Black Taj, a Modern Mausoleum Conservation In The Contemporary City

Project idea

This Project aims to offer a new perspective on how heritage is interpreted and how socio-cultural aspects can be utilized as a mechanism for understanding and exploring heritage sites. Design and architecture reflect a culture’s ideas, values and traditions. Since cultures develop and alter, a new set of tools is necessary to accurately reflect our society. Similar is the thought behind this thesis project undertaking. Architecture has always served to shelter, contain and memorialize our lives and emotions. It has been able to withstand the forces of time and elements. Finally, recreating the Black Taj Mahal.

Project description

The vision is to attempt to celebrate Heritage in all aspects & appreciate The Black Taj as an epitome of architectural poetry and physical manifestation of a soulful proposition of the mighty builder- Shah Jahan. A progressive step where-in lack of community spaces and land shortage can be resolved through conversion of these ‘negative volumes’ in the city into positive communal
spaces. To conceive forgotten spaces as modest and capable of respecting the integrity of the site and situation, yet be powerful enough to create an important contemporary symbol. Transfusing the expression of today into these spaces of yesterday for the formation of memories of tomorrow.

Technical information

This proposal has been attempted as an ‘Explorative Study’, the iteration proposed has the potential to be implements from element scale to the whole; to eventually change the heritage city fabric of Agra. The Government has undertaken a Multi-Crore project to develop a Museum in Agra, this thesis sets out to exploit this potential to plug into and proposes a River Revival and the development of the Black Taj Vantage Point, the idea is further strengthening the heritage fabric of the city and in turn the nation. It would create awareness to the state of Yamuna while also clearing its pollutants and provide a new life to Agra and many such other degraded monuments.