FLOATING PLANES 

This project begins with a simple, pressing question: How can a site as rich and complex as the Friday Bazaar—overcrowded, underutilized, and disconnected from its most valuable asset, the lake—be reimagined into a vibrant, inclusive, and layered urban space?

Currently, the Friday Bazaar suffers from a range of spatial and experiential challenges: market overcrowding, inefficient circulation, lack of connectivity to the lake, and a site that remains largely unexplored in its potential. The market faces inward, cutting off views and interactions with the lakefront, and leaving locals to navigate a space that feels disconnected from both context and community.

Our initial idea was to let the market guide the design—not just as a commercial zone, but as an organizing principle for public life. By extending the market inwards through a central axis, we imagined a system of affordable and adaptive spaces that cater to different market typologies: a festive market near the temple, a fish market placed near the lake for natural drainage, and daily-use markets woven throughout.This central axis becomes more than a path—it frames views, connects institutions, and becomes a spine for movement and gathering. Markets unfold along plinths—modular, porous platforms that allow for spontaneous occupation and a strong visual connection, much like the organic layout of traditional street bazaars.

To unify the market with the institutional spaces on-site, we lifted the built mass, forming an elevated institutional plane. This not only frees the ground for market activity but also creates a shaded, weather-protected roof—a continuous bridge that connects various programs while serving as a public realm in itself.

This bridge and its connected structures disintegrate into mid-landings and stairwells, forming spatial conversations between levels. These elements are not just connectors; they are designed as usable spaces—waiting areas, informal classrooms, or viewing decks that enrich everyday use.

Our engagement with the lake edge is central to the design. The boundary is blurred with swelling and narrowing spaces, varied plinth heights, and strategic openings—creating moments of pause, interaction, and reflection. The market opens outwards to the lake, while still respecting the privacy needs of the ISKCON temple, allowing public and spiritual life to coexist without friction.

The temple zone is kept semi-open, with community space that can expand as needed. Visual connections are maintained from all parts of the site, while programmatic elements like auditorium-style seating, a washing space, and a festive market nearby enhance functionality without enclosure.We’ve embedded social infrastructure throughout: a Montessori school with open classrooms, a library/vachanalay managed by the school, and a fish market integrated with a homeless shelter and employment hub. Meat and fish shops are carefully placed with ventilation and privacy in mind, while ensuring accessibility and ease of use.

Through all of this, we aimed to preserve the site's skyline and sensitivity, ensuring that built forms don’t dominate but rather engage in a dialogue with the lake, the market, and the people. This is not just a reorganization of space—it is an attempt to restore connectivity, dignity, and vibrancy to a place that has long deserved it.