Now, clash of capital plans for Amaravati

Hyderabad: Japan’s concept plan for the government complexes, particularly the suggestion to shift the location of the high court building, has been deferred with the Singapore master plan for the capital city of Amaravati.

Japan’s rationale for this suggestion was that priority projects did not include the northern section of justice city, which seemed to be in conflict with the stated intention to build the high court as part of seed development.

Singapore government has submitted its master plan for Amaravati. The state government had recently conducted a competition to elicit the best concept design for the Amaravati government complex.

It had selected the concept plan, submitted by Maki & Associates of Japan.
The Japan concept plan proposed that all the government buildings be located close to each other for ease of movement and simplification of security zoning.

Locating the high court building at the southern end of the site would result in a high degree of isolation, especially during the initial years of Amaravati’s life, and not let it participate fully in the initial urban vision, concentrated along with the Krishna river.

The Japan concept plan said, “Based on the study of the master plan, submitted by Surbana Company of Singapore, our master plan proposes to shift the high court to the north with the legislature and the Amaravati square corner of block 2 with heads of the department (HODs) buildings, running extending north.”

It said, “A complete and coherent urban vision will be evident from the beginning of Amaravati’s history; Amaravati square binding between the legislature and high court is considered part of the initial seed project.”

The two main buildings will have a strong presence along the Krishna river, while ensuring that the square remains open and legislature and secretariat are tightly bound by movement back and forth of the chief minister, but the high court is not,  and the Amaravati square is fully public and the ‘People’s axis’ continues uninterrupted to the river.”

In terms of Vasthu relationships, the Japan concept plan said, “The largest and tallest structure, the secretariat seat of the chief minister is located at the southwest corner of the government complex.

This building will also have views of the Krishna from the upper floors, the location of the chief minister’s and chief secretary’s suites. The initial site level energy plant and infrastructure truck line requirements are consolidated; the project can be completed more quickly with fewer resources than if the high court was located 3 km to the south.”