Author: Siddhi Joshi| Krvia – Post Graduate Program | 2020
Keywords: phenomenology, senses, experience, values, sense of place
Cities are a complex network of social and cultural interactions, associations, experiences and memories intertwined with the built fabric. The manifestation of these networks have been places that mirror life, domesticities, culture of its inhabitants and decode city’s past. The process of urbanization, transformation and current development trends has resulted in the loss of character, ethos and identity of these historic layers within the city. This disjunction has altered perceptions and weekend its associations with the people, transforming these manifestations mere into objects standing in isolation. Thus, the historic fabric seldom finds its incorporation and presence in the city.
The historic cores within Indian cities contain a unique and dynamic record of human activity, shaped by engagements and experiences of the people over decades. It thus underlays multiple meanings, identities, images which though not distinctly visible are present in form of built manifestations, memories and stories that transform spaces to places. The fabric within historic cores that once facilitated these interactions of human dimension with spaces stands in solitude from city’s everyday life with the adopted urban processes. The current development practices governed by logics and codes fail to address this kinetic layer of experience, human associations and engagements; the salient aspects of phenomenological approach, thereby resulting in disjunction of people with their surroundings and razing the ethos of the historic cores.
The thesis seeks to enquire about this kinetic layer and its interrelationship with the built environment within the historic core through the lens of phenomenology. The enquiry revolves around study of aspects of phenomenology with associations and values within the historic core and answer the questions related to its conservation and protection. It intends to decipher this lens through exploration of mapping and methods of analysis with development of frameworks and formulations of guidelines for conservation of historic environments within cities.
Text & Image Credit: Siddhi Joshi| Krvia – Post Graduate Program | Urban Conservation
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