International Journal of Engineering Research ISSN:2319-6890 (online),2347-5013(print) Volume No.7, Issue Special 1, pp : 1-5 11-12 Jan. 2018 DOI : 10.5958/2319-6890.2018.00007.7 NCETA@2018 Page 1 Urban Collage: the Conformities and Contradictions of Kolkata Deepashree Choudhury Professor, MM College of Architecture, MM University, Ambala, India Email:deepashreec76@gmail.com Abstract: Contemporary cities are dynamic entities, with constant addition, alteration and transformation of constituent heterogeneous layers, which qualifies them as ‘collage of conglomerations’ where diverse components interact with each other to ensure its continuance and growth .But in the recent past, proliferation of discontinuity in cities has necessitated renewed urban constructs which would enable dialogue among differential paradigms in future collage cities. This research paper investigates the emergent characteristics and discourses on contemporary cities which validate the ‘Collage’ inherent in them and lists down certain key constructs which would facilitate urban cohesiveness and stability in modern conglomerations. The assemblages of Kolkata, an eastern metropolis of India are discussed to illustrate the constructs. Keywords Urban Discontinuity, Conglomerations, Collage City, Urban Constructs, Kolkata, Morphology Introduction:- Contemporary cities today present themselves as agglomeration of rapidly transforming amorphous spaces linked together by various transportation and communication network and can no more be considered a single entity .They merit representation as an interconnected mass of dispersed and heterogeneous components interacting with each other in various capacities to form a whole .This necessitates a relook at urbanity which would treat cities as a collage of different layers and objects, simultaneously operating at many different scales with a focus on mediating heterogeneity and the resultant discordance in these cities. Collage cities are the future of urbanism and so must be understood and appropriate urban constructs which would facilitate their efficient functioning within the framework of coherence and compatibility must be defined. The morphological constructs of built environment are the most visible tool of urban comprehension as they connect the „memories and prophecies‟ with the aid of various urban enactment agencies and temporal cues. Aim:- To investigate the factors engendering collage cities and enumerate the urban constructs which act as agents of reconciliation of their heterogeneities .Assemblages of Kolkata is investigated to understand the collage inherent in its urban fabric. Contemporary cities- The Collage Factors:- In the recent years, the idea of cities as a composition of fragments and approach of weaving together parts into whole rather than designing the whole first has been gaining ground steadily in urban discourses (Collage City ,1977, Splintering Urbanism ,2001, Recombinant urbanism, 2005) .Overlapping of heterogeneous layers over temporal scale along with hybridization of urban realm has become the most eminent determinant of urban forms in modern metropolises thereby engendering a new space rhetoric to be negotiated .Certain commonalities are also embedded in these collage cities which if deciphered can be manipulated for urban good, few of which are listed below: Coalescent Utopias: - These cities are often shaped by multiple utopias ranging from autocratic whims and fancies to democratic goals, which most often co-exist in harmonious relationship in the form of hybrid urban morphology. Overlap of Layers: - Collage cities exist as juxtaposition of various urban layers often manifested into hybrid building typologies (Fenton, 1985) . Juxtaposition of morphological, temporal and enactment layers (morphological composition carried out at different time through different policies operating under different political ,social and cultural construct) is the life force behind collage cities just as “the overlap, and the resulting multiplicity of aspects makes any painting fascinating” (Alexander, 2016) Hierarchical Overlaps: - Collage cities are constituted in parts that are not arranged according to spatial hierarchy but connected together by system of flow and circulation similar to semi-lattice structure which is layers in themselves (Alexander, 2016). Patchwork Finish: - Collage cities are medley of heterogeneous patches depicting various political, ideological and economic allegiances kept in collusion by certain boundary mechanisms. These cities no more exist within an enclosure but exist as a conglomeration of multiple and fragmented remnants which are connected together by surrounding background and articulating networks (Neutling.J.W., 1992) and distinct patches in these cities must be reconciled to control disruptive contests. Spaces of Transformations: - Change is the only constant in these collage cities and new challenge for urbanism now is to handle the rapid transformations (OMA,Mau,Bruce, 1995) of urban fabric in these cities to extract deliverable goods. Spaces of Imposed Homogeneity: - According to Lefebvre (1991) urbanism is: “A politics of space that imposes homogeneity through a process of rigorous planning, suppressing „symbols, information and play” (Lefebvre, 1991) and collage cities strive to force homogeneity on heterogeneous formations by flattening diverse cultural and social norms. In collage cities the processes of assembly, reassembly, and creative encounters: contrasts, opposition, superposition, and