Church Street 2.0 - becoming a commercial hub

Living in Bangalore, we cannot deny the multiple times we would head to Churchstreet with our friends the minute we think of a place to spend some leisure time. Just a long and relaxing stroll along the pavement could lift our spirits in no time. However, the street of this hub was not as rosy as it seems. Let's dive into the backstory of how Churchstreet got its ultimate makeover!

1. Pre- Facelift Era

Picture Credits: Citizen Matters Bengaluru

Back in 2015, Churchstreet was in desperate need of a facelift. The street witnessed broken and crumbling roads and walkways, deteriorating buildings and many other maintenance issues that caused a hindrance for Bangaloreans to visit this place. However, soon enough, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) formulated a plan to redesign the 100-year-old road of the hub under the TenderSURE project. The Karnataka Government had invested 9 crores for this magnum-opus project through the Nagarothana Yojana scheme and finally went on floors in the wake of February 2017. One of the starking requisites of the project included how it was essential to re-construct the 715-metre long road from 30 feet in width to 60 feet.

2. Work-In-Progress

The redevelopment venture was lead by architect Naresh Narasimhan from Venkatramanan Associates, a Bangalore based architectural group. Naresh along with BBMP officials devised a concept of making Churchstreet completely pedestrian-friendly. Apart from reconstructing the broken roads and carriageways, they also concluded how the decaying buildings had to be taken down and built from scratch using a sleek and urban architectural design. The architectural group also emphasised the need of having wider carriageways for pedestrians to walk without a hassle. They also ensured that the roads were rebuilt using cobblestone and granite stone that was sourced locally. Another interesting aspect you can notice while you are the traditional Kasuti patterns they have incorporated in the cobblestone walkway. Kasuti is a popular form of embroidery that is practised in Karnataka and one can often spot these motifs on garments produced from the state. Hence, these patterns give a rather traditional yet urban touch to the hub. Besides this, the cobblestone and granite can ensure that no potholes are formed, thus eradicating the water logging situations during monsoon.

Picture Credits: Venkateshwaranan Associates

The streetlights were also replaced with energy-saving LED lights, opting for a much sustainable option. They also ensured that, unlike usual Indian roads, they constructed a proper drainage system by including drains that collected rainwater.

3. The Brand New Churchstreet

Picture Credits: Venkateshwaranan Associates

Finally, in 2018, the project was finally completed and Churchstreet earned the makeover it deserved. The new Church Street is very close to reminding one of the popular streets across the world, like Piccadilly or Regent Street in London. This is also a contributing factor as to why youngsters often flock to this street, making it lively and fun!