GROUP-1

Urban Renewal of Inner City/Old

City/Historic City areas
सदर बाज़ार
AMBALA , HARYANA
SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Area Context-
The study area stretches over 188 ac between Ambala The history of Ambala dates back to 14th century.
Cantt. Railway Station and Subhash Park Road. The Ambala is said to have got its name from one of the
study area is well connected and, therefore, has in close following sources:
proximity all the necessary amenities and facilities like
schools, stations and others fulilling the daily requirements • (i) King “Amba Rajput”, who is said to have
of the people. The major landmarks in the area includes founded Ambala.
Civil Hospital, CNI church and Gandhi Ground.
As per the FDP 2025 and the Zonal Plan, the area lies under • (ii) Goddess “Amba Devi”, the deity with a temple
Sadar MC. The present predominant land use is dedicated to it.(iii) Its original name “Amb Wala”
mainly commercial consisting of wholesale trade, mixed use implying the abundance of mango trees. Most
and godowns. It is in need of a major overhaul in keeping of the present Ambala has been part of Mughal
with the present demand of commercial use, depleting empire being incorporated either within the Sirhind
residential density and social infrastructure in the area. Sarkar or Delhi Suba.

SADAR BAZAAR- • During the colonial era, Ambala district was

The area identified for detailed study and intervention is edge SITE INFORMATION
constituted in 1847 by the British East India
of Sadar Bazaar area defined by two roads namely Nicholson
SADAR BAZAAR AREA 367 ac Company’s administration. In 1857, Ambala
Road and Outer Road.
became a military depot. Following the decision
Nicholson Road: Attributes
to shift the cantonment from Karnal on health
• Length: 1.01 Km. SADAR BAZAAR
5522 m grounds, Ambala was chosen as the new site
• Width: 18-20 M. PARAMETER
• Orientation: North-East to South-West for laying out an extensive military cantonment,
Outer Edge Road: Attributes among the largest in the colonial Subcontinent.
SITE AREA 188 ac
• Length: 1.1 Km.
• Width: 23-9 M. • Typically, the colonial cantonment comprised
SITE PARAMETER 4544 m the military enclave and the civilian enclave
• Orientation: North-East to South-West
for the colonial officials and a commercial area
Evolution- i.e., the Sadar Bazaar. The Sadar Bazaar was the
regimental bazaar for the soldiers that was not part
of the cantonment but detached from it. Despite
this arrangement, it was mutually dependent on
the cantonment for its existence.

• It had shops on the streets with dwellings of the

merchants and traders on the floor above, i.e., in
the form of a built-form type called the Shop-house.
In the context of the study area, i.e., Ambala, the
Cantonment was established in 1843.
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1985 2011 2021

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• In 1849 it became the district and division

Ambala Sadar Bazaar Ambala Sadar Bazaar Ambala Sadar Bazaar headquarters and by 1868, Ambala was among
was develpoed during had less wider roads. The removed encroachment the six urban centers (others being Lahore,
colonial period. Around encroachment was too of shops. Alot of Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Simla) which
1985 the market had very much. Too many issues redevelopment. Most of the
collectively housed seventy-three percent of
colonial asthetic since the related to parking and green spaces are consumed
the Europeans in the region. It was an important
redevelopment just started. road condition. Lack on or removed. Development
station on the route from Delhi to Lahore and from
The maximum part of sanitation. Drains were around the Bazaar. Proposed
Delhi to Shimla (then Simla).
todays bazaar was rural. always blocked. Water development plans &
Alot of green spaces were clogging in monsoon. ongoing road development
available. work.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Site Study- Climatology-

# Conducting structured and non-structured • The study and intervention area, i.e., the two
interviews/surveys of residents . roads will be analysed as per the following
# Communicating the aims/objectives and parameters that are essential constituents • The climate of Ambala over most of the
benefits of the renewal initiative. of a urban renewal intervention: year is a pronounced continental in
character.
• I Basic infrastructure improvement: repair
• Based on cartographic sources and of streets and lanes; provision of efficient • It is very hot in summers and markedly cold
satellite imagery, it is possible to infer that and reliable water, electricity, sewage in winters.
the layout of Sadar Bazaar has not altered and storm water infrastructure; addressing
since the colonial era. traffic and parking requirements to reduce • May and June can be really hot with the
congestion and increase safety on streets. temperature soaring to over 48°C,
• The layout is based on a grid plan with
orthogonal streets. • II Community development: provision of • While in winter it can be as low as -1°C.
basic health and well being measures
• It has twelve streets running from south- through provision of community toilets; • Ambala has a semi-arid as well as tropical
east to north-west called Cross Roads and leisure places like parks and open spaces; climate.
they are intersected by eleven streets provision of adequate education and
running from north-east to south-west. healthcare facilities in the neighbourhood. Being far away from the coasts and close to
the Thar desert,it does not get the full share
of the Monsoon current seen mostly across
The built environment and the spatial organization of the Cantonments demonstrate that the basic principal for the establish- central and east of the country.Around 70%
ment and construction was racial segregation. rainfall is received during the month of July
to September and the remaining rainfall
Later constructions by the elite or the favorite families among the natives show the emergence of a new vocabulary that evolved is received during December to February.
from the indigenous and was inluenced by the European adaptations the structures that lay in the European occupied area
Ambala is the maximum rain-hit area in
and the area for the indigenous population, clearly demonstrate discrimination as the basic principal during construction.
Haryana with average rainfall being 47.16
Residence typology Housing being one of the primarily required structures, the discriminate typology of built forms in the can- inches per annum.
tonment included barracks for the sepoys, bungalows for the British officers, shophouses for the native merchants and havelies
for the elite natives.

