Under the Elevated

The metro line currently located in the southeast of Jaipur is a 9.63 km elevated flyover from Mansarovar to Chandpole Bazzar. This project was completed in 2014 with an investment of approximately USD 113,338,45.60. The metro line itself is well-constructed. However, the supporting facilities around the flyover were not a part of the consideration. The residential areas passing by the metro face a lack of infrastructure and open public spaces. Although these areas have the potential to form a very vibrant community (high density, intricate and interconnected streets and large flow of people, etc.), due to the lack of basic facilities (public restrooms, water supply, streetlights, and public spaces, etc.), residents can hardly enjoy their lives in streets and the benefits brought by the metro line. Since areas near the flyover are already of a high density, spaces under the flyover can be considered as potential usable public spaces. Architecture, in the end, is the art of making shelters for human beings. Considering the context, we are making shelters, open spaces, necessary facilities… We want to make places that are open, and accessible. But this project does not just answer to needs and necessities, but also to desires, dreams, and aspirations, that Jaipur needs to be a pedestrian-friendly city, with beautiful streets, residents can enjoy their everyday lives. These streets crossing the dense city should not just be paths from one spot to another but tells a story about the identity of the people living in Jaipur.