A GROUP of architects and urban designers have complained that the BMC scrapped its ambitious Mumbai Street Lab project without implementing their designs.
Architectural firms that had won the Mumbai Street Lab competition in 2019 have objected to the BMC’s recent Request for Proposal (RFP) for the empanelment of architects for redesigning streets in Mumbai, saying that the tender is very similar to the Mumbai Street Lab project.
To invite innovative and creative design solutions for streets in the city, the BMC had launched the Mumbai Street Lab (MSL) competition in October 2019. Under the competition, five roads across the city were selected for improvements that included pedestrian-friendly interventions, walking and cycling areas and steps for smooth vehicular movement. Each winner was promised Rs 5 lakh as prize money.
Out of 52 entries, five firms had won the competition in December 2019, after which BMC officials had meetings with these five firms to start signing agreements to implement their designs on selected roads. Architects said that in September 2020, the BMC had agreed to send a formal agreement copy and work orders. However, in January 2021, the firms received an email saying that their services were not required any more.
“The BMC first agreed to take up our designs and later told us the project was scrapped and they don’t need our services and drawings. Now, BMC has come up with a new tender for street retrofitting along similar lines,” said Pranav Naik of Studio Pomegranate, one of the five firms. He added, “On some of these roads, the BMC has taken up improvement works. But that is not as per the designs submitted by us. The BMC is implementing something else.” Officials from the roads department said designs from these architects were difficult to implement as there are several site challenges.
“It is under BMC’s purview whether to take their designs and allot the work to them or not. Also, the designs submitted by them were difficult to implement on the streets due to space challenges. So, the project was scrapped,” said a senior official from the Roads and Traffic department.