Amaravati designs in, CM Naidu to take call

TWO ARCHITECTS from Londonbased firm Norman Foster and Partners on Wednesday submitted three themes on which designs of government buildings for Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati could be based.

The themes, including a fourth that is a fusion of the three main themes, were submitted to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat in Velagapudi area of Amaravati.

According to officials, the architects will take suggestions and inputs for the concept designs, which were presented, and a detailed action plan with design and models of the government buildings will be submitted later. A full construction plan will also be submitted at a later stage, the official added.

“In the themes submitted today, the architects played around with placement of buildings .... In one theme, there was a central vista, in another an arch, and so forth,” the official said.

Norman Foster and Partners has been chosen as the master architects for designing the government complex in Amaravati. Theseincludethestatesecretariat, Raj Bhavan, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, and the High Court buildings.

Naiduspentseveralhoursdiscussingthefourdesignsandmodels of the structures, to be built on 900acres.hedidnotsaywhether thedesignshavemethisapproval.

Following his meeting with the architects, Naidu said that the government structures and buildings will be iconic and unique, and that all the structures will be built uniformly. The Chief Minister has convened a meeting later this week with all ministers, secretaries, and heads of departments to showcase the concept designs.

“We are calling it the people’s capital, and their participation is important,” Naidu said. “To take people’s advice and suggestions, wewillusesocialmedia.aspecial web portal will be set up to take suggestions from all Teluguspeaking people living abroad. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (and) Youtube accounts will be opened to get their suggestions.”