Bangalore Update II - project news from Bangalore

[Suncity]

Will merge later with the Bangalore thread.

But this article makes interesting reading.

Wear your altitude
http://www.080mag.com/Plone/2006-03/...=Real%20Estate

Bangalore’s tallest structure will stand amid the extreme glitz of UB City, set to become the hottest address in town.

UB City comprises of four major towers.

The tallest is the 17-storey-plus-ground UB Tower, built on an elevated podium and crowned with a 30m bronze-clad spire. Its total height of 128 m makes it the tallest structure in the city. A powerful beam of light will be projected skywards from the tip of the spire and can be seen from many kilometres away. It will prove the main attraction for airline passengers as their plane descends towards the airport. The interiors of the 7261.05 sqm office space within the tower will be designed to international standards. Dr Mallya’s office will be located on the topmost floor and will open onto a tropical garden. The podium on which the Tower rests will be camouflaged with a waterfall and all the cars that arrive at the entrance lobby will be valet-parked two floors below ground.

Forming a central space that measures a total of 1,27,053 sqm are: the 19-storey Concorde Tower, the 17-storey Canberra Tower, the 10-storey Comet Tower, a sprawling plaza on the fourth level of the entire complex, and colonnaded walkways measuring 3.5 meters. Gardens, fountains and food courts complete the picture, on the grounds and in the towers.
All the towers have multi-level parking space. Over 2,000 cars can be parked at UB City. There will be a helipad on Comet Tower

The Rs. 200 crore UB City will be inhabited by some of the biggest global players in the retail, finance, banking, software, biotech and service space.

The Manhattan look was Vijay Mallya’s concept. Architect Tom Thomas gave it shape, creating a microcosm of the New York skyline.

For more information read the article.

________________________________________

Another interesting news from the article is:

V G Sidhhartha, founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain obtained a parcel of land from St Joseph’s on which the popular Tiffany’s Restaurant stood, bang opposite UB City to construct his corporate headquarters. The highrise with a distinct curvature will blend nicely with the new skyline.

________________________________________

UB City U/C picture

[Naga_Solidus]

419'10" eh? Well, it's a significant leap forward for Bangalore's skyline, and indeed it's an improvement over the SCB Tower (which is rather unremarkable). Of course, Bangalore deserves more. Any news on the KSRTC Tower?

Also, when will this UB City be finished and opened to the public? I can't wait to see it finished, along with some of the other projects u/c in Bangalore like Lakeside Habitat etc.

Also, if this new tower is to be 128m with a 30m spire and 17 floors, then that translates to about 5.75m per floor, which is good, allowing for heat to rise up away from the occupants of each floor due to convection.

If the KSRTC Tower uses the same 5.75m/floor rule (if it's still on), then you can expect 258.75m or so (though the SSP diagram indicates it to be 150m).

I hope this opens the floodgates for 150-200m and beyond in Bangalore. Heck, why not go beyond 300m later on?

I guess I should consider starting a Bangalore Skyline thread in the ROS section once they finish work on this and Lakeside Habitat, as well as maybe a few others.

[WillyWick]

Its located near chinnaswamy stadium.

Work and watch free cricket!

[2020vision]

It will be nice to see a business district zone of highrises develop around a cricket stadium. Here, in North America, many cities have stadiums right in the heart of downtown. Hopefully this building can spur highrise activity in Bangalore especially with the huge number of firms coming into the city.

[Babji]

http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/02/s...0216740100.htm
Quote:
Airport to cost Rs. 450 crore more
Air passenger traffic will go up to 11 million by 2008, says Yediyurappa
· The project cost may increase from Rs. 1,411 crore to Rs. 1,861.79 crore
· This will be met with additional debt

BANGALORE: The air terminal building has been redesigned to handle the increase in air passenger traffic at the Bangalore International Airport, which is expected to go up three times than the proposed four million by April 2008 when the airport will become operational. ...

Mr. Yediyurappa... said that earlier, it was planned to build one runway. But the expected increase in passenger traffic might require another runway.

He said the project cost might escalate from Rs. 1,411 crore to Rs. 1,861.79 crore. This will be met with additional debt and not by additional equity or State support. He said 13.5 per cent of the work on the airport has been completed. As much as 67 per cent of the work is expected to be completed by the yearend. ... He said the State's share of the project cost is Rs. 350 crore, which will not increase or decrease with change in the design. ...

[Naga_Solidus]

Is it still on track to be completed by June 2006?

