MMRC to consider students’ designs for area around Metro-3 stations

Architecture students from the Rachna Sansad Academy of Architecture and Pillai College of Architecture are hoping to transform the areas around the upcoming Metro-3

Architecture students from the Rachna Sansad Academy of Architecture and Pillai College of Architecture are hoping to transform the areas around the upcoming Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz) stations by designing cycling paths, pedestrian zones and plazas.

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The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) recently announced the winners of a student competition on station area management. The winning entries proposed designs for Siddhivanayak, Marol Naka and Worli stations. Sayli Udas-Mankikar from ORF said, “We had 51 teams comprising 250 students from across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) who participated in the competition. They went through intense workshops, after which 16 teams presented their ideas to the jury, which included the MMRC.” In the plan for Siddhivinayak Metro station, which won the first prize, students proposed a 1.3-km cycle path around the station and 30-metre pedestrian zone in Khed Galli, the road along the back-entrance of the station. Vaishnavi Iyer, a student from Rachna Sansad, said, “The cycle path will connect 16 academic institutions in the area.”

For Worli station, another team from Rachna Sansad proposed to reduce the Annie Besant road from 3 lanes to 2 lanes on either side, and in turn increase the footpath width on both sides. Students from Pillai College proposed three plazas around Marol Naka station which would make more space for commuters coming in and out of the station. R Ramana, executive director (planning), said, “The students came up with several ideas that can be upscaled and replicated. We will curate these ideas and use them while finalising plans.”