Mohammad Shaheer | Landscape design

Mohammad Shaheer | Landscape design | India

2. LIFEOFMOHAMMADSHAHEER
Professormohammadshaheerwasadelhi
basedlandscapearchitectwithapracticethat
startedin1976.Dr.shaheerwaseducatedat
theschoolofplanningandarchitecture,new
delhiandtheuniversityofSheffield.Heworked
fortwoyearsinnorthernIrelandbefore
returningtoindia,wherehespentthenext26
yearsteachinglandscapearchitectureatthe
schoolofplanningandarchitecture,new
delhi.anardentthinkerandphilosopher,His
practiceconcentratedprimarilyonlarge-scale
publicprojectsandconservationwork.Amongst
allhisprojectshisworkatsanskritikendradelhi
iswellknown.Someofhisotherinteresting
projectsaretherestorationofthegardensof
humayun’stombindelhiandtherestorationof
baghe-baburinKabul.Heisalsoamemberof
delhiurbanartcommission.Hewasalsothe
initiatorandco-editorofapopulartextbook
landscapearchitectureinindia:areader.He
diedin2015.

3. MohamedShaheer’sapproach&ideasisbasedonmergingIndiantraditionsandmodernideastogetherwhichis
perceptibleinhisprojects.
•Hebelieves“everydistricthasitsownstandardsforevaluationanddefinitionofasuitableapproachofcontemporary
understanding,whilekeepingtouchwiththoughtsandideasofthepast”.
•Hisotherapproachiscontinuitywhichcreatesaspacethatissustainedbythecontinuouspresenceofpeople.Ashesays
aboutthisproject:“alotoffunctionsortheprobabilityoftheiroccurrenceplayedanimportantroleintheideaofthe
landscapedesign”.
•Backgroundtendencyandprecisioninculturalcontextofthe
projectisasignificantapproachofthisarchitectwhichresults
inpayingattentiontolongheldbeliefsandtraditionsofthe
peopleofIndiainordertorehabilitatetheirculture.
•Restoringtheauthenticityofthesehistoricgardensistheresult
ofthisunderstandingandalsohisspecialattentiontodetails.
Restorationofwaterflowandplantingintheseprojectsis
carriedoutbasedonhistoricdescriptionalsoconsideringlocal
traditionwiththeaimofbringingthegardenbacktothestate
ofaflourishingorchard.
•Shaheer’sthoroughunderstandingoflocalculturalcontextand
hisspecialstyleindesign_simpleyettogreateffect_has
ensuredmodernfunctionsareincorporatedinthehistoric
gardensandturnedthemintomajortouristattractionsites.

4. GOALSANDPOLICIES
OneofthegoalsoftheSanskritfoundationinthisprojectiscreatingaplaceforcultivatingcreativityandforresidenceof
theartists.Theexistenceofcreativityintheplaceservesasamotiveforcreatingavarietyofactivitiesthatcancauseself-
organizationoflandscapeasadynamiclandscape.RehabilitationofcultureandartofIndiaisanothergoalofthisproject
whichismadebyitsrecordsofartisticactivities,especiallyperformanceart.
Shaheersays:“Thisprojectstartedin1984,whileIwasayoungprofessoroflandscapearchitectureandinthebeginningof
myprofession.Yet,itistruethatIwasconsciouslytryingtofindawaytoapproachlandscapearchitecturewhichdespite
expressingmodernunderstanding,berootedinvaluabletraditionsofthepastinwhichthelonghistoryofDelhiwereits
buildingsandlandscapes
Oneoftheothergoalsisdrawinginpeoplefromallsortsofdifferentculturessothatartists
workinthisplaceandconsideritasanextensionoftheirworkplaceandlife,thesameaswhentheysatundertheshadeof
thetreeathomeandweavedbasketsandworkedwithpotterytoolsinthe
yard.Thisgoalcanbedefinedasecologicaltendencies.

