Previously a defunct public garden, the site hosted unplanned spaces, irrelevant landscape elements and sculptures flanked by Daman Ganga River, a public road, St Jerome fort and a private property. It fostered nearly 20 fully grown trees dotted throughout the site.
Project Name: Jetty Garden
Project Type: Public Park
Location: Daman, India
Completion Year: 2020
Site Area: 4000 sq.m
Built Up Area: 490 sq.m
Architects: KTA + ARUR
Lead Architects: Hardik Pandit, Geeta Pandit
Structural Consultant: Rathi Consortium
MEPF Consultant: Greenbulb Design
Photo Credits: Karan Gajjar / The Space Tracing Company
This perfect setting of the site adjacent to a Portuguese Fort, flanked by colourful fishing boats along the waterfront and vast expanse of views established a perfect opportunity to re-create public loci where the land meets the sea and sky.
The distinct brief led to a design investigation to create a public place that will resonate people’s aspirations and establish a sense of reverence towards water, a multi-faceted space for all age groups, capturing the beautiful play of southern sun in the vast ocean and a place to celebrate Narali Poornima boat race along the waterfront.
The Jetty Garden aims to renew the interface between land and water by framing the ocean with a string of delicately designed steel pavilions. These pavilions are lean, non-obstructive, multi layered, modular yet rhythmic that captures the stark sunlight and creates a possibility of spatial experience. Envisioned as an extension of the street itself that is accessible to all age-groups, the public space features a kids play zone, a senior-citizen’s corner, semi-open reading area and ample seating under the shade of retained native trees.
The planting design intent was to enhance the site and not excessively curate the garden. The material palette combination of natural and industrial materials; stone, wood and steel, soften the spatial and visual experience of being in the open and offer a welcome contrast to the defined waterfront edge.
