CONNAUGHT PLACE--A METROPOLITAN CITY CENTRE

BUILT AS ?
Dignified shopping centre for elite
carriages driven to the destined shops doorsteps

Location
: New Delhi
Typology
: Commercial (Market for the Elite) and Business District
Construction :work began in 1929 and was completed in 1933

Connaught Place (CP)-officially called Rajiv Chowk -is one of the largest
financial, commercial and business centers in New Delhi, India..
The area's environs occupy a place of pride in the city and are counted among
the top heritage structures in New Delhi. It was developed as a showpiece
of Lutyens' Delhi with a prominent Central Business District.
The Inner Circle of Connaught Place was renamed Rajiv Chowk
The Outer Circle became Indira Chowk .

NOW ?
Focus of urban life shifted out of
chandni chowk to connaught place
Shopping centre for masses (sunday
market etc.)
Each block, central greens stand as
islands in the pool of vehicular traffic

Connaught Place divided it into six sectors, each making an

angle of 60 degrees at the centre
The sector here central processional route (now Parliament
Street) met the circus, was designated as a green wedge, to
emphasis the notion of gateway.
Central procession route -theme of joining the old and the
new creates visual , physical and symbolic continuity

Three important nodes enclosed in hexagons of the

same scale
India Gate: the hexagon being its physical boundary.
Government House: the hexagon being the layout of
roads around it.
Connaught Place: the hexagon being circumscribed
about a circle this circle being the outer circus of
Connaught place.

Shows socio- cultural platform and metro

Public Interface
Visual Connector
Recreational Area
Socio Cultural Platform

Its circular form makes it stand out from the layout

of the area around.
Wide roads were planned in and around Connaught
Place even though they were not required since the
traffic consisted of horses, horse carts and few cars.
This has proved to be a boon for coping with todays
large traffic volume.
The lavish design of CP provided for large open
spaces and have proved to be valuable public spaces
in today's context.
The Grand Scale and architectural character of
Connaught Place makes it stand out amongst the
buildings which surround it.

Central Park generates lot of public

interest and thus draws large
number of visitors.
More visitors => More consumers =>
More revenue

PROBLEMS
Inadequate parking facilities
Traffic congestion
Neglect and dilapidation of facades
Rampant modification of facades
Ill- maintened and dirty middle lane
Lack of public concern andresponsibility
Hawkers
Overcrowding
Encroachment
Unchecked facade renovations
No pedestian walk between central park and retail shop
No comfortable connection between block
Parking till the edge of the walkway
Lack of street furniture and present are not comfortable.
Inadequate street light in certain place

PLATE NO :5

The central green was meant to serve as a lung space for the area and large fountains
in central park and smaller ones in the inner circle were provided to cool the place.
Ground floor of inner circle purely commercial first floor for the residences.

LITERATURE
CASE STUDY

It houses important institutional and public buildings

which include hospitals, libraries, art galleries, heritage
sites, temple, hotels, schools and college.
Besides this it acts as the centre of the city offering
connectivity by means of private and public transportation
systems (including the latest development- mass rapid
transit system or mrts)

PALIKA BAZAAR

GATES OF PALIKA BAZAAR

Gate no. 1: Main gate. Faces Connaught Place Central Park, with F Block on the
right and Palika Underground Parking on the left. Staircase entry.
Gate no. 2: Faces Palika Underground Parking. Handicap ramp entry.
Gate no. 3: Not in use. Faces Palika Underground Parking. Closed to the public.
Gate no. 4: Spiral staircase entry with two doors, one not in use. Door in use faces
Parliament Street, Regal Building and Jeevan Bharti building.
Gate no. 5: Spiral staircase entry with two doors. One door faces Janpath, N
Block and Jeevan Bharti building, the other faces towards Palika Underground
Parking.
Gate no. 6: Staircase entry. Faces N Block and F Block.
Gate no. 7: Handicap ramp entry. Faces F Block.

Connaught Place with its three concentric

circles and seven radial roads initially
designed with two-way directional roads.
Was converted into one-way with 4-enteries
and 3-exits
A number of parking lots were also
generated to serve those through radial roads.

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT TEPPAKULAM TRICHY

AISHWARYA.SP RVS SOA , 05AR10

OUTER CIRCLE (OUTWARD LOOKING)

Various public/ semi public functions
MIDDLE CIRCLE
A service road for merchandise.
Residences for the staff and servants on the
first floor &Ground floor for godowns.
INNER CIRCLE
Convenient vehicular access
Central park and the green wedge
(presently occupied by Palika)

Palika Bazaar is an underground market located between the

inner and outer circle of Connaught Place ,Delhi, India.
Palika Bazaar hosts 380 numbered shops selling a diverse range of
items; however, the market is dominated by electronic items and
clothing.
Palika Bazaar was set up in the late 1970s, but since the 1980s it
has seen a decline in customers, in part due to the opening of
several new, modern shopping malls all over Delhi.
Palika Bazaar is estimated to have some 25,000 people within its
confines at any given time and also attracts many foreign tourists. It
is known as a place with a very level prices. It also has a reputation
for a wide availability of illegal products such as pornography,
stolen goods, fake designer products and pirated CDs, software and
movies.