Naidu in dilemma over Amaravati model

Capital conundrum

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu seems to have hit a roadblock with the shortlisted model submitted by Japanese designer Maki Associates.

The model resembles French architect Le Corbusier’s Assembly building of Chandigarh. This dilemma comes at a time when he faces increasing pressure to start construction of new state capital Amaravati.

Taking a full circle, the AP government has called for new designs that suit the local culture. It was on March 25 that the AP government chose Japan’s Maki as master architect to design government buildings in its new capital Amaravati.

A jury of six expert architects selected Maki from a list of three short-listed firms Maki & Associates, Richard Rogers (England) and DV Joshi Architects (India). Maki was supposed to design AP’s secretariat, legislature complex, high court, Raj Bhavan and other important buildings. All the three models were exhibited at a local hotel for the general public to view.

However, the visitors particularly architecture and planning students from different universities and netizens blasted the core design of AP’s capital, stating it resembled factory chimneys and the five-decade-old Chandigarh Assembly building, which has a single chimney-like structure that allows sun light to illuminate the Assembly hall.

The opinion was almost unanimous that the half-domed Assembly resembles the cooling towers of the nearby thermal power station in Ibrahimpatam.

An architecture student from Acharya Nagarjuna University, K Srinivas, said that the structures should reflect the history of the Andhra region. “Look at the Telangana Assembly building, it is a true representation of Deccani architecture,” Srinivas the final year student said.

Kunapareddy Krishna a local of Rayapudi who pooled his land for the capital said that he liked the models of Indian firm of DV Joshi. “I wonder why we need a Japanese firm to design Andhra capital, their ideas are foreign to us,” he said.

Some netizens commented that the AP Assembly building looked like a nuclear power reactor and not an Assembly building.

Sources in CRDA said that the state government has not approved the designs prepared by world-renowned Maki and Associates for capital city buildings, but have simply asked the architects to prepare new designs.