OTTO KOENIGSBERGER (1908-1999)

ARCHITECT and DEVELOPMENT PLANNER

BODAS ANAGHA
4TH YEAR B.ARCH

OTTO KOENIGSBERGER

OTTO KOENIGSBERGER, architect,

planner and Egyptologist, enjoyed a
long and remarkable career that
began with work as a government
architect in Berlin in the 1930s.
He introduced the concept of "action
planning" - community-based
schemes supported by government
agencies - into many parts of the
Third World.
He was one of the founders of
modern urban development
planning in the rapidly growing cities
of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Works

1931- Diploma of Engineering (Architecture), Technical University, Berlin

1933-1937-Research and excavation in Egypt (Swiss Institute)
1935-Dr.-Ing, Technical University, Berlin, (Thesis on The Construction of
Ancient Egyptian Doors)
1939-1941-Chief Architect and Planner Mysore State, India
1948-1951-Director of Housing, Government of India.
1952-Planning Advisor, Basildon New Town
1954-1981-UN Planning and Housing Adviser to Governments of Ghana,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Singapore Planning Consultant to
Governments of Zambia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, Philippines, Brazil, Penang
State
1966-1970-Housing Adviser to the UN Economic Commission for Africa
1957-1972- Director of the post graduate course in Tropical Architecture,
later the Department of Development and Tropical Studies at the
Architectural Association, London
1973-1978 Professor of Development Planning and Head of the Development
Planning Unit, University College London

Awards

1933
Schinkel Medal and State Prize in Architecture

1979
Hon Dr-Ing University of Stuttgart

1989
UN Habitat Scroll of Honor (awarded by the then UN
Center for Human Settlements)

Key Concepts

ARCHITECTURE AND TROPICS PLANNING IN THE

The special problems in architecture and planning in the tropics, based
on Koenigsbergers experiences as chief architect in Mysore, India.
Developed from his experience as Director of Housing for India when
he was faced with the task of housing an estimated number of 5
million refugees, and from the situation of migrants and squatters
found in rapidly growing cities.

HOUSING AND PLANNING POLICIES

The social and economic functions of housing policies based on his
experience as a UN adviser.

ACTION PLANNING AND PLANNING EDUCATION

Planning methods for rapidly growing cities, Action Planning which
were developed during his time of teaching at the Architectural
Association and at the DPU University College London.

BHUBANESWAR

Bhubaneswar (20 degree 15'N

latitude and 85 degree 50'E
longitude) is the name, which
has been given to a area
covering 91.9414 square
kilometers

The place has evidently derived

its name from its principal deity
Tri-Bhubaneswar or
Bhubaneswar.
Has two distinct divisions, viz.,
the Old Town and the New
Capital.

OLD AND NEW TOWN

The Old Town is

characterized by mixed
land-use which is ausual
phenomenon with all
ancient towns and cities of
India. It contains splendid
specimens of Kalinga
architecture spanning some
twenty-five centuries of
history, depicting the grace,
the joy and the rhythm of
life in all its wondrous
variety.

The New Capital, the

foundation of which was laid in
1948, was started with a portion
of a reserved forest as nucleus.
It has now become a city which
has been built expending crores
of rupees. This part is planned
administrative town with
broad avenues, self-contained
residential units, modern
buildings and institutions. Thus
Bhubaneswar offers an
opportunity to behold
centuries-old art and
architecture, side-by-side
modern massive buildings and
institutions.

The site for the New Capital was

selected after careful
consideration.
It has the advantage of lying on
the border between the fertile
delta land and the hilly forest
areas of Orissa.It has the
natural advantage with regard
to drainage.
The ground slopes from west to
east and is divided into two
parts intersected by the railway
line.
The western part is high land
with laterite soil that permits
the growth of forest and the
eastern part is low with alluvial
soil suitable for agriculture.
The velocity of wind is
maximum in summer.

A plan for the New Capital was prepared in 1948 by Dr. Otto H.
Koenigsberger. On his recommendation the design of the
New Capital is based on the system of neighborhood units
which means a group of houses, large enough to afford the
major amenties of urban life like schools, dispensaries,
shoping-centres, entertainment, public libraries, etc. but at
the same time small enough to keep all these amenties in
short distances, so that the main advantage of rural life can be
preserved.
To avoid boredom and unformity the neighbourhood units are
designed individually with the object of giving it a distinct
character.
In contrast to the Old Town, the land under different uses
are segregated from each other so that the foul smell, smoke
or dust of an industry does not affect the residential areas nor
the crown and noise of a commercial area affect the silence
and solemnity of an administrative or educational area.

Four categories of roads have been adopted for the city viz.

(a) Arterial Road,

(b) Major Unit Road,
(c) Major Housing Street and
(d) Minor Housing street.
The Arterial roads are 200 feet(60.9600 metres) in width with earthen
flanks or foot-path of 10 feet (3.0480 metres) on each side and provided
with drains and plantations. Rajpath, Janpath, Gandhi Marga,
Sachivalaya Marga, and Udyana Marga come under this category.
The Major Unit Roads are 150 feet (45.7200 metres) in width with earthen
flanks, drains and plantations on each side. Ekamra Marga, Lewis Road,
Gopabandhu Marga, Bhubaneswar Marga, Vivekananda Marga, Bidyt
Marga and Puri Marga are under this category. The Major Housing
Streets are the roads which collect the internal traffic of housing units
and transmit to the major and arterial roads. The width of such roads is
100 feet (30.4800 metres) provided with earthen flanks and drains. The
width of Minor Housing Streets varies between 30 feet (9.1440 metres) to
40 feet (12.1920 metres) depending upon the importance of the locality.

SCHEMATIC ROAD MAP

The Units are named after the great personalities and the royal
dynasties of Orissa viz., Bapuji Nagar, Kharavela Nagar, Asoka
Nagar, Kesari Nagar, Gopabandhu Nagar, Bhauma Nagar, Ganga
Nagar, Goutama Nagar, Surya nagar, Bhoi Nagar, Madhusudan
Nagar, Buddha Nagar,etc.
The areas particularly allotted for the construction of private
buildings are named as Labour Colony, Bapuji Nagar, Satya
Nagar, Sahid Nagar, Jayadev Nagar, Acharya Vihar, etc.
Besides, there are certain areas which have been allotted for the
construction of private buildings. The institutional areas are
named as the Vani Vihar, the Regional Research Laboratory, the
Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology and the
Regional College of Education Campus. The Gift Press and the
Sainik School are situated in the Garkan mauza and the Capital
Water Works in the Pandara mauza
An area of 231 acres has been allotted for an Industrial Estat
These water towers ofdifferent designs look like great minars in
the sky line of Bhubaneswar.
Building

Few notable buildings in the New Capital are as follows The Raj Bhawan (Governors House)
The Orissa Secretariat
The Orissa Legislative Assembly
The Orissa State Museum
The Multi-storied Heads of departments
The Industrial Development and Infrastructure Corporation
Ltd.,
The Orissa State Housing Board
The Rabindra Mandap
The Orissa State Archives,
The University of Agriculture and Technology
Tribal Research Bureu, State Forensic Laboratory
Regional Research Institute (Ayurveda)
The Central Market

Thank you