A design competition was called by the Hyderabad Metro Rail for the design of a commercial complex for re-locatioon of shops from a historic market - SUltan Bazaar. the spatial and architectural design of this space draws inspiration from the strong context it finds itself in; both historically and functionally. a historic street bazaar and a modern transportation network for a congested city have to find common ground in a newly designed commercial space.the success of the design, in such a scenario will depend on its suitabilityto the context; which is nothing but the people, their activity, their aspirations and their future. after all, what is the city, but its people!the design claims to draw it success based on the following salient features;- 4 varieties of sizes are designed for shops, catering to the fact that not all shop types have the same space needs. further, deeper shops have been designed to suit the needs of the majority of shops in existing sultan bazaar.- hawkers have been allocated kiosk spaces interspersed in between retail shops to maintain the economic ecology that exists in every indian bazaar - single loaded corridors have been designed for comfortable movement of visitors and reduction in unhealthy competition between shop businessmen. this has also been used to create a relevant design environment to reflect the art deco style of architecture.- additional conveniences like washrooms, fire escapes, parking, service stairs, loading/unloading bay, ducts for modern services like air- conditioning, etc. have all been accommodated and well planned.- the complex is accessible by road as easily as it is from the two metro stations to come up in the vicinity through skywalks.- eco-friendly construction materials are recommended.