Water Metro jetty in Fort Kochi at odds with heritage norms
The Hindu
‘The structure is tucked between Chinese fishing nets’
Even as work on the Water Metro jetty on the Fort Kochi beachfront is progressing after three heritage buildings were demolished, office-bearers of INTACH and urban designers are up in arms against what they say is even the ‘revised’ design focuses on a massive structure that pays little regard to heritage norms.
That the around 20,000 sq.ft. structure is tucked in between the row of the iconic Chinese fishing nets, regarded as the ‘Taj Mahal of Kochi’, is in itself unpalatable, said Biley Menon, national vice president of the Institute of Urban Designers and co-convenor of INTACH, Kochi Chapter.
“The size, aesthetics, and location of the jetty will hamper the operation and existence of the nets, whose pictures adorn the cover of any tourism brochure on Kochi or even a power-point presentation. The nets that were first set up 500 years ago and gave a brand identity to Kochi as among the top 10 international must-visit places in the world, should be protected at any cost. The massive structure that would protrude on the beachfront, its shallow sloped roof, covered terrace, and elements like openings, columns, arches, and gables are inconsistent with the rich Portuguese and Dutch colonial heritage of Fort Kochi,” he said.