THESIS 2021-2022

Synopsis
 Synopsis
Reimagining democratic power plays architectural manifestations of power politics:
Hypothetical redevelopment of the Kerala Niyama Sabha mandiram, Thiruvananthapuram

“The sense of space within the reality of any building is a new concept wherever architecture is
concerned. But it is essential ancient principle just the same and is not only necessary now but implied by
the ideal of democracy itself.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

1.1 Motivation
Civic body campuses have long been inaccessible for the public. Though these campuses are called the
powerhouses of democracy they never really exhibit the power of the people. These campuses are
designed by the executive, for the executive with taxpayers. And these structures don’t really exhibit
the ‘for the people, from the people, by the people’ values. Various political structures across the globe
tries to represent the political legacy, rich culture, and heritage of the state. These structures are
imagined as representation of the state. But in a democracy the true power lies with the people of the
state. And the culture, heritage, and legacy are all part of the people who holds the power. But the
physical manifestation of power in a democracy is often ignored and even after 74 years of
independence the imperial idea of political structure is still not countered, and this calls for civic body
campuses to be a representation of the people and the democracy which in turn reflects the culture and
political legacy of the state.
The idea for the thesis is to make the legislature campus a space that truly lives up to the values of
democracy. A place that is open to all people irrespective of the position they hold in the society. A
place where the people occupy the prime space and symbolically keeps a watch over the legislation.
The thesis aims at redeveloping a civic body campus housing a legislature into a program that does not
allows for public participation. It tries to re imagine an existing complex into a space that would be
representing the power of the people who represents the state and not the power of the executive who
represents the electorate. The thesis tries to invigorate public engagements within a previously
inaccessible premises that ironically is a symbol of people’s representation and power.
The thesis would be an entirely hypothetical project through which the Kerala legislative assembly
complex or the Niyama Sabha mandiram at Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital would be reimagined
into a democratic center of power and also symbolizes the power of the people in a democracy through
exploration of politics of form making.

1.2 Concerns
• The non-democracy in restricting public access into civic body campuses
• The issue of political attitude
• The ideals of parliamentary and electoral values seem to be disappearing and there is a need for
creating a message in the society about who has the power
• The physical manifestations do not represent the people in a democracy
• The power structures across the nation still have not broken away from the clutches of its
imperialistic ideals of how a power structure should be
• There is an issue of attitude of the executive and its high time the places they call theirs truly
belongs to the people
1.3 Hypothesis
Political structures in democratic India have not yet discarded their imperial ideas of expressing power
and they still serve as symbols of the executive’s power and not the people

1.4 Aim
To use the architecture and politics of form to intervene into power structures to make them uphold
democratic values and symbolise people’s power

1.5 Objectives
• To invoke through architectural interventions, the true values of democracy and people’s
participation in legislation
• To create a deserving space for the people in a civic premises for their own political pursuits
that do not hinders with the legal framework and protocols of the institution
• Instill a sense of political power for the public
• To create a place that would be a symbol of the peaceful and careful political transactions
between the people and their elected representatives
• To break away from the imperial ideals of building political structures

1.6 Architectural expression of power

Architecture has long been used to express and symbolize power. From Berlin Boulevard of splendors
to New Delhi’s Central Vista, architecture and urban design has been conveying an idea of great and
grand power. The ceremonial pathways, the arches, the symbolic elements, and the humongous size are
all part of establishing this idea of a power person or a group of persons inside.
But for long this imperial idea has remained the architectural direction. When states went from
monarchy to democracy, the power equation did change, but the very buildings that earlier housed a
dewan, or a viceroy or a king now housed a constitutional person. There were significant changes made
to these structures.
This is the case of historic buildings that served their purpose right in their political context. But for
structures built by democracy also seems to follow the same idea. The space they reserve for the public
is very minimal and they are never a representative of a democratic culture
Political power structures should be design so that they exhibit the democratic legacy of the state and
also, they shall be evidently owned by the people. These complexes are conceived as monuments and
this idea of a monument for the executive is against the principles of democracy.
These political complexes shall accommodate spaces for the public to engage in political pursuits or
may be even recreational activities.

1.7 Democracy, Power, and Cities

Cities always have had a history of revolts and protests against the state. In democracy these are
inevitable entities for the smooth functioning the democratic state.
Power in cities concentrated in an area during their earlier times. But in a democracy power district
shall also be democratic and the places that house this power shall be open to all and free for to exercise
their freedom of speech, expression and engage in their own political or daily activities.
1.8 Approach
The design shall have a democratic approach towards the design of the legislative assembly building
and complex. The democracy ideals will be exemplified through architectural and functional elements.
These may range from the character of spaces, design principles, concepts, activities, and human
geography.

1.9 Methodology

Research hypothesis and question

Understanding the direction Understanding the project

Initial study on the architectural Study on legislative assembly
expression of politics buildings and their structure

Analysing political symbolism Study protocols and legal

Study and elements that adds framework
democracy and political Building codes and protocols
symbolism for legislative assemblies

Democratic spaces Case studies

Elaborate studies and research Live case studies on the legal
on democratic spaces and functional aspects of the
campus

Site study & KLA case study

Design brief

Design development

Design
1.10 Scope
• To identify architectural and functional elements that creates democracy in spaces
• To question the quality and democracy political architecture upholds
• To identify and solve the democratic ironies in civic campuses
• To explore how civic campuses shall be part of a memory and culture
• To discover how political architecture relates to the larger section of the society

1.11 Limitations
• Architectural detail of the entire complex cannot be made
• The altered topography can be difficult and challenges originality
• The protocols and ceremonial events in the complex cannot be compromised
• Maintaining security is very significant and might come with restricted public movement

1.12 Proposed site

Proposed site is a 30.2-acre complex consisting of the Kerala Niyama Sabha mandiram, Assembly
secretariat, MLA hostels, Police quarters, Police squash centre, Legislator’s training centre, Legislative
Museum and the official residences of the Speaker, Dep. Speaker and the Niyama Sabha secretary.

Mascot hotel

Vikas Bhavan LMS

University stadium

Chandrasekharan Nair stadium

Kerala University University library

Proposed site
30 acres
 Site area- 30.2 acres/1,22,375 sq.m

1.13 Site feasibility

The site chosen is where the existing Legislative assembly is situated. This site is a located right in the
heart of the city and beyond that it has many other advantages that offers potentials to be democratic
space

• Identified to be part of a greater history of the city and state

• Close proximity to vibrant urban open spaces
• Very closely located to educational institutions, public parks, and political institutions
• Rich vegetation and inherent calmness
• It is also important to question a design from the very exact sit on which it is built

1.14 Project feasibility

It is no doubt the political architecture of the country be questioned for the monumentality and grandeur
it exhibits and for its lack of democratic display. This becomes the very basis for the project as this is a
very important element that should be in place for the world’s largest democracy. The project is a
hypothetical take to democratize the political architecture of the state legislature and send out a larger
message of democracy to everyone outside and everyone sent inside the legislature
1.15 Program
• Legislative assembly building
• Assembly secretariat
• Legislative museum
• Legislator’s training institute

• Civic engagement/ protesting space

• Food courts
• Pop up streets, Tactical Plaza, Pavilions
• Open air theatres
• Sports area
• General public space for daily pursuits
• Democracy obelisk/ space of symbolism
• Democratic realm

1.16 Case studies

• Niyama Sabha mandiram, Kerala
• Vidhan bhavan, Bhopal
• Parliament of Sri Lanka
• India Habitat centre, New Delhi
• National War Memorial, New Delhi
• Jantar Mantar, Delhi
• São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), Brazil