construction for what is to be the tallest statue in the world broke ground 36 months ago, and as of now, march 2018, its infrastructure is taking good shape. the monument — 182 meters tall (597 feet) — depicts a strong sardar patel, the first deputy prime minister of india. the design architect responsible for this monumental construction: michael graves architecture & design (MGA&D).
all images courtesy of MGA&D
the ‘statue of unity’ will stand at sadhu-bet island, about three and a half kilometers south of sardar sarovar dam (in the narmada district of gujarat, india). of course, the island technically isn’t an island at all, yet. as imagined, the soon-to-be-breathtaking statue required tricky engineering, and a complex amount of reinforcement to support such a statue on (what is now) merely a pseudo-island, or, as MGA&D describes it, ‘a rocky outcrop in the middle of the naramada river bed.’ only after the construction of a downstream weir (and a 6 meter rise in water levels) will the river bed submerge — then, sadhu-bet island will become a true island once again.
along with statue construction, MGA&D have also designed roadways, a garden, and most notably, a full visitor center — highlighting vallabhbhai ‘sardar’ patel, and displaying the memories of his life’s work as a social leader. patel’s fight for india’s independence and his ability to shape the world are what have driven prime minister narendra modi to resurrect patel’s likeness. now, what began as a rocky pseudo-island is beginning to look more like a sanctuary-home for the tallest statue in the world — the statue of unity.
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