In the heart of Pune - spread over approximately 40 acres - is a garden founded in the 1830’s that has taken on the responsibility of being a demonstration of Pune’s environment and biodiversity over generations, for the generations to come.
| Location Pune |
Typology Botanical Garden |
Site area 40 Acres |
While the story of the Garden begins in the 1800’s with Sir John Malcolm - the then Governor of Bombay State - with the establishment of the Agri-Horticulturalist Society of Western India, and later the Bund Garden in Pune - for the studio, the journey with the Empress Botanical Garden began circa 1930s, with Mr. Bhalchandra Vitthal Bhagwat - our founder’s father.
During a stay in Pune, Mr. B.V Bhagwat visited the Empress Botanical Gardens to inquire if they had any employment opportunities. He was offered the position of an accountant. And then, along with managing the budget and funds of the garden, he also spent significant time acquainting himself with the garden; spending time in its library. He learnt everything there was to learn about the Garden, and its plant material.
When it was time to appoint the next Superintendent of the Garden, the managing committee believed that they did not need to look far; the position was offered to the erstwhile accountant who had demonstrated a great interest
Over time, he became an exemplar of garden management in Pune; finding little ways by which to revive and sustain the Garden, while simultaneously developing an ecosystem that was not only invested in, but also benefitted from the well-being of the Garden - be it the British Cantonment Area nearby, or the local potters. Through his interventions, he transformed a garden that was slowly becoming dilapidated into a workable, self-sufficient space
The Studio’s Founder - Prof. Prabhakar B. Bhagwat grew up here; living in a colony near-by. It was here that, as a child of no more than 12 years of age, he began observing trees; building knowledge. And by the age of 16, he earned the position of apprentice trainee, with the responsibility of manpower deployment, and record keeping. It is here that Prof. Bhagwat - India’s first qualified landscape architect - acquired knowledge from the head gardeners.
It is this space that we allude to when we talk about the Studio’s legacy, its genesis. It is this story that we hold in our minds when we talk about the Studio’s three generations.
As with any space, over time, the Botanical Garden has been in need of redesign, and refurbishment. There is a need for the garden to be remodelled in a manner that it is able to be an indisputable representation of its original purpose, and rediscover its voice in ever-changing and evolving times.
Outside of being a Botanical Garden, the space is home to various other activities and spaces - spaces of exercise, bird watching, picnics, educational tours, performances, and spaces of congregation and community. And so, the proposed design has taken into account these zones of intervention.
The iterations that have been developed have tested various ideas of transition, symmetry, planning, and looking back to the history of the space.
While still in progress, the Studio has been vested with the great responsibility of reviving this space that is nothing short of a pilgrimage for us.
