Publication: Design experimentation in a context of cultural division: the case of Ahmedabad
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Date
2019
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AESOP
Abstract
The essay “Design experimentation in a context of cultural division” aims at investigating the context of social segregation visible in the city of Ahmedabad (capital of Gujarat, India), caused by the violent strife between Muslim and Hindu communities culminated in the riots of 2002. Social segregation within a city requires a reflection on possible places where design solutions could help in creating meeting spaces. The article tries to understand the reasons for these social frictions, wondering whether urban space has changed as a result of these tensions by answering the need for privacy of the two communities. After studying three areas in different border conditions between Muslims and Hindus, the study identifies in the ‘disputed areas’ places suitable to investigate social and architectural strategies. The work suggests a strategic solution with the aim to transform the contact points from barriers to spaces of relationship between the two communities. Starting from the fragile relationships and issues in the areas of intervention, this project firstly tries to meet the basic needs of the population with an infrastructural proposal. In a second communitarian layer, it suggests to foster the exchange of craft traditions through the construction of meeting spaces such as workshops and cultural centers.
Keywords: religious conflict, disputed borders, meeting spaces
Description
Planning for Transition – book of proceedings 31; 2