Thane: An Emerging Megapolis

Thane is considered a playground for architects who are committed to building a better life for people. KNS Architects’ Shresht Kashyap shares insights to help us understand the growth and dynamics of Thane better.   There is perhaps no location in the state today that sees such a large cluster of top developers come together as Thane. This uptown suburb of Mumbai has been witnessing a swift land improvement in the last decade or so. With commercial and residential projects mushrooming all over, the region is seeing a lot of architects shaping up spaces here. KNS Architects is one such practice that is helped heighten the skyline of Thane. The firm has designed an area of over a million and a half square feet in Thane, including famed projects such as Orion, Oriana, Greens and Centrum to name a few. KNS Architects’ relationship with Thane started 10-12 years ago with a retail project for a renowned developer in the region. At that point, there was very little construction happening in there. In fact, the whole Ghodbunder Rd, where the building stands, was bare back in the day. Thane has since only expanded to bigger and better horizons. While every city undergoes a metamorphosis as it witnesses unrestrained migration, Thane’s case is atypical in the sense that the strategic growth is led by housing and commercial, along with being well complemented by the speedy infrastructure development in terms of connectivity and transportation. Apart from the residential sector, the commercial one is seeing a big boom as well, especially in the last 5-7 years. We look forward to projects at Wagle Estate, which is pitted as the IT hub of Thane. Wagle Estate, in the 70’s and 80’s, bore a mundane look with its run-of-the-mill, old school facades. The Chain Reaction The commercial sector developing at a steady pace has led to more residential pockets springing up. Then there are sectors in Thane that are reinventing themselves to become better. Thane has swiftly evolved from the affordable housing segment to a premium one. The increasing number of integrated townships and high-rises has lured not just home buyers of Mumbai in the search of spacious homes, but leading information technology organizations too have chosen to shift base to the location. More residential pockets springing up has in turn led to the setting-up of a lot of popular convenience stores and retail chains. Besides, Thane’s infrastructure development is another factor that can be credited for its fast-paced growth. Its sturdy network of well-connected roads, the beautification of the lake and preserving its numerous green pockets add to its eminence. We are currently working on four to five very interesting projects and are quite excited to witness our design statements in this ever changing and evolving region of Thane.