Architectural Poem Writing Competition, India: Series 3 was themed as ‘Urban Issues’

Concept brief was described in the competition as The Architectural world is surrounded by a lot of urban issues that go beyond the six planes. Some of them may have bothered you or given you sleepless nights. On this platform, you can give a voice to your concerns from a lyrical perspective to bring them out for a larger audience.

The organization has announced the winning Verses and the winners with their Stanzas are as under:

Special Mention: ‘When I see…’ By Ar. Chintan Shah

Stanza - ‘When I see…’

When I see from the sky, shocked by an urban sprawl!

The large agriculture fields of fringes are swallowed,

And the footprints of our water bodies has diminished,

It needs a quick attention or it will hurt generations.

When I see from the sea, it looks more disheartening!

The sea level is rising but the groundwater is decreasing,

There is a race between the skyscrapers to kiss the sky,

But still, most of them are living in the slums nearby.

When I see from the street, looks like not meant for me!

I want to walk on it but filled with cars and machines,

Eager to move on but there is no bus to take me on,

My face is full of anxiety as everything here looks chaotic.

When I see from my window, I find it hard to believe!

Someone is robbed in the alley which gets flooded frequently,

I can see glam of building lights but there are no trees beside,

Desperate to breathe fresh air but a park is far from my access.

When I see, I want to see people smiling, relishing their city!

Needed is a holistic and pragmatic approach with a belief,

A process of revival is being taken care but I will call it my city,

Only when the missing sparrows will come back to its native.

Special Mention: ‘An Urban Perspective’. By Ar. Ajay Choudhary

Stanza - ‘An Urban Perspective’:

The trench and metro

in the pink city that you dig

Big machine and the rig

Temples that you remove

And vendors that you move

Another fancy smart city

a new trench that you dig

I am the gnarled old grandfather

Squatting on the chaupar

Old stoned eyes

Looking nowhere

Lost my grandeur

You build and rebuild

In some name or other

I am no one, a nobody to bother

An estranged citizen

Like my old pink city

You change me in a jiffy

Leave me alone

In my delusion of grandeur

Leave me alone

In my Utopian world

Wherein I ride in my Tonga

and a ubiquitous rickshaw

The road to heaven

Leads to temple Govind Dev

Jurors for these Series were:

Prof Krishna Rao Jaisim: Principal Architect Jaisim-Fountainhead

Ar. Pappal Suneja, Freelance Architect & Architectural Journalist, India

Ar. Jinisha Jain, Prof. McGAN’S Ooty School of Architecture

Prof (Ar.) SS Behl: Dean, Guru Nanak Dev. University, Amritsar

Ar. Sangeet Sharma, Practicing Architect & Author Chandigarh     

For Further Updates, Visit the Facebook Page of the Competition Series.

Top Image © Prof. B S Keshav (Urban Chaos) 

> via Architectural Journalism Series