Pukhurs (or ponds) are an integral part of the natural and cultural landscapes of Assam, a state in India's northeast. Many of these—constructed by the Ahom dynasty as storage tanks for irrigation, dockyards connecting the mainland to the river or for religious rituals—are places of gathering, green pockets within rapidly evolving urban matrices today. The regeneration of these natural landscapes plays a vital role in integrating nature into cities and, hence, has been part of the overall regeneration scheme of the Brahmaputra river proposed by the state government. The scheme, approved in 2021, includes a masterplan landscape design along the river, pavilions and bank protection measures to make the river more accessible for tourists and locals and plans for improving the infrastructure of the surrounding areas.

Among these projects aimed at the revitalisation of the riverfront and its cohesive integration into the urban fabric, a pilot project developed by Mumbai-based practice atArchitecture oversees the rejuvenation of a natural water lily pond at the edge of the Brahmaputra, hence creating a new public space along the river, connecting it to the heritage museum in its vicinity. "The intervention has two parts: the rejuvenation of the existing lake (Padam Pukhuri) and bank of river," the design team elaborates on the scheme in conversation with STIR. "For the lake, a stepped pavilion was introduced to negotiate the level drop, making the water more accessible to the public. Similarly, the river was made accessible through a series of stepped terraces and ramps.”

The stepped design, seemingly a contemporary abstraction of the traditional ghat, aims to be universally accessible while providing a respite from the chaos of the city centre. The emerging Indian architecture studio's approach to practice, with a focus on public projects in India, has recently won them several accolades and recognition. The small-scale office of Indian architects—with principals Avneesh Tiwari and Neha Rane helmed by a team of eight—talks about architecture as a tool through which to create a dialogue between users and context. This understanding, they believe, has diminished in a country where rapid population growth and capital influx have meant that projects prioritise speed over metrics such as sustainability or contextuality. In response, their work, even in the public sector, seeks to ground itself into the local cultures.

In the landscape design that initiates the larger development of the riverfront, this balance of design with public concern is evident. Apart from the stepped pavilion that gently leads to the pond, the architects negotiate a 10-metre elevation difference between the ground and the river’s high watermark through a series of gently cascading terraces and pathways that heed the natural topography of the terrain, ensuring there is minimal cut-and-fill. Further, the foundation uses gabions to preserve natural groundwater flow, as they note in their official release. The pocket of land between the pond and the river is transformed in its design, becoming a recreational space and public park for the local community.

While the design is minimal, emphasising easy access to the river’s edge and acting as a green spillover to the city, the consideration of natural vegetation for such a scheme is vital. "Efforts were made to revive the local flora and fauna by restoring vegetation that aligns with the native ecosystem, ensuring ecological harmony," the designers state in a conversation with STIR. To ensure that the local flora is not harmed, the terraces are intertwined with riparian vegetation. A combination of gabions and recharge pits improves soil health and increases biomass. The inclusion of 250,000 sqm of trees and shrubs facilitates the rejuvenation of native species, attracts wildlife and shapes an open-air botanical gallery, they go on to mention.

With the main objective of the scheme being to provide a space of respite for the community, the design team ensured that the public space is universally accessible through ramps, seating and meandering pathways. A partly sunken car park is included that is meant to serve the people visiting both the museum and the riverside. The area for urban design intervention is one of the busiest areas of the burgeoning city and is currently its administrative sector. This in itself poses challenges for such a scheme. In fact, the ongoing rejuvenation work at the riverfront has caused congestion and pollution for commuters.

Addressing these challenges, the design team mentions to STIR, "Despite being located near a busy neighbourhood, the site itself is a secluded open space, which allowed for smooth construction. However, this proximity to the bustling surroundings highlights the importance of the intervention as a much-needed breathing space in the city. The design provides a freely accessible urban space for all, encouraging public engagement and offering respite from the dense urban fabric."

While long-term schemes for urban development such as riverfront developments and smart city proposals look to larger goals of sustainability or boosts in tourism, rendering otherwise accessible spaces defunct due to ongoing construction, pilot initiatives such as the one carried out by atArchitecture, the value of small-scale open pockets of green space for the community are brought to the fore. As they note in the conclusion, "These interventions aim to create an inclusive space where people can engage with the water bodies, fostering interaction and reconnecting the community with nature."

Project Details

Name: Urban Regeneration of Brahmaputra Riverfront - Pilot phase
Location: Pan Bazaar, Guwahati, Assam
Client: GMDA, Government of Assam
Design Team: Neha Rane and Avneesh Tiwari
Area: 5,00,000 sq ft
Year of Completion: 2024