Andhra Pradesh Capital photo copy design excites none

GUNTUR: Social media blasted the core design of AP’s capital, stating that it resembled factory chimneys and the 50-year-old design of the palace of Assembly building in Chandigarh. The AP government has approved the design of the Japanese firm Maki Associates for the core city. The Assembly building is a half-domed round structure and the public say that it will not reflect the traditions of AP.

Pointing to the buildings of the AP and Telangana Assemblies, people said that the AP government has instead approved a design that is similar to that of Chandigarh, which was designed 50 years ago. Further, the cooling towers of NTTPS are visible from Amaravati and people say that the new Assembly building looks like the NTTPS cooling towers.

They said that they did not want factory chimneys or cooling towers but an Assembly that would reflect the region’s history.

Architecture students K. Mahesh and others said the AP people had hoped that their Assembly would reflect their traditions but the government went for a 50-year old design, which is outdated in today’s world.

Mr M. Harish and others, locals of Rayapudi of Amaravati, where the Assembly building will come up, said the cooling towers of NTTPS, Ibrahimpatnam on the other side of Krishna River were visible from Amaravati, and the Maki Associates’ plan resembled those towers.

They said that they did not want factory chimneys or cooling towers but an Assembly that would reflect the region’s history. Some netizens commented that the AP Assembly building looked like a nuclear power reactor and not an assembly building.