ساحلِ ک ل: Saahil e Kal

Abstract

In the last two decades, the city of Karachi has experienced such abundant acts of terrorism, crime, infrastructural negligence that its people and particularly its youth have been conditioned differently. Immunized, the working-class labors day and night in the hope of improving their life in the city full of opportunities and setbacks. A major unrecognized setback however is in their limited outlook of life arising from the generational trauma they carry of the tumultuous era of Karachi. Majority of the citizens, having witnessed frequent violence, crime, municipal negligence either first-hand or second-hand through the media, a notion of “stuckness” is left in the minds of the people. Many view the city as a Pandora’s box of problems, the only escape of which may lie in leaving the city. The city, however, does not treat every citizen the same way. The ones born with a silver spoon have a different experience of the city in comparison to the middle to lower income groups. The real failure however lies in the inability of one to jump from one income group to the other, leading to those born poor to be dying poor. Although limited, there have been cases of individuals who did not let their circumstances define them, rather they envisioned a better future for themselves and defined their circumstances accordingly. It can therefore be inferred that one’s real handicap in life is their mindset, and it’s precisely this mindset that has decayed overtime due to the generational trauma left in the people of Karachi. The city’s people are a lot more complicated than they may seem; hailing from different sects, birthplaces and classes, yet connected by circumstances, aspirations and short retreats for peace, the people are not as divided as they may seem. Whether it be during instances of severe urban flooding like in 2020 or the everyday dissemination of food to the needy under the metropolitan bridges, in the times of united struggle, these people have disregarded their class differences to aid each other. With the incentive of a better future for all, through a mutually beneficial relationship, this phenomenon can be harnessed in a grand long-term scale. Therefore, this thesis explores the creation of a new architectural typology, one that balances commerce/revenue and social impact. By creating a facility that focuses on revenue generation, youth empowerment and a touristic potential, this thesis aims to revitalize Karachi’s waterfront and leverage it to improve the city’s future. These objectives are accomplished by focusing on the much-neglected Karachi’s Clifton waterfront, an iconic part of the city and interpreting it through three different target niches: the public, the middle to upper middle class and luxury consumers. Simultaneously it taps into the potential of Clifton Beach as a waterfront which is yet to be fully realized despite the hundreds of visitors that it hosts. Therefore, this thesis aims to create an institutional landmark where, via its program, people of different classes may come together to learn and improve their skills within the realm of the digital economy which holds life-changing earning potential. This facility will seek to provide mentorship, networking and learning opportunities to those from middle to upper middle earning backgrounds so that they may understand how to leverage their skills in a way that may lead them towards financial independence. To do so, not only will they be facilitated in developing their skills and scaling their income but also broadening their vision in terms of what can be accomplished. All that this facility aspires to accomplish will echo further as it stands as the culmination point for Karachi’s first public Pier offering several recreational activities for the people of the city while simultaneously generating much needed revenue by leveraging the waterfront. The latter is taken a step further by creating an exclusive zone for high-end consumers that offers unique activities and experiences, such as temporary accommodation in over-water villas, glamping, boating, etc. In this way this project caters to different classes through different means. With varying exclusivity, this project would hold opportunities for all; from the struggling trinket vendor to the curious student and the aspiring entrepreneur and the high-end consumer looking for a memorable experience of Karachi’s waterfront. By influencing young minds, it can be concluded that there will be a compounding impact of such a space, as those youth equipped with better skills, awareness and vision would then eventually be able to tackle the other giant problems Karachi faces. It stands to reason that such a proposal could create a new chapter for the city’s future, thus naming it Sahil-E-Kal (Edge of Tomorrow).