A Cultural Haat
Dilli Haat, Janakpuri, New Delhi
Haat Beat’ was the starting point to this design competition entry in 2005. Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation had invited entries for a Dilli Haat in Janakpuri– a massive site with a large residential audience, in a part of Delhi that had very few places to go out to. DTTDC has promoted music all across Delhi with its concerts and other initiatives. The idea was to give them a home for playful
music and give these homes a place to play with music. This was the underlying layer that bonded the overall program of formal and informal shops to sell crafts and celebrate culture; to inject a new life into this part of Delhi and be its rhythmic ‘ haat beat’.
As a design philosophy, with two Dilli Haats already in the city, one questioned the design elements at multiple levels. Fundamentally, all Dilli Haats need to have a common ground of bringing artisans to interface with city dwellers.
All these haats need their own identity to attract people not only from their own neighbourhood, but from the city at large. One also had to look at evolving the language and imagery of these haats with time. They could not be imitated extensions of the previous haats or imitations of villages in the city. They had to be progressive, in tune with today’s times and respecting the craft and cultural centricity of the project. The design solution therefore, is a conversation between the past and the present, acknowledgement of the traditional and its adaptation in contemporary times, in concept and in construction.
The site was a large six- acre north- west facing contiguous piece that turns south- east towards the end. The plot is bound by the main bus terminus on one side, the Tihar jail ( a national prison) greens on the other side and a large commercial road in the front. The complex is planned with two entrances; a primary face with vehicular and pedestrian zones and a secondary rear entry for pedestrians into the craft- only zone.
Conception of the program is as large a design intervention as its physical manifestation. The final functionality found an indoor, well- equipped, 800- capacity auditorium for formal concerts and an informal similar capacity open- air amphitheatre that works simultaneously with independent spaces and support services. A multipurpose, multi- scaled exposition hall for exhibitions and seminars is proposed. A set of four baskets houses a music museum, a music store and music workshop space along with tourism offices and cafes. A large, airconditioned food court extends into shaded courtyards and expansive greens for the basic need of spill- overs. Formal, informal and open shop spaces are created to bring in the required sensitive adaptations of malls, markets and bazaars into this haat. An independent fine dining with an extended banquet facility is created to reinforce the
business plan of this complex cultural complex.
Taking cognizance of all the requirements, so as to make the haat– a functionally viable program, it was decided to give a music theme to the centre. The lack of any centre dedicated to music is evident, while doing the research and soon, the theme of ‘ haat beat’ gathered momentum. A stateof- the- art auditorium that can hold large music concerts, an amphitheatre, a music center for sales and exhibition of musical instruments along with inviting exuberant gatherings of budding musicians and music lovers.
Outdoor shops with roofing canopies and craft shops to hold artisans’ workshops are integral to the theme. Air- conditioned shops are added to make it a more viable shopping experience. There is also a children’s play area tucked into a small green patch. The food court with basement parking facilities ties it all together to sustain it as an enterprise. Like a well- crafted movie, the strength of this project is that the plot is strong and the basic idea is immersed well in every aspect extensively. The site plan is knit together efficiently. Free- flowing open spaces bind various activities on two levels. The main pedestrian and vehicular entries are from a busy street. There is a separate service entry and a couple of special entry points. A large open space takes the visitor through