A settlement of humans in any natural setting grows depicting the culture, lifestyle and belief systems of the people, represented through the architecture they create to suit the climate of the region using locally available materials. An invisible binding thread of all these efforts of human beings in any region is the language they speak.

When the settlement grows into larger formats of towns and cities the local language, being the cultural construct, remains the soul of everything creative that happens in the built environment… over a period of time migration of people from distant lands who speak different languages gradually bring in cultural constructs, some seamlessly blend into the local developments, some overpower the local ethos…

With march of technology and increased facilities of instant communication worldwide, a monocultural settlement or city pattern is emerging even in settlements which have centuries of history.

Vijayawada is one such city…  the above two images represent the starkness of comparison between the present and past architecture of Vijayawada.

And today when there is a move at Re-Looking Vijayawada in the context of rapid growth and development of a new capital, one aspect which is perhaps not being given much attention is the mother thread of a language called Telugu which has been the soul of the settlement for centuries.

So is there a scope of Re-Looking at the urban arena called Vijayawada through the flavour of the language, Telugu?

To make anyone who comes to this city aware of the importance of the local language, weaving of the phonetics, meanings, and visual appeal of the script of Telugu into the built environment through the following medium is important, along with other popular languages of communiction such as English and Hindi:

•   Responsive public spaces: Pedestrian friendly active public plazas / spaces at major traffic intersections, bus shelter designs, public amenities etc.

•   Language and Signage in public spaces

•   Use of technology, apps, location maps

•   Street architecture: Encouraging new social dynamics and facilitate new forms of collective gathering and engagement with the city (Market squares, mobile architecture, urban beautification, streetscapes, street furniture etc)

•   Art and Architecture: Exploring the possibilities of how art work can change the image of the city.

•  Film making: Short documentary on Re-thinking Vijayawada

As a beginning,  the following design solutions can be attempted through which the importance of Language and the City can be emphasized:

•      Commuter Waiting Spaces for transportation:

•      Buses, Taxi, Auto, Uber/Ola

•      Street Food Kiosks

•      Hawker zones and carts

•      Comfort amenities stations

•      Signages

 Watch workshop video at: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f2wVUOLkKY&t=2s

With inputs from students of School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada and the faculty coordinators Dr. Ramesh Srikonda and Prof. Shreya