Architects of Sikkim initiate dialogue for Gangtok

GANGTOK: “Architects of Sikkim”, a body of concerned architects, has announced plans to organise an exhibition, “Projecting Gangtok – Dialogues for an Emerging City”, showcasing public projects in Gangtok and collecting public opinion on the Gangtok of the future. Opening its doors to public footfalls after decades of having remained shut will be the Star Cinema Hall at MG Marg where the exhibition will be hosted from 15 to 30 April.
“The purpose of the exhibition is to bridge the gap between decision makers in the urban bodies and the aspirations of the people who live here,” the AoS explains in a press release.
“Urban growth is a global phenomenon and Gangtok straddles a critical juncture between a large town and a nascent city. Some cities just about cope with the problems that accompany this growth, others are stretched and some take the situation as an opportunity to transform their cities into something better. The direction Gangtok takes is dependent on the decisions we make today as citizens, planners and policy makers,” the release states.

Projecting Gangtok seeks to articulate the city’s collective thought about its “aspirations as a city” by creating awareness and allowing the citizens to voice their views on the projects through feedback books and questionnaires, the release further informs.
A photographic exhibition/ competition ‘Click City’ on the theme “Urban Life in Gangtok” organised jointly by Architects of Sikkim and Rachna Books also features in the programme.
The architects have also recorded that the initiative has been made possible by the “wholehearted support” of the Urban  Development and Housing Department “which has encouraged the venture from its conception and also allowed the premises of the Star Cinema hall to be used as the venue”, the release mentions.
The schemes to be exhibited have been sourced from UDHD, Buildings department, Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Public Health Engineering department, Forest department, and Tourism department while Karma Tenrab, a local artist is helping with the “venue enhancement”.