Mohammad Shaheer

Landscape Architect
1948-2015
Mohammad Shaheer

Landscape Architect
1948-2015
• Professor Mohammad Shaheer was a Delhi based landscape architect with a practice that
started in 1976.

• Dr. Shaheer was educated at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi
(Architecture 1970, Urban Design 1972) and the University of Sheffield (Landscape
Architecture, Ford Foundation Fellow 1972-74).

• He worked for two years in Northern Ireland before returning to India, where he spent the
next 26 years teaching landscape architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi.
• His practice concentrated primarily on large-scale public projects and conservation work and he was one of the
most respected landscape architects in the country.

• During the latter half of his academic career he was head of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the
School of Planning and Architecture.

• He was a member in the committee of Delhi Urban Arts Commission. He was also the initiator and co-editor of a
popular textbook Landscape Architecture in India: A Reader, published in 2013.
• Amongst his projects, his work at Sanskriti Kendra, Delhi, is well known; also interesting are
the projects for the restoration of the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi (2001) and the
restoration of the Baghe-Babur in Kabul (2006).
restoration of the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi (2001)

restoration of the Baghe-Babur in Kabul (2006). garden at Sunder Nursery in Delhi.

• One of Dr. Shaheer's final projects was the garden at Sunder Nursery in Delhi. He was a
member in the committee of Delhi Urban Arts Commission. He was also the initiator and co-
editor of a popular textbook Landscape Architecture in India: A Reader, published in 2013.
SITE LOCATION : ANANDGRAM QUTAB

Sanskriti Kendra, Delhi (MEHRAULI)

31 Jan 1993 • The Sanskriti Kendra is located at Anandgram,

in the Qutab mehrauli on the outskirts of
Delhi.

• The Kendra is spread over 3 hectares in the

foot hills of the Aravalli range.

•  Located amidst farmhouses, the peaceful

environments is idyllic for the creative
activities at the Kendra.

 ACCESSIBILITY : The Kendra is accessible

from mehrauli-gurgaon road.

• The India Gandhi international airport is

located 12 km from the sanskriti Kendra and
new Delhi railway station or the old Delhi
railway station, are about 20 km from the
Kendra.
BUILT VS OPEN
• Architect says… The complex manifestation of built form in a warm climate, where between closed-box and open to sky, there
lies in a whole continuum of zones, with varying definitions and varying degrees of protection. One steps out of the box to lend
oneself in a verandah from which one moves into a courtyard and then under a tree, and beyond onto a terrace covered by a
bamboo pergola, and then perhaps back onto a balcony and so on.

• The boundaries between these zones are not formal and sharply demarcated, but easy and amorphous.

• Subtle modulations of light, of the quality of ambient air, register each transitions on our senses…

• “CIRCULATION AND MOVEMENT” : Movement patterns are very clear Service road runs on the periphery of the site.

• “DISTRIBUTION OF SPACES” : Public spaces like museums & office-the governing body comes first with entry.

• Sitting spaces comes next having a little bit privacy by planting trees.

• Workspaces : Studios and dormitories- a very personal spaces are away from the public spaces to avoid any kind of distraction
allowing artists to work with concentration in a very natural & fresh environment.

• Services like laundry, washing are placed at the end of the site away from public movement along the service road.
LANDSCAPING
• Landscape supervised by landscape architect
Mohammad Shaheer.

• The Kendra being spread over 3 hectares on the

foothills of the Aravalli range, landscape is thus
recognized as focal to the scheme.

• No activity that would disturb the basic

character of the land was undertaken.

• Landscape elements is a judicious mix of

formality and informality, both in plant and hard
landscape.

• Geometric forms, pavements, paths and hedges

intersperse the lawns, vans, and the Nahar and
the meandering parks.

• Approximately two thousand trees have been

planted to predominate the complex.
• The rainwater drainage channel that runs down
the center, and existing clumps of trees become
the major structuring elements of the layout plan.

• The rainwater channel has been converted into a

linear water body (The Nahar).

• This starts from a semi-circular pool fed by water

attention pond, passed under a couple of foot
bridges, washes up the steps of Ghats on either
sided, and ends at the Manch.

• Excess water is run off through a by pass drain.

• A WOODEN PIGEON HOUSE FROM GUJARATBY-

PASS DRAINTHE

• RAINWATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL KUND NEAR

THE TEXTILE MUSEUMWATER

• POND PROVIDING SERENE ENVIRONMENT FOR

THE STUDIOS
Humayun's Tomb Garden: • In 1993, while recommending the
designation of the site on the World Heritage
Restoring Flowing Water list, ICOMOS had recommended that the
enclosed gardens be restored.

• In 1997, on the occasion of the 50th

anniversary of India’s independence, His
Highness the Aga Khan gifted to India the
garden restoration of the Humayun’s Tomb
World Heritage Site.

• This was to become the first ever

scientifically carried out garden restoration
at any of India’s national sites and in
implementing it in partnership with the
Archaeological Survey of India, the Aga Khan
Trust for Culture was to similarly become the
first private agency to undertake
conservation works on any of the country’s
monuments of national importance.
LANDSCAPING

• The Humayun’s Tomb gardens are a perfect Char-bâgh with the tomb in the centre and the garden divided into four
quadrants.

• Each of the principal pathways with water channels in their centre and the four pathways in the cardinal directions
adorned with large square water tanks with a fountain in their centre.

• Each quadrant further subdivided into eight plots representing the eight gateways or spaces of Quranic paradise.

