Opportunity Areas
Proposed Site for Bus Shelter
Proposed Site for Public Installation
Proposed Site for Vendor Zone
Every heritage site has a story to tell. They are the living monuments that connects us to our past that helps us to understand our evolution towards an ideal society. One such locality that once flourished for its vantage point of being close to the backwaters was the Cannon Shed Road, that lies next to the Ernakulam Boat Jetty and KSRTC bus stand.
As part of our attempt to create a space that propagates the symphony of the old-world charm of Cochin and the modern allure of Kochi, we welcome the architecture student community to be part of a design competition that will be centred on the three aspects of the proposed street development. The purpose of this competition is to provide a platform for students to showcase their designs interpretations and ideas for the betterment of public space and building a better future.
The 300 m long Cannon Shed Road got its name from the ammunition store located there, that once housed six cannons during the reign of King of Cochin. The road is located in Kochi, Kerala, along the east-west axis facing the Ernakulam boat jetty. The road that is intrigued with numerous historical milestones, including the historical visit of Swami Vivekananda in 1892. He alighted at the Boat Jetty and walked this road to meet Chattambi Swamikal, who was staying at a house in the vicinity. The road has been host to a number of famous people like Vaikom Mohammed Basheer who had a book store here. Some of the other important historic landmarks are the Cochin Bakery built-in the 1930's; the Hotel Colombo - a restaurant established by a man from Sri Lanka in the 1950's, giving the junction laterally crossing the Cannon Shed Road its name. Starley House, a colonial-style bungalow from the 1960's; the Indian Coffee House and the KSRTC bus stand at the Boat Jetty. The now defunct Maruthi Vilas Lodge, once a hot-bed of political and cultural activities is also a part of this road's history. The lodge was once a meeting point for politicians, journalists, cultural and social activists. It hosted many celebrities, including many celebrated theatre personalities like N N Pillai and P J Antony. A.P. Varkey, CPM’s long-standing district secretary stayed in room no 54 of the lodge for more than four decades. According to some historians, the last meeting Communist leader Azhikodan Raghavan attended on the day of his murder was at Maruthi Vilas Lodge. The hotel’s name is etched in history as it was the location of the Polit Bureau meeting of the first ever ministry of Kerala just before the swearing in ceremony. Former Chief Minister E K Nayanar was also a famous patron of this lodge. Also, the CPI (ML) Red Flag had its first office in Ernakulam in this hotel.
The road in its heyday acted as the artery of the Cochin social life. But now due to improper developments and neglect the road is currently in a deplorable condition. A street that could be part of the heritage destinations of the city has slowly lost its cultural value. Elementary building masses at the street has now diminished the architectural beauty of the space that reflects the bygone era of Cochin. So, in an attempt to bring back those glorious days we are trying our best to bring in a positive change through adding necessary amenities and design interventions that connect the present to its distinguished past. As part of the process we are planning to implement a set of measures to help the public utilize the street more harmoniously.
Proposed Site for Bus Shelter
Proposed Site for Public Installation
Proposed Site for Vendor Zone
People should be able to use the pedestrian paths and roads safely and conveniently.
Make streets clean and walkable. Create climate sensitive design.
Reduce impact on the natural environment and reduce pressure on built infrastructure
Create a space that is a perfect setting for the celebration of the past and present.
like the batch and registration number, College address, a college authorization letter on the official letterhead stating the names of each team member.
Tell us about one of your most satisfying academic work designs in an A3 poster format.
Short listing of candidates will be based on those submissions that meet all the above-mentioned criteria.
Participants will have to choose a topic from the aforementioned list, including the compulsory topic – An installation depicting the history of Cannon Shed Road – and bring out their interpretations of the topic.
Creative development plans/ideas in 3 A3 sheets. Conceptual design for the proposed development on the site. Spatial analyses with effective graphical representations and should also describe your idea in 250 words.
Creative development plans/ideas in 3 A3 sheets. Conceptual design for the proposed development on the site. Spatial analyses with effective graphical representations and should also describe your idea in 250 words.
Announcement
Registration
Shotlisting Teams / Individuals
Shortlisted Submission
Winner Announcement
First Prize
Top 3
Top 10
Proposals that satisfy the following criteria have a high possibility of getting shortlisted:
Proposals that satisfy the following criteria have a high possibility of winning the top 3 prizes:
This competition’s aim is to generate a range of ideas that can be presented as alternative visions for the street through a participatory approach.
The competition organizers give no assurance that winning or submitted entries will be implemented.
There is no legal claim to the award of a prize money or corresponding assets.
The submitted documents cannot be returned. The participants of the competition declare to agree by submitting the competition entry that the contributions can be published in different media. Shortlisted entries will be summarized in a public exhibition.
Authors retain a copyright for their work. However, all submissions become the property of KTA, which has the right to publish all or any part of the submitted material.