How NaMo Grand Central Park Became a Best of Best Public Landscape That Connects Nature and Community

NaMo Grand Central Park has earned the Best of Best award in the Public Landscape category at the Architecture MasterPrize. Designed by Landscape Architects 49, with Predapond Bandityanond as Lead Architect, the 25-acre park transforms an urban site in Thane, India into a vibrant ecological destination where nature, recreation, and community coexist. We spoke with Predapond Bandityanond to learn more about the vision, design process, and sustainable principles behind this award-winning landscape.

Could you share some background about yourself or your practice?

Predapond Bandityanond: Landscape Architects 49 Limited was founded in 1989 as part of the 49 Group of companies, providing design services across architecture, interior design, engineering, graphic design, lighting, and landscape architecture.

We work on projects ranging from large-scale master planning and land planning to public parks, commercial developments, residential communities, hotels, resorts, urban design, and private residences.

At L49, we believe the simplest design solution often creates the most innovative and effective environment. By combining urban design, landscape architecture, and environmental design, we strive to create places where people and nature exist in harmony and where landscapes continue to grow alongside the communities that use them.

What was the brief for the award-winning NaMo Grand Central Park?

Predapond Bandityanond: NaMo Grand Central Park is a 20-acre public space located at the heart of Kalpataru ParkCity in Thane, northeast of Mumbai. The objective was to enhance the quality of life for residents while creating a destination that also attracts visitors.

The park was envisioned as a place where culture and nature converge, a sustainable urban refuge supporting recreation, contemplation, education, and ecological awareness while encouraging people to coexist with nature.

Please describe your design process and how you approached NaMo Grand Central Park.

Predapond Bandityanond: Our process began with a thorough understanding of the site’s existing conditions and its role within the new master plan, alongside detailed user analysis to define the most appropriate program for residents and visitors.

Our approach focused on preserving the site’s natural landforms, vegetation, drainage patterns, and existing values while respecting Vastu Shastra, one of the key planning principles in India.

The project was guided by several core ideas: connecting people with nature through accessible circulation networks; creating diverse recreational spaces for different age groups; establishing a central convergence ring that links ecological, botanical, and cultural experiences; and implementing a water management strategy that slows runoff, supports groundwater recharge, and creates wetlands before water reaches the main lake.

Using native planting was equally important, helping restore biodiversity and encouraging wildlife to return while strengthening the park’s ecological resilience.

What were the main challenges during the project, and how did you resolve them?

Predapond Bandityanond: One of the biggest challenges was integrating new functions into an existing landscape while respecting the site’s original character and the evolving master plan.

Another important consideration was complying with Vastu Shastra, which determines the appropriate placement of elements such as water features and buildings. Careful site analysis allowed us to position every function according to both landscape design principles and cultural requirements.

Finally, we wanted the park to become a destination beyond the surrounding neighborhood. Working closely with our client, we introduced attractions including the area’s first outdoor skate park, international botanical gardens, children’s adventure playgrounds, a waterfront promenade, and an amphitheater for festivals and public events.

What do you consider the most distinctive or innovative aspect of the project?

Predapond Bandityanond: Although the park appears to merge naturally with the surrounding township, every area reveals a unique identity as visitors move through it, from sculptural play spaces and themed gardens to natural waterfalls and ecological landscapes.

What makes the project especially distinctive is its ability to combine active and passive recreation for every generation while integrating cultural experiences, environmental education, and ecological restoration within one public landscape.

Which outcomes of NaMo Grand Central Park are you most proud of, and why?

Predapond Bandityanond: We are most proud that the park functions exactly as we envisioned. People of every age enjoy the spaces, while the site’s ecological systems have flourished.

Within only a few years of opening, more than one hundred species of birds, animals, and insects have been recorded in the park. It has truly become a place where people, culture, and nature coexist in balance.

What inspires your work, and who or what has had the strongest influence on your approach within your discipline?

Predapond Bandityanond: Nature and culture remain our greatest sources of inspiration. We learn directly from natural systems, designing alongside them rather than against them, while integrating human activities into the broader environmental framework.

What does receiving the Architecture MasterPrize mean to you, and how do you see it influencing your future work or practice?

Predapond Bandityanond: Receiving the Architecture MasterPrize Best of Best award in the Public Landscape category is a tremendous honor. It confirms that our work meets international standards and strengthens both our portfolio and our clients’ confidence.

The recognition has generated significant public attention and has led to new opportunities, particularly from developers in India interested in collaborating with Landscape Architects 49 on future landscape architecture projects.

NaMo Grand Central Park, recognized with the Best of Best award in the Public Landscape category at the Architecture MasterPrize, showcases how thoughtful landscape architecture can strengthen the relationship between people, ecology, and urban life. By combining environmental resilience, cultural sensitivity, and diverse public experiences, Landscape Architects 49 has created a park that continues to grow alongside its community. We thank Predapond Bandityanond and the team at Landscape Architects 49 for sharing the vision and design journey behind NaMo Grand Central Park.