HYDERABAD: The upcoming AP capital
Amaravati
will have the rare distinction of seven international master architects designing the city.
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) will invite bids for designing six thematic cities proposed in the master plan.
"We are gearing up to prepare bids with the help of our consultancy, Mckinsey. We will try to rope in best of the companies" Ch Sridhar,
CRDA
commissioner told TOI. Out of the proposed nine thematic cities (government, justice, finance, knowledge, electronics, health, sports, media and tourism cities), bids will be invited for six thematic cities next week.
Norman
Forster
company, which was selected as the master architect for the permanent government complex, will also design the government and justice cities. The design of the financial thematic city will be part of the startup area to be designed by the master developer for the seed capital area (SCA). The CRDA is looking for companies having relevant experience in the areas of design. According to officials, the health city will be taking inspiration from Dubai health city.
After the designs submitted by Maki and Associates were rejected by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, CRDA has decided to ask the companies to use virtual reality technology for presenting the designs. "Designs done using virtual technology look like as they are live. Usually in the normal miniature presentations a building of design can be shown from outwards, but internal features cannot be depicted. In this technology inside of building with all the features can be seen as if it is real building, Normal Foster already agreed for this" Sridhar said. All the selected companies will have to showcase their design with the help of this technology. Reportedly, film director SS Rajamouli when approached by the CRDA for his suggestions on the capital too, suggested virtual reality technology designs. The sets of kingdom Mahishmati in the Baahubali film was also first tested using this technology.