Kartavya Path read more

A walk along Kartavya Path

WAYFINDING STRATEGY + SIGNAGE SYSTEM + TECHNICAL DETAILING + TYPEFACE CUSTOMIZATION + SUPERVISION & QC

India’s living centre of administration

The Redevelopment of Central Vista is one of the most prestigious projects for India at New Delhi, sprawling across 750 acres. The new development includes a new Parliament House, the Common Central Secretariat, new residences, and offices for the Prime Minister and Vice President. The landscape’s main feature is Central Vista, a grand avenue bordered by pedestrian walkways, plazas, and parking spaces. The combined facilities will serve more than 1 lakh people daily. With its superior infrastructure, the project will contribute to the urban development of the area and greater efficiency in government administration. The enhanced public spaces in and around this region will cater to tourism and recreation.

Kartavya Path, the grand axis of governance

The central road to the Parliament of India that marks India’s living center of administration, Kartavya Path (renamed from Rajpath) exudes a sense of grandeur. At the inaugural address on September 9th, 2022, Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi said Kartavya Path represents our sense of duty as well as the spirit of public ownership and empowerment.

Symbols from the past, glory of the present

The Iron Pillar of Delhi is a 7.2 meter tall structure, constructed by Chandragupta II (reign. circa 375 - 415 CE). The pillars is inscribed with edicts and values which prescribed a ‘way of life’ - codes of conduct for both citizens and governance. The pillar has stood the test of time and has shown impeccable resistance to corrosion. It is a living testimony of timelessness and India’s skill in metallurgy.

The Ashoka Chakra, which appears as a symbol on many of the edicts inscribed during his reign (268 - 232 BCE), is a version of the Dharmachakra. Its 24 spokes represent 24 values. As a symbol, the Ashoka Chakra, which also represents the cyclical nature of time, resonates with diverse Indian milieu.

A modern monolith

The sleek forms of the monolithic posts combine the characteristics of the Iron Pillar and the symbols of the Ashoka Chakra in a modern design which uses the latest technology. The posts are made of extruded aluminum with CNC engraving, and a PVDF coating ensures protection for long-term. The posts are located at all pedestrian intersections bringing a sense of grandeur to a modern setting.

Creating inclusive & accessible public spaces

An avenue of this vast scale needed a wayfinding system that was handy and informative, yet blended into the landscape without shouting out. Our inclusive approach took into consideration the needs of daily users, infrequent visitors and those with special needs. All directional information is provided in Braille, complementing the tactile flooring & accessible design principles which serve as a foundation for the project. Braille tactile maps and flooring provide directional guidance through well-defined information syntax systems that thoughtfully aid visually impaired visitors. This holistic approach for wayfinding and signage is a big step toward designing accessible city experiences. This public-facing project presented an extraordinary opportunity to come up with a universal icon for gender-neutral washrooms. The design development shifted its response from ‘transgender’ to ‘gender-neutral’ resulting in a symbol that is well-informed and humanistic. Our multidimensional approach led to the augmentation of signage with braille, tactile surfaces, directions for wheelchair accessibility and universal iconography. The high legibility and universal graphic sensibility aligned with the ethos of the project — to create an inclusive experience that sets a benchmark for public facing project design.

Typography and Iconography

The typeface Ashoka TPTQ, has been developed as a collaborative effort between Typotheque & Lopez Design. It truly embodies the stature and the grandness of this avenue with its customized elements and nuanced design across two scripts, Latin and Devnagri. November, designed by Typotheque, is the basis for the design of Ashoka TPTQ. A rational typeface, November is inspired by street signage. In Ashoka TPTQ, modifications like the dot of the i and the ‘bindi’ in Devanagiri, in conjunction with functional refinements, lend a distinctive characteristic to the font. The typeface is highly contextual and exclusive to the site and its requirements. The Central Vista avenue will draw a diverse range of people, from Government staff, official visitors and dignitaries to tourists, service providers and everyday pedestrians. The symbolic icons we designed are of two types. One set is highly functional and serves to communicate all common instructions and identification purposes. The second set captures the monumental buildings of the site, reflecting the administration and India’s historic legacy for a modern setting. The iconography is stylistically compatible with the Ashoka TPTQ font.

Wayfinding comes together with placemaking for a superlative experience

The signage design for Central Vista makes a deep impression, even though it occupies only a small real estate across the physical stretch. With iconic forms and consistent engagement through maps and informative signs, the entire system builds a cohesive mental picture of the space for the visitor, equipping them with a memorable experience to take back.

Team

Tulika Shrivastava
Vinod Anthony Thomas
Nishtha Sharma
Prabhjot Kaur
Avneet Lobana
Sukanya Panda
Pulkit Sudan
Namita Jain
Ajay Sharma
Parush Grover
Mohan Godwal
Tarka Patil
Anshul Kapoor
Sujatha Shankar Kumar
Vinod Sivan
Anthony Lopez