5. L I S T O F
P R O J E C T S
SanskritiKendra,
Delhi
The restoration of
the gardens of
Humayun’s Tomb in
Delhi ( 2001)
The restoration of
the Baghe-Babur at
Kabul (2006)
Sundar nursery

6. Since1997hewastheresponsiblelandscapearchitectforseveralAga
KhanTrustforCulture(AKTC)initiativesinIndiaandAfghanistan,thefirst
ofwhichwastheHumayun’sTombGardenrestoration.Itwasthefirstever
opportunitytoundertakealandscaperestorationprojectatanyofIndia’s
protectedmonumentsand,aswitheverythinghedid,Shaheerspent
endlesshoursunderstandingthesite,guidingeveryoneinvolvedonwhatis
requiredtobeundertaken.Hisdeepinvolvement,almostdailyvisitsand
deepunderstandingofMughalgardentraditionscoupledwiththe
practicalnecessitiesofasitewhereover2millionwereexpectedtovisit
annuallyledtotheprojectbeingthesuccessithasbeen.
HUMA
YUN’S
TOMB

7. TheHumayun’sTombgardensareaperfectChar-bâghwiththe
tombinthecentreandthegardendividedintofourquadrants.
Eachoftheprincipalpathwayswithwaterchannelsintheir
centreandthefourpathwaysinthecardinaldirectionsadorned
withlargesquarewatertankswithafountainintheircentre.
Eachquadrantfurthersubdividedintoeightplotsrepresenting
theeightgatewaysorspacesofQuranicparadise
•ThoughHumayun’sTombremainedaplaceofveneration
fortheearlyMughals,withthedeclineoftheMughal
Empire,thegardenswereleftinastateofneglect.
•Inthemid19thcentury,theBritishchangedtheformal,
geometriclayoutofthewesternhalfofthegardentoa
moreEnglishlayoutwithchangesincludingintroductionof
circularflowerbedstoreplacethesquareMughaltanks.
•Intheearly20thcentury,LordCurzon,ViceroyofIndia,
directedtherestorationoftheMughallayout–
enthusiasticallyaddingchannelseventopathwayswhere
nonehadexistedinMughaltimes.
•Severalfurtherchangeswerethencarriedoutthroughthe
20thcentury–amajorplantingin1916whenpalmtrees
wereinappropriatelyintroducedonthefourcornersofthe
mausoleumandtamarindtreesontheplatformsusedby
theMughalsfortents.Additionalplantingsneitherused
plantspeciesfavouredbytheMughalsnorplanting
patterns.
•Threefailedattemptsinthe20thcenturytorestoreflowing
waterprecededthe1997gardenrestorationandofthese
the1984effortwasthemostdestructivewiththeMughal
stonebeddingrippedoutandreplacedbythemore
familiarandfavouredmaterial–cementconcrete!

8. TheMughalsleftnodrawingsandShaheer’sproposed
layoutwasrequiredtobebasedonhistoricdescriptionsbut
alsothemodernfunctionsoftheWorldHeritageSite
attractingalmost1millionannualvisitors.
•Thegarden,builtwiththetombinthe1560’swasoneof
theearliestgardensbuiltontheplainswhereitwas
challengingtoensureflowingwater.
•Thegardenplotswerelowerthanthepathwayswith
waterchannelstoensureirrigationbyfloodingfromthe
waterchannelswaspossible.
•Theprojectwastocommencewithrestoringthelevelsof
the32gardenplots-somethodicallytrenchesweredug
onallfoursidesofeachplottodeterminetheoriginal
levels.
•Thelevelvariationfromplottoplotandcouldbe
determinedbothbythedepthofthepathwayedging
butalsobythelevelsofthewateroutletsintoeachplot
fromthechannels.
•Hisattentiontodetailledhimtoprovideindividual
levelsforeachgardenplotbutalsospecificslopesfor
levelswithineachplottoensureaccumulatedrainwater
quicklytakentotheaquiferthroughthefourrainwater
harvestingpitsprovidedineachplot.

9. Thesignificanceofthetomb-gardenfortheMughalsandthe
levelsofthegardenplayedaroleindeterminingthe
plantinglayout.Asdidthepresenceofexistingtrees;
Shaheerwouldneverpermittheremovalofanexistingtree
–takinggreatpainstoalterdesigninamannerthatwould
saveanyvegetation–yetherehistoricconsiderations
requiredforthetransplantingof72Ashokatrees–
inappropriatelyplantedoverthedecadeprecedingthe
gardenrestorationtoserveasavisualbarrierforlarge
portionsofthegardenswhichwereun-kempt.
•The final planting layout for the tomb-garden was
stylistically Shaheer–simple yet to great effect.
•The peripheral pathways were planted with tall
trees –mango and neem –both recorded in
Mughal chronicles and the canopy of which was
eventually expected to be visible from over the 6
m tall enclosure walls.
•The three garden plots in each of the four corners
had the pathways perpendicular to the enclosure
walls planted with one row each of orange and
lemon –fruits said to have been favouredby
Humayun.
•The ends of these plots towards the enclosure wall
were planted with a grove of flowering shrubs –
hibiscus –recorded to have been planted here
during Mughal times and the sweet smelling
Harsingar.
•Similarly the intersections of the pathways in the
center of the quadrant were planted with the
lowering Motiaand Mogra. Finally, an orchard of
pomegranate was planted along the western edge
of the sunken eastern side of the garden.