• The infill comprises neighbourhoods called • III Economic development: support for
Muhallas and Ahatas that were formed small scale cottage industry; trade and
originally on the basis of caste, religious skill development within the community;
affiliation and trade but today devoted to identification of tourism supportive
the cause of commerce. businesses.

• The bazaar streets are lined with public • IV Urban environment improvement:
and private buildings that have been Provision of paving of streets, lighting,
transformed over time with some old signage, landscaping.
buildings and structures, like Shop-houses,
surviving unaltered. • V Heritage conservation: Identification of
heritage buildings/structures; designing a
• On the outer periphery of the Bazaar are heritage walk; adaptive reuse of historic
the areas like vegetable gardens, open buildings; public outreach and awareness.
space for religious and public gathering,
a Dhobi Ghat, Flour Mills, Ice Factory and
water works.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Climate Responsive Architecture- The Havelis-

The Bungalows • the havelies occupied one complete

sector that was carved out from
• The bungalows are a celebrated intersection of two adjacent streets
architectural style that had evolved in with two adjoining crossroads.
Bengal in 1770s.
• The bungalows evolved out of the need of • Circular front with verandah all around.
the British to design themselves structures hese havelies were single to two storey
that were climatically comfortable and at high structures. he exposed brickwork
the same time relected their power and on exterior walls possesses intricate
supremacy over the Indians. patterns especially on the parapet with
• Emerged from Bengal where it was the the use of bricks in diferent size and at
resultant of understanding of the Indian places, shapes. One of the haveli was
vernacular techniques of countering popularly known as the Marble house
the harsh climate and symbolizing the as it was externally cladded with white
superiority in terms of social status; marble.
• Consequently, the bungalows deine the
traditional use of elements and materials
with a modernistic approach.
• Bungalows possess certain exclusive Plans and photo of BD Hospital
characteristic features, which clearly
indicate their luxurious life.
• These features and architectural elements
were unknown to the local architectural
perception; thus, the resultant created
was the indigenous version of the foreign.
• Do not have the central courtyard to bring
down the temperature of the rooms and
keep the air circulating.

Highly decorative front façade of Dr Mukherjee’s Haveli with patters in brickwork, painted in red and white

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Road Network
The Shop House-

• The shophouses have highly

ornamented facades with
protruded balconies running on all
external walls.

• These balconies, supported over

heavy timber logs and girders bear
intricate railing patterns made out
of thin iron rods. The sloping roof of
GI sheet is supported over timber
posts and pillars.

• Thin iron sheet pelmets,with intricate A typical Shophouse in Saudagar Bazaar, Ambala Cantonment

cutout pattern lace the GI sheet

edges.

• In certain shophouses, the balconies

are covered for functional purposes
with timber louvered, openable
shutters.

• These, at times, function the same

as jharokhas. Shophouses have a
central courtyard with rooms on all Northern edge of the site is marked with Jagadhri Road and Southern edge of the site is
sides. marked with National Highway-1.

The Site has A grid Planning with 12 Cross Roads which are marked as Secondary Roads.
View of Rai Bahadur Lala Banarasi Das’s Haveli that extends from one chowk to
another. Shops carved out as part of later intervention.
There are many internal Narrow paved Roads/Alleys which are marked as internal Roads.
• These opento-sky central courtyards keep the interiors cool and are responsible for
supply of fresh air and natural light to the interior spaces.

• The overall layout of the shophouse is a well-calculated arrangement of rooms, which

Observations
are small or optimum in size. Occasionally, one can Find a room that is deep and
narrow. Congestion on Major Roads at peak hours.

