Rethinking Civic Architecture

Abstract

“Architecture gives identity to the city and shapes people's lasting impression of the city.” Civic buildings have been constructed through all human civilizations. These archetypes form vital building blocks of a city and support local economy, culture and everyday life. Building for the public has always been an important aspect and concern for modern development. When we look at recent Urban development trends however, we can see that while creating civic buildings such as malls, bus terminals, convention centers, etc, a repetition of the same banal blueprint is being repeated. This is done without much engagement with the local culture, community and lifestyle. This has led to a loss of identity causing placelessness in buildings and public places. This same phenomenon was observed in the Redevelopment of Barik point, Shillong, where an urban center with rich cultural identity was set to be clean slated for the construction of an international world class mall. Where the community's aspirations and existing public life, heritage and identity were completely ignored. Considering Shillong’s cultural diversity, ethnicity mix, and strong identity, Barik point has a potential of becoming a vibrant public space adapted around heritage buildings: where a diverse group of people can have a cohesive and interactive environment. The aim of this thesis is to understand Barik Point as a public space, inquire into the people’s aspiration for the redevelopment, identify opportunities for redevelopment, create new economic catalysts for engagement and develop a shared, equitable public space that acts like a living room for the city of Shillong. This thesis culminates into a Socio-cultural hub with equitable shared public space that the people can relate and identify with. Keywords: Socio-cultural hub, community, re-development, placemaking, Public spaces.