REVIVING THE GLORY OF ALMEIDA PARK IN BANDRA, MUMBAI

Dedicated to the memory of Professor Raphael Almeida, a renowned botanist, ex-Mayor, Municipal Councilor, and Senator who strove to make Bandra green and better, the Almeida Park is sprawled across an area of 1.6 acre (70,000 Sq. Ft) at the heart of the Bandra West locale. Lacking upgradation and renovation for the past 65 years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) teamed up with the design firm, Atelier ARBO to spruce up the look and feel of the park.

The Park has a vibrant and special botanical vegetation consisting of trees like Gulmohar, Banyan, Chiku, Mango, Apta, Supari, Jambool, Chafa, Jackfruit, Kailas Patti, Nilgiri, and many more. The design’s aim was to enhance and elevate the spatial quality of the park to entice more people to visit regularly. Focusing on achieving a fresh charm for the park, a variety of unique design features were planned and executed to produce a well-planned and spacious public park for the mental, social, and physical upliftment of the local residents.

MINDFUL SEGREGATION OF SPACES

Conscious and systematic planning process led to the thoughtful segregation of the spaces in the park. One-tenth area of the park was covered by an enhanced children’s play space having EPDM and mud flooring and modern play equipment and accessories. Rest of the park was tactfully planned with intriguing walking pathways, gathering spaces, seating spaces, and vivid landscape arrangements.

AN EYE-CATCHING ENTRANCE
The main entrance of the park was renovated with an attractive canopy inspired by the forms of ‘Shells.’ A tensile structure resembling shells welcomes visitors creating a spark of curiosity and admiration in their minds.

INTERESTING WALKWAYS, PATHWAYS, SEATING SPACES, AND GATHERING AVENUES

A free-flowing curvilinear track of 2.4 m width runs along the entire oval circumference of the park creating an unobstructed path for people to walk or jog on. The secondary pathways originate from the main track to help in the navigation of visitors throughout the park. These pathways have seating spaces at regular intervals and sufficient ambient lighting for improved walking experience in the evening.
The Park also hosts shaded and covered trellises with fragrant creepers, like Madhumalti, which deliver a highly sensorial and vibrant walking experience to visitors. Few seating spaces are covered with a tensile roof for the comfort and relief of senior citizen groups and as a shelter during monsoon season.

A spacious plain ground in the park offers an open arena for social meetings or community gatherings. An Amphitheatre provides a spread-out space for visitors to sit and congregate for a leisure chat.

UPGRADATION OF BASIC AMENITIES

Proper segregation of toilet spaces for men, women, and the staff of the park has been done to achieve adequate sanitation for the visitors. Renovation of the watchman’s cabin at the entrance was imperative to ensure the security and safety of the visitors. Considering the importance of inclusivity in the design, improved facilities for the differently-abled citizens are provided at all necessary junctions of the park. An interesting approach of creating a gated grill with a seating space along the compound wall of the park was implemented to increase the visual contact between the indoor and outdoor areas of the park.

An iconic statue of Prof. Almeida and his wife, showcased at the center of the park, reminds the local residents of his valuable contributions to the betterment of the Bandra area by increasing green and open spaces. The design was derived by the ideology of rejuvenating and reviving the glory of the park to provide a fresh, open, and peaceful space filled with fragrant flora and lush fauna which would help the visitors in de-stressing and taking a break from the fast and cluttered routine of city life. The Park aims at becoming a start point in the long journey of uplifting and upscaling the various public open spaces scattered across the city of Mumbai.