‘Chowk’ means a central area where crossroads meet. On our short trip to Nana Chowk, we found that the fusion of all social classes of people was evident in the so called modern high-rises and the modest old Bombay colonial structures.

The ‘choke’ was obstructed by an underutilized sky bridge. The central column of the structure was connected to the pathways around that branched onto the various side streets. This posed a problem not only to the residents of the nearby buildings, but also to the traffic.

Photos of Obstructive Bridge

Concept- A simple roundabout garden at the center of the road intersection would be more pleasing to the eye. We wished to implement green roof technologies on most small buildings in the area as they received ample sunlight.

Additionally, we wanted to combine the sky bridge and sidewalks into crosswalks, which would enable pedestrians to cross the roads safely. A gradual slope would enable cars to go over them with ease, forming a gentle speed breaker. In addition to the green roofs, the crosswalks could be made into ‘green walks’.

Our strategy was to redesign Nana Chowk, and by extension, the rest of Mumbai city, using the same ‘central garden’ and ‘green walks’ idea.

Exploded Axonometric