2020vision, it can easily spur such activity, and what remains to be seen is whether or not any and all new highrises will use high ceilings and thick floors like this one, in addition to spires.

For example, if the same 5.75m/floor rule is used (including the base and ceiling), then a 30-storey structure would be 172.5m/565'9.6", not including any spires, and a 45-storey structure, as mentioned before, would be 258.75m/848'8.4", again not including any spires.

This technique of using thick floors and high ceilings seems to be pretty commonplace in the Middle East (probably to help dissipate heat more efficiently). For example, the Burj-al-Arab in Dubai has a structural height of 321m including the spire and other structural features and is 200m to the roof, however it's 60 stories, due to the high spire (it's 3.33m per floor, on average). In Riyadh, the Kingdom Centre has a height of 302m, is 41 stories, and uses a clever technique to get past Riyadh's height restrictions: the top 1/3rd of it consists of a hole supporting a skybridge at level 41. From the diagram on SSP, I have inferred that it has 40 stories below the hole, and those levels have an average height of 4.5m.

Such tehcniques can and should be used in the Indian highrise construction industry, as per UB City Bangalore, the Burj-al-Arab, and the Kingdom Centre.

I also couldn't help but notice all the empty space between UB City and the Vveswarya Tower, so perhaps a bit of stuff can be done there, assuming that there are no heritage structures in the way (of course, if there is a heritage structure next to a really beat up wet carboard box, then the cardboard box should be destroyed and replaced, or better still, why not take over a beat-up cardboard box and build a highrise on top of it, effectively englufing siad beat-up cardboard box in coolness?)

And IMO someone should seriously consider adding some kind of cladding to the Viveswara tower and a spire too, for the sake of generally improving Bangalore's skyline. Perhaps they should also add a nice and tall (>300m) TV Tower and observation deck too.

[magestom]

I am very sure that it is on track. I will be going to Bangalore in june-august and will get personal tour like I did on last years trip. Hopefully! I had posted the pics of the model originally. Now I will finally get to see it complete!

[Babji]

http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/06/s...0621890100.htm
-------------------------------------------------------
Bangalore metro put on the fast track

Union Cabinet approves recommendations made by Group of Ministers

Recommendations

States be given powers to legislate on the operation and maintenance of the projects
Commissioner of Railway Safety to have powers to issue safety certification for metro systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW DELHI: Paving the way for early clearance of the Bangalore metro project, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the recommendations of a Group of Ministers that State Governments be allowed to make the choice of selecting the gauge for metro rail projects.

It also recommended that the States be given powers to legislate on the operation and maintenance of the projects and that the institution of Commissioner of Railway Safety be strengthened so that it had the capacity to issue safety certification for metro systems as well...

Official sources told The Hindu that following the Cabinet's decision to accept the recommendations of the GoM, the process of approval for the Bangalore metro project should now "get on the fast track."

Urban transport policy

The Cabinet also approved the adoption of a National Urban Transport Policy, which seeks to incorporate urban transportation as an important parameter at the planning stage itself rather than as a consequential requirement, bring about a more equitable allocation of road space, with people rather than vehicles as its main focus and encourage greater use of public transport and non-motorised modes by offering Central financial assistance for the purposes.

The policy seeks to encourage integrated land use and transport planning in all cities so that travel distances are minimised

[Klpvrksh]

I am a little confused here with the long list of approvals and recommendations. If the Union Cabinet has approved the recommendations of GoM, does that not mean a final approval ? Who gives the final nod for the B'lore metro project and when can we expect to see the project underway ? Can someone shed some insight here ?

Thanks!

[Babji]

So far, the main issues of contension have been:
1) The gauge (Indian Railwyas wanted to impose broad guage, so they can have control)
2) Legislation/ policy/ act on operation & maintenance (like the Indian Railways act)
3) Authority to issue safety certification (central, state, railways, or new).

Hence the GoM has been formed by the Central Govt., to come up with a consensus. The GoM has agreed on most items, except the gauge. Laalu insisted to make broad gauge mandatory. So, GoM has left the decision on gauge to the cabinet committee.

This news item indicates that all the issues have been resolved.

Other standard approvals like pollution control, forest dept etc would have been already obtained.

So, the state govt can now obtain a financial closure (Japanese govt has already granted a huge loan for this project), call for tenders, find a builder and get it done!

[Klpvrksh]

Thanks Babji - so it looks like its all set to start soon. July-August ??? That would be nice!

