HISTORY: The Swadeshi Market and Chawl are over a hundred years old. The markets were constructed first in the 1860s followed by the housing units, in three phases.
TODAY: Swadeshi Chawl is an example of a super block, and the entire unit is owned by one family. It is a mixed-use block, with the ground and mezzanine floors being used for commercial activity and the upper floors for residential purposes. What makes it unique is the way it has been structured. Compared to other such residential and commercial units that close off the city, Swadeshi Chawl lets the city run through it. A huge market runs through the entire block from one end to the other. The upper floors with residential units actually run perpendicular to the streets to maintain the geometry. Though built in the 1800s, this sophisticated design exemplifies how large block of city space can be used while letting the city run through it.
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- [?] What chawls can teach us: State of Architecture exhibition, Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - 02:04