Hyderabad Metro Rail’s inaugural pylon which will be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Reddy at the Miyapur metro rail station on Tuesday reflects the hoary heritage of the city even while presenting a contemporary look.
After inauguration it will be an ‘open monument’ accessible to all citizens amid the landscaped greenery and public plaza being developed by HMR. The three arches coming out of a water pond reflect the three metro rail corridors. The arch designed as a rail track vanishes into infinity, signifying future expansion.
With varying heights of 14 ft, 18 ft and 22 ft respectively, the arches bear the HMR official blue colour with stainless steel panels same as of the metro coaches’ colour. “It has been designed on an elliptical granite podium, with the oval shape signifying the closed loop system of Metro,” explained Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy.
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Unique features of the Hyderabad Metro and a comparison with the Nizam State Railway are etched on the stainless steel arch panels. Financial innovation, engineering excellence, advanced safety features, eco-friendly technologies, quality public spaces and the urban redesign and rejuvenation efforts also briefly appear on the panels in graphics form. The plaque which is in the middle of the pond and in between the three arches will sport latest 3-D look rather than the conventional 2-D design, according to architect Shankar Narayan, who designed it and also other facilities at Miyapur. Cobble stoned granite podium, landscape and lawns on both sides of the plaza will further elevate the ambience and will become another hotspot for people to congregate and relax, he observed.