[Babji]

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems...alore&Topic=0&
IT industry will grow and flourish in Bangalore: Kumaraswamy
Friday April 7 2006 00:00 IST

BANGALORE: Brushing aside sharp criticism on Bangalore's infrastructure by some IT giants, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday hoped that IT industry and brand Bangalore will grow, develop and flourish.

“The Government is very clear in its agenda. We will do everything within our means to maintain Bangalore's brand,'' he promised while addressing a three-day international conference on IT organised by World Customs Organisation here.

According to him, several measures had already been initiated by State Government to promote IT industry in the city. A high-tech city was coming up off Sarjapur Road and an Electronic Hardware Park was getting ready in the vicinity of the new Bangalore International Airport at Devenahalli, he said. Earth stations and incubation centres were also being built in satellite towns around the city, he added.

“Unfortunately, Bangalore's infrastructure is being equated with problems associated with road and traffic'' he said adding that in other areas Bangalore's infrastructure was more than adequate. He especially highlighted the power scenario where the reliability factor on power supply had been enhanced to 99.01 per cent and said “no other metropolitan city in the country can compete with these figures''.

Efforts were on to further improve reliability factor of power supply to 99.68 per cent, he said adding that the government would soon receive assistance from Japan Bank of International Cooperation for this purpose.

He said more than Rs 500 crore had been spent on improving power distribution. Similarly another Rs 3384 crore had been received as loan from JBIC for augmenting water supply to the city.

He said fruits of development should spread to other cities in the state also and government was upgrading infrastructure in tier two cities such as Mysore, Hubli, Dharwad, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Mangalore and Hassan to encourage IT industry tap talent pool there, he added

[WillyWick]

Development plan for Greater Bangalore

One of the first steps envisaged under the NURM is the preparation of a City Development Strategy Plan (CDSP) identifying the infrastructure gaps and investment plans over the next 5-7 years.

The sectors where infrastructure gap has been perceived and assessed in Bangalore urban agglomerate area are:

Water and wastewater
Storm water drain network
Solid waste management
Road network
Urban transport
Environment management
Information infrastructure

The reforms already in place in Bangalore are:
Repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act
Programmed reduction of stamp duty
Property tax reforms
Fund-based accounting
Community participation
PPP model in service provisioning
Automated citizen delivery mechanisms (being upgraded)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/1482514.cms

[Tintin27]

Bangalore - mysore expressway??

[pding]

they should develop some greenery within those interchanges and on the divider.

[blrBird]

Originally Posted by Tintin27

Bangalore - mysore expressway??

Yes

[Nelaturi]

Originally Posted by Babji

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems...alore&Topic=0&
IT industry will grow and flourish in Bangalore: Kumaraswamy
Friday April 7 2006 00:00 IST


“Unfortunately, Bangalore's infrastructure is being equated with problems associated with road and traffic'' he said adding that in other areas Bangalore's infrastructure was more than adequate. He especially highlighted the power scenario where the reliability factor on power supply had been enhanced to 99.01 per cent and said “no other metropolitan city in the country can compete with these figures''.

That's a big laugh. More than 60% of private firms in Bangalore have installed power generators of their own. This summer, powers cuts, trips have become quite common despite the govt crowing last year that after the record rainfall all over Karnataka the power situation would be comfortable.

Not a single day passes without power cuts in Bangalore. There is a standard "Public Inconvenience" column in all newspapers where BESCOM anounces power cuts for many hours in many parts of the city. This is the capital city. In the rest of Karnataka the power situation is pathetic.

HDK should check his facts before making such bogus claims.

99% power hahahaha

[UrbanQuest]

Originally Posted by Tintin27

Bangalore - mysore expressway??

I would assume that one of the roads is the expressway. Which is the other? Is it the outer ring road?

They both look like expressways

[UrbanQuest]

Originally Posted by Nelaturi

That's a big laugh. More than 60% of private firms in Bangalore have installed power generators of their own. This summer, powers cuts, trips have become quite common despite the govt crowing last year that after the record rainfall all over Karnataka the power situation would be comfortable.

Not a single day passes without power cuts in Bangalore. There is a standard "Public Inconvenience" column in all newspapers where BESCOM anounces power cuts for many hours in many parts of the city. This is the capital city. In the rest of Karnataka the power situation is pathetic.

HDK should check his facts before making such bogus claims.

99% power hahahaha

I guess what he meant was "There is a 99.01 % chance that you WILL have a power cut everyday!"

[Tintin27]

Originally Posted by UrbanQuest

I would assume that one of the roads is the expressway. Which is the other? Is it the outer ring road?

They both look like expressways

Other one most likely is Bangalore Peripheral Road