The Under Space Revival

In the heart of Surat, a city known for its layered urban fabric and entrepreneurial spirit, an underused space beneath a flyover is reimagined—not as a leftover remnant of infrastructure, but as a vibrant, democratic ground for play and pause.

The design, for Surat Municipal Corporation, reframes this interstitial space as a sports facility for all, transforming it from a residual urban void into an accessible engine of community life.

By activating the underside of infrastructure, the project tackles a deeper civic question: Why should aesthetics and active spaces be reserved only for the elite?

Along this soft-edged path, a series of enclosed micro-cement courts emerge—offering durable, high-performance surfaces for various sports.

Encased within a lightweight skin of aluminum mesh and polycarbonate, the entire facility offers a sense of enclosure, security, and acoustic insulation from traffic chaos—while maintaining visual openness and breathability.

It bridges a critical gap in a dense neighborhood otherwise lacking open spaces, while also setting a precedent for adaptive reuse of flyover spaces in Indian cities.

This is infrastructure, not as an obstruction, but as an opportunity.

With marginal entry fees, no exclusive membership, and open hours, it becomes a space of shared ownership—used by children, teens, working-class adults, and senior citizens alike.

This is urbanism at its most human: layered, open-ended, and designed to invite, not intimidate.