The Banyan Leaf
- Client:Private Client
- Location:Daman
- Delivery:Design & Build by ZERO9
- Design Team:Anu Chauhan
Prashant Chauhan
Nirali
- Photographer:Pulkit Sehgal
Vad Chowki Traffic Island Redevelopment | Urban Revival Project in Daman
As part of Daman’s ambitious urban revival initiative, the administration began a phased rejuvenation of landmark junctions and public spaces, with the refurbishment of traffic islands forming the first phase. Several corporates supported the initiative as part of their CSR activities, contributing to the city’s infrastructural and cultural enhancement.
ZERO9 was entrusted with the redesign of four landmark junctions in Daman, including the Vad Chowki Traffic Island, strategically located at the intersection of the Coastal Highway and Khariwad Main Road.
Drawing inspiration from the site’s history and natural heritage, the design concept celebrated the four iconic banyan trees from which Vad Chowki derives its name. The symbolic banyan leaf became the central design motif, highlighted at the junction as a tribute to the location’s identity and its deep-rooted connection to nature.
This project seamlessly blended urban design, cultural storytelling, and sustainable landscaping, enhancing the visual appeal of one of Daman’s busiest intersections while honoring its local heritage.
Between the Lines
Q1. What was the objective of the Vad Chowki Traffic Island redevelopment?
The project aimed to revive a landmark public junction in Daman by enhancing its aesthetic, cultural, and ecological value. It forms part of the city’s larger urban revival initiative, which seeks to reimagine everyday civic spaces as symbols of pride and identity.
Q2. How does this project fit within Daman’s broader urban revival initiative?
It represents the first phase of a citywide rejuvenation plan focused on public junctions and traffic islands. Supported through corporate CSR partnerships, these interventions bring together design, sustainability, and heritage conservation to elevate Daman’s urban experience.
Q3. Why is Vad Chowki a significant site in Daman’s context?
Vad Chowki sits at a key intersection on the Coastal Highway and Khariwad Main Road, making it both a functional urban node and a symbolic location. Its name — ‘Vad’ meaning Banyan — reflects the site’s historic identity tied to four iconic banyan trees.
Q4. What inspired the design concept for the redevelopment?
The design draws inspiration from the banyan tree, a timeless symbol of growth, rootedness, and community. The banyan leaf motif became the project’s unifying design element — representing continuity between nature, culture, and place.
Q5. How was the banyan leaf motif interpreted in the design?
The banyan leaf was abstracted into sculptural and landscape forms across the junction — influencing the layout, lighting, and surface detailing. It serves as both a visual marker and a cultural narrative, connecting the site’s past to its renewed presence.
Q6. What materials and landscaping strategies were used?
The design integrates sustainable landscaping with locally sourced stone, metal accents, and native vegetation. These choices ensure low maintenance, resilience in coastal conditions, and an authentic sense of place and belonging.
Q7. How does the design balance aesthetics and urban functionality?
The intervention is not merely ornamental — it enhances pedestrian visibility, vehicular flow, and spatial orientation. Clear visual hierarchy, lighting design, and traffic geometry refinements make the junction both safer and more beautiful.
Q8. What role does symbolism play in this project?
Symbolism lies at the heart of the design — the banyan leaf becomes a metaphor for endurance and community, while the landscape embodies renewal and continuity. The traffic island thus transforms from a mundane node into a living landmark.
Q9. How does this project contribute to Daman’s evolving identity?
It establishes a new dialogue between infrastructure and identity. By reinterpreting local heritage through contemporary design, the project reinforces Daman’s transformation into a modern yet culturally rooted coastal city.
Q10. In one line, how would you describe the Vad Chowki redevelopment?
A celebration of roots and renewal — where urban design, nature, and heritage converge to redefine Daman’s cityscape.
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