WEAVERS
OF MAHESHWAR – THE REHWA SOCIETY
(MAHESHWAR,
MADHYA PRADESH)
The fortified town of Maheshwar has
been known for its weaving since its inception in the 15th century.
In the recent past, however, this traditional activity had become unsustainable
due to exploitation by middlemen and poor marketing. In response to the need to
revitalize the weaving tradition of Maheshwar, the heirs of the royal Holkar
family established REHWA society in 1979.
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https://www.google.co.in/search?q=maheshwar+fort+photography
The aim of this project was to redesign
and set up looms in the abandoned buildings of the fort, in turn developing
community infrastructure and housing.
The project consisted of a study of the existing architecture of the fort and
its buildings (the architecture of the temple complex). Its influence on the
design of buildings; sustainable functioning of the community through the
architectural intervention and the evolution of forms along the sloping terrain
of the fort.
This study also discusses the
appropriateness of traditional architecture and its evolution in a newly
emerging socio-economic context.
Areas of study within the fort:
Community centre (present day café)
Weavers work space
School for children of the community (The Ahilya School)
Weavers housing
CONTEXTUAL AND SITE STUDY
GEOGRAPHY AND LOCATION:
Maheshwar is a city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located 13 km east of
National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) and 91 km from Indore, the commercial capital of the state.
The Holkar fort lies on the north bank of the Narmada River.
The main approach to Maheshwar is from
Indore. The Holkar fort is nestled in a terrain that slopes towards the Narmada
River. Hence making the northern part of the fort highest in contours.
The town of Maheshwar is well connected with
national and state highways, mostly due to the trade and tourism.
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| https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Maheshwar |
CLIMATC INFLUENCE:
Maheshwar experiences subtropical climate. Hot
dry summers, cool - relatively dry winters and heavy monsoon is the basic
climatic condition. In summer the temperature ranges between 20 OC
to 40 OC and in winter it ranges between 12 OC to 21 OC.
The climate within the fort however, is
highly influenced by the Narmada River, the premises is hot during the day and
extremely cold during the night.
CULTURE OF THE FORT AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE BUILT SPACES
WITHIN:
The temple complex rests on the terrain in a
stepped form, along the river banks. There is no evidence of the forts first construction,
but it was later redesigned by craftsmen from Rajasthan. Therefore the great
Rajasthani architecture influence.
The buildings within the fort have core
design elements that are derived from the temple and fort architecture.
Corbelled arches
Oriel windows
Stone Chajjas
Balconies
Geometric patterns for jalli
SPATIAL AND BUILT FORM ANALYSIS
COMMUNITY CENTRE:
This community centre
in the Maheshwar Fort houses a small library, a crèche, a clinic
for a visiting doctor, and a courtyard for community gatherings, plays,
lectures, film screenings, and the occasional wedding.
FORM:
The building is transparent so as to make its activities a part of the street, and yet it creates a sense of scale and centeredness within itself through a balance of solid and void (open and closed spaces). The plan forms a narrow building wrapping around the existing trees. The building is surrounded with green planter beds which act as noise buffers between the street and the space. A vertical shaft at the main transition point brings in immense daylight and ventilation for the seating area.
It is at very close proximity to the main entrance gateway of the fort, making accessibility easy.
The building is transparent so as to make its activities a part of the street, and yet it creates a sense of scale and centeredness within itself through a balance of solid and void (open and closed spaces). The plan forms a narrow building wrapping around the existing trees. The building is surrounded with green planter beds which act as noise buffers between the street and the space. A vertical shaft at the main transition point brings in immense daylight and ventilation for the seating area.
It is at very close proximity to the main entrance gateway of the fort, making accessibility easy.
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| Seating inside the cafe |
CONSTRUCTION:
The construction technology was kept to a basic, integrating existing site levels, local building skills and local materials. The building is made of brick construction with slate stone ceilings. Its roofing is a mixture of both flat and sloping roofs (curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets).
The construction technology was kept to a basic, integrating existing site levels, local building skills and local materials. The building is made of brick construction with slate stone ceilings. Its roofing is a mixture of both flat and sloping roofs (curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets).
The large
fenestrations along the street give the building a sense of transparency. The
detailing of the building is mainly derived by the architecture of the fort.
The continued use of
these construction details also ensured that the traditional skills of the
masons and craftsmen (such as the potter making clay roof tiles) could evolve
in a contemporary
setting and these skills could be applied to other buildings that they built.
Today, the building is being used as a cafe for tourists. It functions better as a café due to the lack of space for a community centre (the population inside the fort has increased from the time of construction).
Today, the building is being used as a cafe for tourists. It functions better as a café due to the lack of space for a community centre (the population inside the fort has increased from the time of construction).
DESIGN
ELEMENTS:
The
major design elements have been derived from the fort and the temple complex,
therefore making the entire structure look like its blending into the
vocabulary of its context.
·
Corbelled brick arches
for passage ways and entrances.
·
Jalli patterns
inspired from the geometrical murals on the temple walls.
·
Fenestration
influenced by the friezes on the fort wall.
·
Niches derived from
oriel windows.
WEAVING CENTRE (WORKSHOP):
The weaving centre is
an informal setup that is sited next to the temple complex. This work space
allows the weavers to gaze through the magnificent view of the temple complex
and the Narmada that flows beyond. It houses a small retail store, the
administration office, storage and leisure spaces along with the working space.
