The river’s edge, once nature’s delicate tapestry, succumbed to human overdesign. Pollution, concrete and brick-clad river edges now mourn its lost freedom. This project embraces the philosophical notion that sometimes, even inaction holds significance and proposes an artwork installation that serves as a silent but powerful protest, conveying a message against intervention that has altered the natural beauty and the flow of water edge. The proposal secured the 2nd position in the international competition on water edges organized by the Aditya School of Architecture, Mumbai, India.

The water edge is never constant and always animated. The water edge signifies the point where water meets land, serving as a symbolic threshold that embodies the junction of nature, culture and society. The coexistence with the water delineates the intricate connection between various aspects of human civilization, weaving together a tapestry of shared history, cultural significance, and the symbiotic relationship between society and the fluid essence of nature. From nurturing amphibians to guiding the paths of mighty rivers, the water edge symbolizes the delicate equilibrium that sustains our world.  Any attempt to control it sets off a butterfly effect, disrupting the delicate balance of nature.

Once reserved, water/river edges now silently bear the burden of human neglect. We, as architects, planners and designers, tend to intervene catering our design solely for our benefit, forgetting the nature that we’re building it upon. This has changed the scenario of river edges and their natural course in the past years. Upon thinking about what we can do to design an edge while addressing all the issues mentioned, we concluded that crafting a river’s edge without designing it reveals nature’s true masterpiece and allows it to sing untamed.

A canvas was proposed, positioned on the riverbank’s edge to capture the essence of its bygone days. The artwork reflects the river’s natural ebb and flow. A person passing by will stand there, have a look at it, and can see the glorious past it had compared to now. The artwork will be made from biodegradable material, once it touches the natural soil, it’ll dissolve by itself, only to signify its poetic finale that the goal of this rebellion has been achieved and the river has gone back to its authentic form.

The concept was inspired by the principles of New-contextualism, a fresh philosophy pioneered by Mohammad Habib Reza, which advocates for a mindful approach where intervention is only made when a situation necessitates it. This philosophy embraces the notion that sometimes, even inaction holds significance.

Image Credit:

Julkarnain, Golam Ahammad Sunny and Nafisa Anjum