KR Market Metro station to be developed as public space

Surrounded by places of historical interest, including a century-old hospital, there is no doubt the KR Market Metro station would be the next hangout.

Expecting an increased footfall in the future, the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), have prepared an urban design to create an integrated space for the young and old.

What are the unique design interventions? According to Ann Jacob and Sheeba Shetty, both urban planners from DULT, the design focuses on pedestrian priority and intermodal integration with easy access to public spaces.

“There would be a tourist pavilion with a cafeteria, an outdoor amphitheatre, junction improvements to facilitate accessibility, right above the underground Metro station which is located between the state-run hospital and KR Road,” Sheeba adds.

The design also includes artwork inside the Metro station as well as on an ancillary building that connects the tourist pavilion. A public plaza, street-scaping of Fort C Street, bicycle stand, colourful signages that are a response to the local history, are a bonus.

The designers have taken extra care to protect the privacy of patients in the hospital and have provided an open space exclusively for the patients and their family.

The underground Metro station is located between Tipu Sultan’s fort on the north and his Summer Palace complex and Kote Venkataramana Swamy temple in the south. Once operations begin, the station will act as a gateway to the pete area (city’s old commercial hub).

Besides a bustling market, the station connects the Vani Vilas and Victoria Hospitals and the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), while Kalasipalyam bus stand is located at a stone’s throw away from the station.

Shamanth Kuchangi, Technical Head, DULT said the design has been prepared to provide a pleasant pedestrian movement with special focus on open space.

“The work is being divided into different phases. In the first phase, a three-lane road connecting BMCRI Junction and the Fort-Hospital that is adjacent to the hospital would be developed. Later, we will focus on other designs,” Kuchangi said adding that the design work would be completed along with the Metro station work.

“The KR Market Metro station would present the story of pete areas and Bengaluru at large,’’ U A Vasanth Rao, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), BMRCL said.

Namma Metro plans to develop destination hubs at its various stations based on the availability of space.