, I chose to examine it as a network of temporal flows, each with their own corresponding rhythms.

My study area was an section of the Mithi River between Mahim Junction and Bandra rail stations. This is a complex zone with much interweaving between infrastructure and the Mithi basin. Rail, road, and water pipeline corridors overlap at many different levels. Salt water and sweet water mix and create an estuary that supports a mangrove ecology as the river emerges into the bay.

My project explores the interaction of the rhythms in this area and how they can be made more apparent: in particular, how the forgotten mangroves and river basin can be brought into the consciousness of the hectic commuter as they zoom past by train or car. How can people be brought into this space to experience it and its different characters over time?

Two 12ft diameter municipal water pipes pass through the territory along a straight parallel path. A service road which runs between them acts as an informal passageway, connecting two informal settlements and two train stations. Walking on top of the pipes reveals long horizons and views of the city. Walking along the pipes gives a more intimate experience of the mangrove ecology.

My design formalizes this experience though the construction of a spiral walkway which hooks onto the existing pipe collars. A cantilevered arm component, when attached at varying angles creates the structure for a path that moves over, under, and around the pipe as it traverses the territory. At time parts of the path are submerged below the tides, at other times they provide access to tidal pools and potential connections to new walkways through the mangroves. At the Mahim end, the path passes through the Dharavi settlement, creating a promenade for markets and festival celebrations.

At either end of the walkway, large open green spaces, which currently act as seasonal water collection tanks, are designed and programmed, extending the territory of the estuary into the urban fabric.