Chennai, India

Project by: Nikhil Sriram Periaswamy

Revitalisation of an Abandoned Quarry

Thirisulum, Chennai
This thesis is about seeing the massive areas of disrupted land that once stood to represent the
height of innovation and success appearing as abandoned wastelands into a potential urban
landscape . Within In the quest to redevelop these areas lies the opportunity to re-imagine the
definition of public space and green infrastructure.
This thesis takes a critical eye to previous and current design strategies of industrial landscapes
and identifies new typologies relevant within this construct. Using a Gravel quarry with
abandoned area as its site, this thesis proposes a master plan to reclaim, restore, and reuse the
quarry as an alluring recreational green space for the surrounding community. In seeking a
redefinition of the urban park, this thesis argues that a new type of cultural parkland is needed
that combines amenities of buildings and ground that responds to 21st century living.
This proposal uses a series of architectural interventions to respond to site visual character and
fill the recreational needs of the community. Through this entwined relationship of architecture
and its surrounding landscape the project is able to provide unique amenities that embrace the
quarrys industrial heritage. This proposal sees what has been abandoned not as waste, but as an
opportunity to redefine the cultural park in order to create dynamic and engaging spaces.
"The modern park is no longer seen as a quiet rural green, but as a sparkling and overcharged
urban crossroads" - Adriaan Geuze

By redefining these sites as public green space, we can capture the unique qualities and benefits
of their industrial past to provide green infrastructure that hosts new architectural opportunities
and amenities for its surrounding community. The recreational services provided by these sites
will have both environmental and social benefits. The parks of tomorrow will become the basis
of a thriving metropolitan culture. Parks implemented in these post-industrial areas will allow for
shared experiences that give rise to mutual respect in the community and act as landmarks within
our cities that represent growth and prosperity the way their previous industrial nature once did.
This thesis accepts the challenge that lies in incorporating natural processes into architectural
interventions and looks to the land itself to identify design opportunities. The form and content
of the pavilions and constructed landscape is developed through historical traces, local
associations, indigenous plants, and regional materials in order to provide a new form of public
space, while simultaneously embracing the unique culture and heritage of the city.

P17-2051