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| Courtyard in workspace
FORM:
The building is a
series of simple cubes that are placed along the terrain of the fort, giving
the entire structure a staggered effect. The concept of courtyards is
implemented in this space mostly to enhance interaction among the weavers. The
courtyards make the entire space informal and spreads a homely environment to
work in. It also serves best for natural lighting and ventilation – basic
elements of a workspace.
There is a balance between
working and leisure spaces. Every main working platform opens out to a leisure
space, which is also used for dying the fabric.
There is a balcony
that looks into the temple complex.
CONSTRUCTION:
The construction
technology was kept to a basic, integrating existing site levels, local
building skills and local materials. The building is made of brick construction
with sloping roofs(curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets).
DESIGN ELEMENTS:
The
major design elements have been derived from the fort and the temple complex,
therefore making the entire structure look like its blending into the
vocabulary of its context.
Courtyards from temple layout
Wooden columns inspired from the stone
columns within the temple
Jalli patterns inspired from the
geometrical murals on the temple walls.
on site photography
THE AHILYA SCHOOL:
This
school was built when the resident weavers at the Maheshwar Fort felt the need for a
middle school in the vicinity of the housing,
workspace and the community centre.
Built on the land adjacent to the weaver’s
workspace, the Ahilya School lies in a rhythm with the traditional urban fabric
of Maheshwar, establishing a continuum with the town.
The school began with 60 students and today has 240 students supported by 16
teachers.
Programmatically, apart from the typical design
brief for a school, there is an eating space accompanied by a kitchen to serve
meals to the children, and a crèche for day care as well.
FORM:
The building is
transparent so as to make its activities a part of one single schooling unit.
It creates a sense of scale and centeredness within itself through a balance of
solid and void (open and closed spaces). The plan is just a simple addition and
subtraction of a basic cuboid and the building is wrapping around the existing
trees. It is a 2 storey building with
large fenestrations along the street and towards the ground, making the
building transparent from all sides. This emphasis on interaction, visual
contact, ventilation and natural light within the building. The concept of
vertical shaft at the main transition point is used even here.
It is at very close
proximity to the main entrance gateway of the fort, making accessibility easy.
CONSTRUCTION AND
DESIGN ELEMENTS:
The building is
characterized by a composition of
Brick corbels for archways and corridors.
Steel trusses are used to support stone
ceilings and form the main framework.
Brackets supporting stone roofs and
chajjas.
Slate stone for jalli and seating platforms
along windows
Slate slabs used for staircase; gap between
each step lets in light for the staircase unit.
Combination of sloping and flat roof.
Slate slab for ceiling and curved clay
tiles based with aluminium sheets for the sloping roof.
Vertical shafts.
on site photography
WEAVERS HOUSING:
This participatory
housing design project was for members of the traditional weaver's
community in the town of Maheshwar. The housing scheme was a part of the
overall adaptive reuse and planning project undertaken for the Maheshwar Fort. The project was designed to encourage the
weavers to move into abandoned areas of the fort. Families of weavers discussed
their individual needs with the architects to arrive on a design incorporating
local construction skills and materials, the traditional architectural
vocabulary, the current needs, and the socio-economic aspirations of the
families.
FORM:
The residential zone
is sited on the highest region of the fort with the terrain sloping towards the
river. Hence all the housing units are built on high platforms (plinth) along
this natural slope.
The dwelling unit is a
simple cube form with a combination of both flat and sloped roofs. Although a
single bedroom unit, each house has a separate work space dedicated for
weaving. Two of such units are staggered in a row to make a group and the 2
units rest on a common plinth, which is an ideal platform form at the entrance.
Enhances interaction between residents. Each of these units also have a private
backyard space, which collectively opens into a common larger open area
(pedestrian access only). This forms one cluster of the weavers housing. Every
element in the planning of these spaces contribute to the sense of a community.
Separate entrances for
the main house and the working space.
CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN ELEMENTS:
The housing also strongly follows the vocabulary of the fort and its elements.
Brick construction
High cement platforms
Basic fenestration
Geometric jalli patterns
Arch shaped niches
Slate stone ceilings
Sloping roof - curved clay tiles based with aluminium sheets
Flat roof with terrace
Houses are painted white – reflects the heat
Main roads are cemented (vehicular access), secondary roads
are mud roads(pedestrian access).
 
on site photography
CONCLUSION
ZONING OF FORT-
The main tourist
attractions are concentrated at close proximity to the main entrance, making
accessibility easy. The residential zone is at the highest contour, prevents
flooding during monsoon. Separate entry gates for each zone, making access easy
and automatically creates a hierarchy of spaces.
BUILT ALONG THE
TERRAIN-
The method of cut
and fill is not applied for any structure. The natural terrain of the fort is
maintained. This is a very economical for redeveloping a community. The terrain
gives the built form a staggered appearance, both horizontally and vertically.
This creates visual interest.
SHAPE OF THE
BUILDINGS-
The form of the
buildings are all achieved by a simple composition of geometric shapes. They
are all sited on the natural terrain and follow the profile of the existing
trees.
DESIGN ELEMENTS AND
MATERIALS-
The core design
elements for all four space are the same and they are all derived from the
architecture of the fort. This not only makes the built forms appear visually
as part of the same community, but also allow them to blend into the vocabulary
of the fort. Thus maintaining the authenticity and culture of the fort and the
community within, as a major content.
 
http://rovingsnails.com/maheshwar-narmada-mp-india/
CITATION:
http://www.kamathdesign.org/kds/project/maheshwar-fort
http://rehwasociety.org
“A vision to Maheshwar” – Vinod Sakunde.
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