10. •TheHumayun’sTombgardenwasprobablytheearliestgardenbuilton
theplainswithflowingwaterchannelsandensuringtheflowofwater
wouldhavebeenamajorchallenge.
•Flowingwaterwasalsoasignificantelementofthegardenanditwas
essentialfortheprojecttorestoreflowingwater.
•Originallyusedforirrigation,theflowingwaterinthechannelswasno
longerrequiredforirrigationandassuchitwasnotconsidered
necessarytorestoreflowingwatertotheperipheralchannelsandto
thoseinthesouth-westquadrant–wherechannelshadinfactbeen
introducedinthe20thcenturywherenonewerebuiltbytheMughals.In
the1980’smuchofthewaterdistributionnetworkatHumayun’sTomb
wasdismantledanddestroyedinanotherwisewellmeaningattemptto
restoreflowingwaterbymakingthebed‘watertight’byusingcement.
•These1984-5worksweredismantledandatraditionalmasonrywith
limemortarbeddingwasrestoredtothechannelswhileprovidingthe
requiredslope.
•Over2kilometersofsandstoneedginghadtobeprepared–hand
chiseledbytraditionaltoolsbythestonecarvers.
•Onamongstthefirstfewchannelsfixedinthismanner,thestonewas
providedamortaredging–roundedoff–thisupsetShaheerSir
enormously–itwasaninappropriatedetailnotthoughtthroughand
theworkhadtobereversedandthepathwaylevelschangedto
providetherequiredstabilitytothestoneedging.

11. ARCHITECT
Ar. UPAL GHOSH and team
LANDSCAPE
Ar. MOHAMMAD SHAHEER
AREA
7.41 arces
LOCATION
Foothills of Arravalirange
SANSKRITI
KENDRA

14. TheSanskritiKendraistheFoundation’sCulturalCentre
locatedinanidyllicnaturalenvironmentwithsprawlinglawns,
toweringtrees,floweringshrubs,lotus-ponds,homestobirds
andbutterflies(NatureatSanskriti).Itservesasconducive
spaceforinnovativeandinteractivework.
•AlltheactivitiesoftheCentreareconductedinalow-lying
andbeautifullydesignedcomplexofbuildings
•Thescaleandproportionofwhicharehumaneandin
harmonywiththenaturalenvironment.
•Traditionalarchitecturalelementsaregentlyimbibedinto
modernbuildings.
•Thecampus,graduallydevelopedinstages,housesthree
museums,aMulti-Purposehall,anamphitheatre,artists’
studiosanddormitoriesandworkshopspaces.
•Itprovidesauniquelyenablingenvironmentforall
Sanskriti’sownactivities,aswellasforthemanyNGOs,
associationsandothercivilsocietyorganizationsthatuse
thefacilitiesforconferencesandworkshops.
•Thebuildingsaresemi-rusticinappearancewithample
spacebetweenthemforstrollingbutnotsofarapartas
toengenderasenseofisolation.
•Thegroundsarefilledwithtreesmakingitseemlikean
organicgrowth.
•Allspacesarescatteredinamannerofavillage
dwelling.Over2thousandtreeswereplantedacrossthe
plotwithabanyantreeattheentrance.
Architecture and landscape

15. SANSKRITI IS ROOTED IN SOIL OF LIFE AND ITS INEXORABLE AND INTRINSIC
SENSE OF BEAUTY. ITS FAITH IS IN THE CULTURE AS A CATALYST AND AS A PART
OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND NOT AS AN EXCULIVE IVORY TOWER CONCEPT.
GHOSH proposed bringing a ‘shantiniketan’ to Delhi, creating an idyllic village that would have
a flowing river and trees for artists to work under.
The importance of this complex lies in the honest formulation of creating a natural, rural
environment where architectural expression emphasizes on restrain over exuberance.