Description:

Landscape Revitalization of Bellary Urban Development Authority Park, Bellary, Karnataka.

Challenges:

The Bellary Urban Development Authority Park (BUDA Park) lies in the heart of the city of Bellary and is the largest city-level park of the area. Hence, the design intent is to make it into a recreational facility catering to the needs of all sections of society and city-dwellers of all ages. The Park measures around 10,000 sq m and is almost flat, with a gradual slope. It has three entrances from the North, South and East sides. There is an existing water fountain at the center of the park with existing plumbing. There is an inaugural stone and an avenue of Gulmohar trees all along the central access of the park.The park has been adopted by Jindal Steels Pvt. Ltd. for revitalization and maintenance.

Solutions:

The park has been divided into different zones to cater to varying needs of society.

1. Multi-purpose activity zone- for active sports such as ball games etc.

2. Sculptural zone- with a central water feature, mounds of lush lawn and flowering shrubs for non-active relaxation and rejuvenation with nature.

3. Socio-cultural zone- to encourage public interaction, street plays, performances etc.

4. Children's play area- with play equipment for small children.

5. Passive zone- located opposite the children's zone for parents to monitor their children.

The landscape approach has been to provide an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable design so as to ease its maintenance in a place with a dry and hot climate, such as Bellary. The designed landscape is functional and easy to maintain. To create contemporary interactive open spaces, sit-outs, greens, sculptures, water bodies & fountains framing the vistas have been included to camouflage the built mass.

The Landscape Planting concept aims to stimulate the three senses of sight, sound & smell. The socio-cultural and children's zone have tall screening trees to scale down the large five-storey building next to the park. All species proposed will be suited to the local climate and easy to maintain. The planting concept aims to bring in a variety of colour & seasonal variation. The Paving interconnects all the entries and zones. Different materials have been used to lend direction and create color in the hard landscape.

Outdoor lighting dramatically highlights the garden features as well as facilitates night-time entertainment. Lighting transforms the landscape into a soft ambiance of understated elegance during the evening hours. It is proposed to use bollard lighting for pathways, focal lighting for plants & sculptures and security lighting along the compound wall. Landscape lighting is used to enhance the beauty of the landscape while also providing safety and security.