• With multiple shops at the ground floor and residential area on the upper stories, On street parking near shops/temples/institutional
the doors are connected through narrow and dark staircase. buildings leads to congestion and traffic jams.

• the tread was kept high to cut down the space occupied by the staircase. Unplanned auto and taxi stands also leads to conges-
tion on roads.
• the toilets were on the terraces with manual cleaning system, thus the staircases had a
No proper parking facility in the ward results in vehicles
direct access to the terrace without entering the living areas of the house.
being parked on pavements and roads.
• the shophouses are aesthetic and functional units that exhibit the most splendid artwork
Congestion on Roads in rush hours due to sabzi mandi.
in its architectural elements but no way were the spaces lavish or inluenced by the
European lifestyle.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Internal Roads of the Area

Building use-
Most of the old buildings are G+1;
Few are only ground floor and Rarely
G+2 floors LEGEND-
Most of the new buildings are G+2; Residencial
Few are G+1 floor.
Commercial
Mixed use
Buildings are designed for shops on ground floor Administrative
and residential on the top floors. Mostly all the
shops were only on ground floor. Religious
Memorial
Movement of Fire Brigade and ambulances dur- Utility
ing emergencies is virtually impossible due to con-
Defence
gestion on roads due to traffic and unauthorized
parking. Institutional
Open Space

10.5m Two way Road with divider

(without enchroachment)

Road Typology

10.5m Two way Road with divider

(with enchroachment)

16.6m Two way Road with divider

(without enchroachment)

16.6m Two way Road with divider

Section Details (with enchroachment)

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

SWOT Analysis Opportunities

Construction of a bank square nearby-
It’s an ongoing project near the site which is heard to be the first green building in haryana-
Strength due to which there will be an increase in the quality of development around that area.
Sadar Bazaar is Located on National Highway-1 so it can be easily accessible by the other
parts of the city. This 90 cr Govt. Project has an aim to decongesting the traffic in Sadar, Ambala.

Secondary Roads are in good condition. 35-KLD sewage treatment plant and a 150-kw solar power generation system has been pro-
posed just for the betterment of this area.
Transportation within the market is easy as you can find rickshaws easily.
12,000 new smart lights and around 3,500 poles would be installed at a cost of Rs 17 crore. The
It’s a Whole sale as well as retail market so everything for different customers. control room for the smart lights will be at the Municipal Council office.

All drains of the Sadar Zone will be covered at a cost of Rs 23 crore. It is a big project and the
first phase will start after Diwali. The tertiary care centre will also come into operation within
two months.

Construction of a War memorial Stadium-

Having a Stadium Nearby will obviously help in gaining new potential customers there.

India’s Biggest scientific Equipment market-

Sadar Bazaar Ambala has the most number of Producers when it comes to Scientific Equip-
ments.
Weakness
Roads and Congestion-
Roads are broken at many places and have potholes.

No Proper Space Allocation For Weekly Monday Market-

Every monday there is a weekly cloth market put in market but
the location keep on changing becauseof lack of appropriate
space allocation. The market is popular and have potential of
development Threats
2. Drainage System-
Parking-
Poor drainage system causes alot of trouble during
There is lack of parking area.
the monsoon season.
People ends up parking in front of shops causing
It have open drainage system at many places.
trouble to shopkeepers.
Water clogging because solid waste
- Or on road ehich causing traffic jam.
Waste Management
vThere is no good waste disposal system.

Throwing garbage here and there cause alot of issues.

Cattle ends up eating plastic.

Lack of Toilets-
Lack of public toilets in the market.

Vendors Illigal Occupation Of Space-

There are few vendors who put there stall sideby the road
covering some part of road causing traffic jam.
They should be provided with specific area.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Heritage- Architectural Elements-

The traditions, qualities and culture of a country that have existed for a long time and that
have great importance for the country. 1) WOODEN BALCONY 8) NICHES

Tangible Heritage-

The physical artefacts produced, maintained and transmitted intergenerationally in a soci-

ety. It includes artistic creations, built heritage such as buildings and monuments, and other
physical or tangible products of human creativity that are invested with cultural significance
in a society 2) CHAJJA 9) GATEWAY

Intangible Heritage-

The practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, that communities, groups and, in

some cases, individuals recognize as part of their Cultural Heritage. For example- Folktales,
culture, traditions, skills, etc.
3) MULTI FOILED ARCHES WITH POINTED SHOE 10) 3-STEP BRACKETS
ARCH
Architectural Feature-

Architectural features are the built form in some particular styles. The architectural style in
Ambala Sadar Bazaar is either colonial or modern. The colonial features in market are worth
conserving. The present condition of many building is very poor due to insensitive develop-
ment and poor maintenance. Many buildings are at danger of falling apart which holds
possible life threat. Six months earlier the roof of one colonial building fell and many were 4) SEGMENTAL ARCH WINDOW 11) WALL PAINTINGS
injured. Thus, this require consideration and proper analysis of present state and restoration.

