Competition Karnal

The Competition to revitalize the Karna Lake at Karnal, Haryana was organized by the Ministry of Tourism in 2013. After a successful presentation at the Jury, another set of Jury discussion was proposed by the Ministry which is still pending. We are keen to be informed and deservedly receive the award considering the nature of the project revolving around a Lake with mythological significance and an integration with the urban fabric which rarely takes place.

Most of the land procured by the government is on the lake side while a small patch is across the highway. 7th proposed using it as a sunken courtyard for the vehicles to go under and enter the main plot in a comfortable elegant way. This omits the use of any traffic light or disruption from any of the directions visiting the venue. Apart from the circulation a set of shops and maintenance features related to mechanical, entertainment purposes were proposed.

The main project program itself deviated from purely entertainment fair grounds as proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and proposed a mixture of retrospective entertainment, reflective retreats and commercial facilities keeping in mind the return of investment, aesthetic and a cultural benchmark the venue should aspire to be.

Instead of introducing water sports in the lake, a quiet reflective ambience is proposed, part of the open market proposed for local artists and farmers which is proposed is adjoining the promenade next to the lake thereby not isolating but celebrating the function. The cultural craft museum in the capital host artisans and their workshops too which is informative for all sets of the public, the ability to interact with the artisans and for them in turn to do so promotes a cultural narrative and a similar thought was directed at the design of the Karna Lake complex.