MEMORIAL PARK for Late Hon. Vikasratna Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh Ex-CM Maharashtra
Manjra, latur

Project Type
Landscape Design for a Memorial park

Site Area
4 acres

Status
Completed in 2019

Client
Manjra Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. Latur

Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placemaking)

The design tries to combine the aspects of a Memorial Statue and an urban open public space in the city of Latur. The memorial was to be made for Late Hon.Vikasratna Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh. After studying various aspects of his inspiring personality, the memorial was conceptualized such that it became a place of pride for the city as a whole. An open public space where people would visit, unwind and spend time in and keep coming back.

A capillary wave is a wave traveling along the phase boundary of a fluid, whose dynamics and phase velocity are dominated by the effects of surface tension. Capillary waves are common in nature, and are often referred to as ripples. (Wikipedia)

In the similar way the influence of a leader is experienced and felt far beyond its immediate location. The leader elevated by the masses, and his work spreading in ripples all around in a never expanding manner was the main concept. The simple image of a water ripple became out source of inspiration.

Apart from the various incentives , schemes and programs run by the factory for the betterment of the locals, the management was conscious about creating a space in the city where people could visit, spend time in and be proud of. A place which the people could proudly present to visitors as their own. The city or surroundings did not have a planned open space or a garden. The memorial garden thus was conceptualized as an open space for the city.

The Memorial garden needed to house a larger-than-life statue in such a way that it towered over the surrounding areas – a thought that their leader was watching over them and the city. Basic principles of Vastu design were followed to locate the statue, the entry points and the structures. Creating a fitting landscape as a foreground to the statue was the clients primary design brief.