5) BRICK JALI PARAPET WALL 12) STATUES OVER THE TOP OF BUILDING

6) STEEL I BEAM 13) FLORAL FACADE WORK

7) WOOEN DOORS 14) JALI WORK

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Listing- Urban Fabric-

B.D. Women Hospital
30°20’10.81”N 76°50’30.38”E

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2
4
Figure : Elevation Drawing
1

Mapping Urban Fabric of Area of Study

1 2 3

Figure : Front Facade Figure : Ground Floor Plan

B.D Women hospital, Sadar Institutional

SW-NE Rai Bahadur BD Charitable Trust
1922 In use
Building Hospital
Hospital Abandonded 5 6

B.D. Women hospital was a revolutionary moment for Burnt bricks with surkhi and urd dal mortar.
the people of Ambala Sadar Bazaar. Historic building of
B.D. Women hospital carries lot of significance wheth-
er it is Historic evolution, Architectural significance or
Contextual significance. People of Ambala Cantonment At present various rooms features peeling paints, dusty
have an emotional, economic, social and cultural values furniture and piles of litter. The structure in intact condi-
associated with it. tion. The wall paintings are slowing fading away. There is 4
lack of maintenance.

Unprotected
The hospital comprised of out-patient department, la-
bour room & wards on ground floor and rooms & ac-
commodation of resident doctor on first floor. The IIA
hospital was planned along a central courtyard to have
B B
proper air circulation inside the rooms. The hospital was
A A
planned keeping in mind the composite climate of the
area. The ceiling height was designed very high to keep B NA
the rooms naturally cool during the harsh summers.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Why Revitalization?
Building height varies from G+1 to G+3 with no setbacks. The Urban Revitalization refers to a set of initiatives aimed at reorganizing an existing city structure,
Built form building form is compact. Even in the narrow alleys the built particularly in neighborhood in decline due to economic or social reasons. Urban revitaliza-
form has ample light and provides ventilation. tion initiatives generally include improving features of the urban environment, such as the
The larger plots acts as storage spaces and some of them are quality of pavement and the functionality of the sidewalks. In the process of revitalizing, the
Land Use Functions used for institutional purposes like banks and schools as well. The dynamic process must be successful to express itself in three areas:
area consists mostly of shops and godowns.
Much of the dependence for connectivity between the built a. Physical revitalization
forms is through narrow bylanes which are insuficient in catering
Internal Circulation b. Economic revitalization
to larger footfall witnessed by the area due to its commercial
nature. Vehicular movement gets restricted due to cul-de-sacs
and narrow road widths of the bylanes. c. Social revitalization

Improvement in the physical and built environment of the neighbourhood through its func-
tional and aesthetic Refabrication so as to attract broader regeneration.

• Preserving the area’s traditional character and promoting its architectural and cultural her-
itage. Acting as a catalyst for private initiatives for the rehabilitation and reuse of abandoned
buildings, it can further be supported by government grants and transferable incentives.
• Improving on area legibility by redesigning open public spaces (which are very limited in
the area) in order to improve the quality of life and strengthen the sense of community living
for local residents.
• To facilitate the future development of the area as an important and lively regenerated
urban centre in connection with adjacent neighbourhoods and other important social and
cultural spaces.

The aim is to prepare parts of the Market to fulfil a

desired economic function by adjusting the utilities
network to specific requirements.
Usually, in order to protect the historical fabric of
the city, it is important to ensure that the historical
buildings within the area are in good condition
and are well maintained. Other physical interven-
tions can either be within the existing stock of build-
ings, the public realm, or both. Such intervention
will help to improve the external environment of a
place, and thus enable an inlux of new functions
and users.

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SITE STUDY OF AMBALA SADAR BAZAAR

Adaptive Reuse of Historical Buildings

Conventionally, Adaptive Reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a dif-
ferent purpose than what it was originally designed for. Although all typologies of built struc-
tures are eligible for such a transformation, this approach is most commonly applied to historic
structures that are valuable to their community.

Therefore, adaptive reuse not only preserves the cultural aspects of

a building but also benefits the environment and the economy. Re-
using any building this way consumes lesser resources and results in
an overall reduced life cycle environmental impact. Here is a list of
8 instances of adaptive reuse in India.

Why Is Adaptive Reuse Important?

Adaptive reuse is important for a communi-
ty because it:

1. Maintains cultural heritage-

2. Slows urban sprawl.
3. Creates a new community beacon.

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