The design proposal of the Khan market redevelopment focuses on instilling a unifying urban character in the existing space by the use of “harmonic Pixels”. The disparate nature of the space and the various elements are unified thought the use of pixelation which creates a symphony through the use of gradients and moving horizontally and vertically.

Khan Market was initiated as a small business opportunity given by the government of India to the displaced people due to partition, after independence. As a built construct, it comprised of shop cum flats, where the dual purpose of earning and residing was taken care of. Till recently, it was a friendly neighborhood market, which catered to the daily needs of the abutting government colonies. In the last six years, how this small time market transformed into a fashion cum food hub, showcases the amazing growth of an average Indian urban space that overtakes, overlaps and oversteps spatial constraints, functional inadequacy, safety standards and the initial character.

What we see today at the Khan market is that the shops have become smaller as the initial shop has been divided into two and the flats on top have been converted mostly into specialized restaurants or branded boutiques and showrooms spread in two floors accessible through a narrow closed staircases. So, the services that catered for a shop and a family, now has to take in the bulk of a heavily populated public place. The experience of ultimate shopping in Khan Market is associated with extreme parking problems, sewer stench, uneven walkways, droughts of air-conditioning vents and kitchen exhausts to name a few. These are the evident woes. What is not so apparent to many are the hazards of fire as the narrow staircase is inadequate for the exodus of the number of people sitting in the restaurants and the total disregard for the elderly and physically challenged to access them.

An urban plaza is proposed as a break and relaxation point for the visitors. This plaza could be used for social events in the evenings and intends to add the element of social space to an already highly active shopping area.

The main plaza has been introduced with the elements of water, light, grass and pavement, all of which are following the pixelated language and the gradations and the change of elements has been induced by studying the flow of people and the material best suited for the particular used. Also fuzzy boundaries have been created for active movement zones and zones of activity and relaxation.

The beauty of khan market is the trees and the greenery that it is sitting the amidst of. The congestion of the parking disturbs this and also creates non pleasant environments for outdoor upper level restaurant seating. It is proposed to create an underground multi level parking below the plaza, which would free the area of parking chaos and also creating a pleasant experience for the visitor.

Khan market is currently a fire hazard for the upper levels for the restaurants. Fire Escape staircases have been integrated in the design proposal, which evolve from the pattern of the pixelation.

An urban corridor has been created on the upper level, connecting the existing restaurants with a continuous loop. This is proposed to create a unified movement where the top level restaurants are connected to the lower levels thought the pixelated staircases and also creates a food court on the upper level.

Different depth of the balconies has been proposed on this level, which plays on the concept of pixelation and also caters to the demand of the occupancy of the different restaurants

It is proposed to provide VRV systems on the terrace of the buildings which will free the space of existing clutter of the air conditioning units and the wiring associated with it.