Adaptive Rethinking of Jamuna Future Park as a Civic Space

BRAC University, Department of Architecture, Dhaka

Project idea

At the age of 52 years, Bangladesh entered into an era of unprecedented globalization and late-stage capitalism. Modern societies thrive when architecture and urban design are used as spatial tools to reconcile the intrinsic need for socialization with the ubiquitous need for materialistic fulfilment.

Architectural movements, limited by the omnipresent driving forces of free market economics have barely prioritized communal spaces in Dhaka. This thesis explores the deteriorating fabric of civic textures in Dhaka’s cityscape and creates a hypothesis that proposes an adaptive solution within a critical node in her map. It tries to rethink an existing shopping mall – Jamuna Future Park – of a colossal scale spread across 33 acres of land to facilitate development on both micro and macro scales to attract the city’s inhabitants in droves.

Project description

Ideal civic spaces have a distinct character in the public realm and are an irreplaceable part of the city’s character. Notable examples include Central Park or Times Square in New York, Champs Elysee in Paris, and Piazza San Marco in Venice. Plot-centric urban planning paired with skyrocketing land prices in congested Dhaka has led to extreme land scarcity for public use. Soaring private complexes and towers choke the few remnants of voids available. Urban accessibility is a distinctive trait in southwestern Dhaka. However, as you move northwards, the collective ethos diverges away from a socialist utopia.

The primary objective of this project was to strike a sensitive balance between the economic, social, and cultural needs of users while creating human-centered spaces. It aimed to redefine the hustle and bustle of Dhaka to create positive associations - a nurturing sanctuary for rejuvenation by exploring the intersectionality between nature and the built environment while mitigating the polarization and alienation of different social fabrics. This thesis was heavily influenced by the theories of New Contextualism to create aspirational narratives that captivate the Bengali ethos, challenging the International style of architecture notorious for eroding contextual stories of localities across the globe.

Jamuna Future Park is located at a critical juncture which can be classified as the gateway between New Dhaka and Old Dhaka. Research revealed glaring issues within the existing structure such as poor customer retention in relation to the sheer scale of financial investment on thirty-three acres of land, underutilized real estate space, frustrating navigational issues within the colossal maze of monotony, climatic considerations, and underutilized land area. For context, mapping diagrams illustrated in this thesis demonstrate the sheer scale of the site of thirty-three acres relative to the infamous Parliament building. This demonstrates that within the maze of intricate small plots, this project is well-positioned and well-equipped to become a defining civic center in Dhaka. The land area provides it with unrealized potential. Jamuna Future Park is located at a critical juncture which can be classified as the gateway to new Dhaka. Having grown northward from the southern banks of the Buriganga River for the past four hundred years, it is only recently that the city has stretched an arm eastward, in an East-West orientation. Distinctive settlements - namely Bashundhara Residential Area, Jalshiri Abason, Purbachal New City, and a few others have been demarcated here in the past two decades. It is located strategically to retain users as it can be a gateway for users during their daily commutes– from commercial to residential and vice versa.

The primary design language is inspired by the geo-morphological essence of mountains staggering upwards. Design strategies include the deconstruction of the boxy volume into a digestible staggering structure thus enriching spatial porosity by increasing the surface area to volume ratio. Another was to introduce an enveloping concave form while integrating informal spaces across the heart of the project to make it more welcoming. Real estate spaces were scaled down to increase usebility of wasted space, versatility, variety and affordability. Monotonous and repetitive shops are rearranged to an asymmetrical zig-zag layout to create more interactive and interesting edges. Ramps and escalators are used as experiential tools for seamless vertical integration of pedestrian traffic. The five atriums organized with classical geometry are culpable for the rotational symmetry causing navigation issues. From the human perspective, there are no reference points when every elevation looks the same. The theoretical concepts of harmony, focus, and hierarchy aid the project to become more congruent. The proposed alternative introduces a vista with a meandering path - a psychological end to a user’s journey. Not only does this act as a major reference point, but it also stirs a visitor’s curiosity to explore.

Technical information

This thesis primarily aims to make a statement about civic spaces created by private investors.