<img style="float: left;" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2015/sep/the-guide-logo.gif" alt="" width="150" height="36" />Known for its Navratris and yummy veggie fare, Ahmedabad can now be seen in a new, refreshing light thanks to a travel guidebook, Architecture Reading Aid Ahmedabad, authored by four young German architects. Niklas Fanelsa, Marius Helten, Bj&ouml;rn Martenson and Leonard Wertgen created this pocket-sized guide in an attempt to introduce newcomers to the cityscape and the development of the city and the idiosyncrasies that come along with it.
<img title="Customers wait for their orders next to graves inside Lucky Cafe in Ahmedabad." src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/Customers.jpg" alt="Customers wait for their orders next to graves inside Lucky Cafe in Ahmedabad. " /> Customers wait for their orders next to graves inside Lucky Cafe in Ahmedabad. Pic/AFP
Scale of a city A result of six years of research, the idea of the book surfaced when the authors visited Ahmedabad as a part of the International Habitat Design Workshop, a programme by Padma Shri-winning architect Professor Balkrishna Doshi. The trio also held an exhibition on the urban space of Ahmedabad at Studio X in Mumbai last month. &ldquo;The two-month workshop by professor Doshi sees a new generation of students come to Ahmedabad every year. With this book, they can start engaging with the city quickly. The book is a way of trying to give them a good reading of Ahmedabad,&rdquo; says Helten.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/Lucky-Cafe.jpg" alt="" />
The architects were not just interested in the famous buildings designed by Le Corbusier or Professor Doshi but also in the everyday structures. &ldquo;We have tried to showcase the everyday space making; it happens not just on a big scale. For example, a street vendor will put up a shade with cloth and make a stall; these kind of activities don&rsquo;t exist in Germany. The entire range fascinated us,&rdquo; says Helton who ranks Sangath building and Manek Chowk as his favourites from the city. It is this perspective that sets the book apart from just a typical guide on the city&rsquo;s architecture or a travel guide for the tourist.
<img title="Architects Niklas Fanelsa, Leonard Wertgen and Marius Helten were recently in the city to conduct Khotachiwadi Imaginaries, a workshop that discussed ideas for the heritage precinct. Pic/Atul Kamble" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/Architects-Niklas-Fanelsa.jpg" alt="Architects Niklas Fanelsa, Leonard Wertgen and Marius Helten were recently in the city to conduct Khotachiwadi Imaginaries, a workshop that discussed ideas for the heritage precinct. Pic/Atul Kamble" /> Architects Niklas Fanelsa, Leonard Wertgen and Marius Helten were recently in the city to conduct Khotachiwadi Imaginaries, a workshop that discussed ideas for the heritage precinct. Pic/Atul Kamble
Lines and squares Pore over its pages to find engaging line drawings of the popular Jama Masjid or Gandhi Ashram and also of a humble pushcart. Each drawing comes with a photograph of the space and a small note on its uniqueness. The book will particularly interest design enthusiasts.
<img title="The authors were fascinated by the outer wall of Sangath, the office of Balkrishna Doshi, that served as a tea stall, a shrine and a mobile kiosk too. pics and illustrations courtesy/ ARA (Fanelsa, Helten, Martenson, Wertgen)" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/sangath.jpg" alt="The authors were fascinated by the outer wall of Sangath, the office of Balkrishna Doshi, that served as a tea stall, a shrine and a mobile kiosk too. pics and illustrations courtesy/ ARA (Fanelsa, Helten, Martenson, Wertgen)" /> The authors were fascinated by the outer wall of Sangath, the office of Balkrishna Doshi, that served as a tea stall, a shrine and a mobile kiosk too. Pics and illustrations courtesy/ ARA (Fanelsa, Helten, Martenson, Wertgen)
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/outer-wall.jpg" alt="" />
Like Mumbai, Ahmedabad showcases a mix of architectural styles. &ldquo;Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier introduced modernist architecture related to the context of Ahmedabad. Indian architects transformed this style towards a local Modernism, and created a tradition of architecture,&rdquo; says Helten. This diversity can be noted in the use of materials too. &ldquo;You find an interplay of local traditional and modern materials. For example, the Mill Owners&rsquo; Building from Le Corbusier uses teak wood, Jodhpur and Morak stone as well as exposed concrete,&rdquo; elaborates Fanelsa.
<img title="Designed by Le Corbusier in 1954, the Mill Owners&rsquo; Association building has been designed according to prevailing winds. So, the east and west fa&ccedil;ades are designed to keep the sun out and north and south fa&ccedil;ades have almost no windows." src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/Designed-by-Le-Corbusier.jpg" alt="Designed by Le Corbusier in 1954, the Mill Owners&rsquo; Association building has been designed according to prevailing winds. So, the east and west fa&ccedil;ades are designed to keep the sun out and north and south fa&ccedil;ades have almost no windows." /> Designed by Le Corbusier in 1954, the Mill Owners&rsquo; Association building has been designed according to prevailing winds. So, the east and west fa&ccedil;ades are designed to keep the sun out and north and south fa&ccedil;ades have almost no windows.
With a city so rich in culture, it was upon the authors to narrow down on the structures that would be featured in the book. In the end, the authors didn&rsquo;t include places that are representative of the entire city but also the spots that they grew fond of during their time.
<img title="Architecture Reading Aid, Niklas Fanelsa, Marius Helten, Bj&ouml;rn Martenson and Leonard Wertgen, Ruby Press, 16 euros, available on www.ideabooks.nl" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2016/feb/05book-cover.jpg" alt="Architecture Reading Aid, Niklas Fanelsa, Marius Helten, Bj&ouml;rn Martenson and Leonard Wertgen, Ruby Press, 16 euros, available on www.ideabooks.nl" />
&ldquo;From a long list of observations, we picked the ones that we found important to connect to Ahmedabad. We show a variety of specific observations in the city. For us they represent specific spatial qualities unique to Ahmedabad,&rdquo; says Fanelsa.
Architecture Reading Aid,&nbsp; Niklas Fanelsa, Marius Helten, Bj&ouml;rn Martenson and Leonard Wertgen, Ruby Press, 16 euros, available on www.ideabooks.nl

A cafe that houses graves, and other architectural marvels of Ahmedabad are captured in a unique travel guide created by four German architects

Travel guide by German architects offers a unique look at Ahmedabad

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