Fosters fail to impress Naidu on capital designs

Amaravati: Heads of the Foster +Partners were at their best impressing AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu about the latest designs pertained to the state capital during the latter’s visit in London on Tuesday.

Foster’s architects Chris Bob and Pidro in a demo briefed Naidu that they did their best reflecting the nativity and the historical backdrop of Amaravati in the designs.

Naidu saw that the demo of capital designs prominently figured in his itinerary in London in the wake of cancellation of the designs twice in the past.

The painstaking efforts of the Foster’s architects failed to please the CM on the ground that they allegedly failed to mirror the historical importance, the pride of Andhra people and nativity.

CM was said to have even admonished his cabinet colleague P Narayana, who is entrusted with the assignment, for failing to guide the UK’s architects properly.

Bahubali’s fame SS Rajamouli was drafted at this juncture in expectation of his footing the bill. Rajamouli even attended a workshop along with Narayana and CRDA officials held in London on the capital designs recently.

It may be recalled that the contract of designing made with the Singapore’s Maki Associates was suspended at the state of finalising the exercise as the mission was not up to the expectations of the CM. The images completed so far and the plans relating to administrative capital city were shown to Naidu by Lord Foster, head of the Foster + Norman.

The delay in finalising the designs took a heavy toll on the capital project. It failed to inch ahead even two years after the laying of foundation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at UR Palem and after a similar stone laid by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the administrative capital city.

Chandrababu appears to be keen to set the ball rolling in a bid to show tangible results to the people before the 2019 general elections regardless of financial constraints.