Design Debates 

Serviceability of Service lines under the West footpath

Solution: Flexi paver concrete blocks are used to finish the footpath surface instead of permanent floor panel solution. These flexi blocks allow for ease in servicing the disrupted water main lines or power lines under the footpath. Once work is completed the paver blocks are replaced which give a seamless unpatched look like there was no work carried out here.

Sea wall profile – seats and height of the sea wall

Solution: Detailed discussion with CWPRS and PWD for every profile of seawall designed by the architects were held, post which a sea wall profile which confirmed to technical requirements, structural stability and ease of construction was implemented. The seat profile is designed ergonomically to give best comfort, the materials chosen are those that will last long and the details worked allowed do not allow for any water logging.

Seating facing the Sea

Solution : The sea wall profile was designed based on CWPRS and PWD requirements hence the seats faced the street front. Due to the persistent requests of citizens to have seats facing the sea, the architects have provided such seating in areas like the Oasis, at the developments of under the flyover. Thus Marine Drive has a new feature – seats facing the sea.

Minimize elements on west footpath

Solution: Upon detailed study of usage patterns on Marine Drive , the footpath were designed for three zones

• Dead zone nearer the footpath edge
• Fast zone is the maximum central width of the promenade
• Slow zone nearer the seat.

The visual clutter of elements existing on the promenade like distance markers, trees , dust bins were relocated and redesigned to ensure maximum uninterrupted space to the walkers / strollers on Marine Drive .

Colours for the promenade

Solution : The most sensitive decision during the refurbishment design process was the colours to be used at Marine Drive promenade. The architects have deliberately and sensitively chosen to stay with tones of grey for the promenade because we believe that it's the people of Mumbai that will add the colour to the promenade.

Bottle neck on marine drive – under the Flyover

Solution : The unsafe and insecure place under the Princess street flyover is redesigned to cater to a smooth transition of the promenade starting from the Nariman point end to continue upto the Mafatlal bath as one seamless stretch with seatings facing the sea and well defined landscape.

Landscape and shade

Solution : The sun shade study of the existing coconut palms along Marine Drive gave us a picture that when we needed the shade the most in the afternoons we did not have it on the promenade. Thus we came up with a solution of OASIS to create adequate shade by clustering the trees in pockets along the stretch of Marine Drive rather than have single standing trees and in doing so we allowed these Oasis to become hubs of activities like the busstop, seats facing the sea, entrances to the subways and adequate landscaping.

Commercialization and hoardings

The designers have taken a very clean stand on the allowance of commercialization or hoardings on Marine Drive . marine Drive should be treated as a no commercialization zone. Hence you do not find any such boards encouraging commercialization.

Private Sponsors

The designers do not encourage private sponsors to help the Marine Drive project.
Donated benches , upkeep of flower beds, drinking water fountains are refrained from on site. The control of who is allowed to sponsor and why not others does not come into play once private sponsors are discouraged. The public space can very well be refurbished by the grant / funds supplied by the state government.