• The garden, built with the tomb in the 1560’s was one of the earliest gardens built on the plains where it was
without doubt challenging to ensure flowing water.

• The garden plots were lower than the pathways with water channels to ensure irrigation by flooding from the water
channels was possible.

• Though Humayun’s Tomb remained a place of veneration for the early Mughals, with the decline of the Mughal
Empire from the 18th century onwards, the gardens no doubt were left in a state of neglect.

• In the mid 19th century, the British changed the formal, geometric layout of the western half of the garden to a
more English layout with changes including introduction of circular flower beds to replace the square Mughal tanks.
• In the early 20th century, Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, directed the restoration of the Mughal layout – enthusiastically
adding channels even to pathways where none had existed in Mughal times.

• Several further changes were then carried out through the 20th century – a major planting in 1916 when palm trees
were inappropriately introduced on the four corners of the mausoleum and tamarind trees on the platforms used by
the Mughals for tents.

• Additional plantings neither used plant species favoured by the Mughals nor planting patterns.

• Three failed attempts in the 20th century to restore flowing water preceded the 1997 garden restoration and of these
the 1984 effort was the most destructive with the Mughal stone bedding ripped out and replaced by the more familiar
and favored 20th century material – cement concrete!

• Even before the official MoU for the garden restoration was signed, M. Shaheer wrote a concise note defining the
objectives, in his typical simple yet profound manner. His note was to become the foundation of the six year effort.

• To him it was obvious that the project was to commence with restoring the levels of the 32 garden plots so
methodically trenches were dug on all four sides of each plot to determine the original levels revealing how levels
varied from plot to plot and could be determined both by the depth of the pathway edging but also by the levels of
the water outlets into each plot from the channels.
• His attention to detail led him to provide individual levels for each
garden plot but also specific slopes for levels within each plot to
ensure accumulated rainwater quickly taken to the aquifer through
the four rain water harvesting pits provided in each plot.

• Most other architects would have been satisfied recommending a

single plot level for at least each quadrant if not for the whole
garden – but by ensuring even a 10 mm difference was respected
Shaheer not only achieved authenticity but also considerably
reduced the required work.

• Each garden restoration effort requires consideration of not only

the ‘built’ portions of the garden – the pathways, platforms, tanks,
waterfalls – but also the vegetation. The Mughals left no drawings
and Shaheer’s proposed layout was required to be based on
historic descriptions but also the modern functions of the World
Heritage Site attracting almost 1 million annual visitors.

• As did the presence of existing trees; Shaheer would never permit

the removal of an existing tree – taking great pains to alter design
in a manner that would save any vegetation – yet here historic
considerations required for the transplanting of 72 Ashoka trees.
• The final planting layout for the tomb-garden was stylistically Shaheer – simple yet to great effect.

• The peripheral pathways were planted with tall trees – mango and neem – both recorded in Mughal chronicles and the
canopy of which was eventually expected to be visible from over the 6 m tall enclosure walls.

• The three garden plots in each of the four corners had the pathways perpendicular to the enclosure walls planted with
one row each of orange and lemon – fruits said to have been favoured by Humayun.
• Later, with we at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture
returned to the site in 2007, Shaheer suggested
that the entire area of the three corner plots be
planted with orange and lemon in an orchard
layout.

• The ends of these plots towards the enclosure

wall were planted with a grove of flowering
shrubs – hibiscus – recorded to have been
planted here during Mughal times and the sweet
smelling Harsingar.

• Similarly the intersections of the pathways in the

center of the quadrant were planted with the
lowering Motia and Mogra. Finally, an orchard of
pomegranate was planted along the western
edge of the sunken eastern side of the garden.

• The Humayun’s Tomb garden was probably the

earliest garden built on the plains with flowing
water channels and ensuring the flow of water
would have been a major challenge.
• Flowing water was also a significant element of the garden and it was essential for the project to restore flowing
water.

• Originally used for irrigation, the flowing water in the channels was no longer required for irrigation and as such it was
not considered necessary to restore flowing water to the peripheral channels and to those in the south-west quadrant
– where channels had in fact been introduced in the 20th century where none were built by the Mughals.

• The Hydraulic engineering firm MKG was finally engaged and in many channel sections a 1:4000 slope was required.
In the 1980’s much of the water distribution network at Humayun’s Tomb was dismantled and destroyed in an
otherwise well meaning attempt to restore flowing water by making the bed ‘water tight’ by using cement.

• These 1984-5 works needed to be dismantled and a traditional masonry with lime mortar bedding restored to the
channels while providing the required slope. Over 2 kilometers of sandstone edging had to be prepared – hand
chiseled by traditional tools by the stone carvers.

• On amongst the first few channels fixed in this manner, the stone was provided a mortar edging – rounded off – this
upset Shaheer Sir enormously and was one of my first lessons in seeking perfection – it was an inappropriate detail
not thought through and the work had to be reversed and the pathway levels changed to provide the required
stability to the stone edging.
CONCLUSION :
Shaheer’s deep understanding of Persian landscape principles and Mughal preferences enabled him to preserve the
authenticity of restored gardens while incorporating modern functions in the them and turning them to major tourist
attraction sites.

Following in spirit the geometry of the garden as it exists .

His thorough understanding of local cultural context and designing the landscape accordingly constitute his simple and
powerful design style.

The attention to detail was given to even the smallest portion of Design.

Restoration of Water Bodies was one of his major concern.