Sammy Lee

Baoli Meeting and Action Center

The Baoli Action-Meeting Center will be set up in an open space just inside of the sidewalk, in front of Collective SML | k building, at 430 Santa Fe Dr. Denver, CO 80204. Collective SML | k is located in Baker neighborhood, just south of Denver’s Santa Fe Art District and receives the over-flow of heavy foot traffic enjoying art and culture during the First Friday. Santa Fe Art District and the Baker area is rapidly changing in the recent years of the city’s growth and gentrification, losing many artist venues is one of the problematic phenomena.

Shaped like an inverted pyramid, a baoli is an Indian stepwell. People assemble at baolis in order to draw water or to cool down from the heat, but beyond pure utility, they also act as sites of the congregation. Like the seemingly endless number of stairs that cross their walls, they hold countless encounters, stories, and legends. Modeled after its namesake, Baoli is thus a dynamic place that cultivates interaction and the exchange of ideas.

Measuring 10 feet by 6 feet, this installation occupies the dimensions of a typical contemporary workspace. However, the use of tables and chairs is traditionally uncommon in India: locals are accustomed to repurposing existing elements in a space to accommodate their forms. A baoli’s steps, therefore, offer a breadth of possible seating arrangements: elderly folks recline, crouching children play, squatting housewives converse, and girls lean as they do laundry. Clusters emerge, and the community gathering spot takes on a range of functions, whether as a storefront, playground, parlor, or workplace. Baoli is likewise comprised of versatile, modular components that can be rearranged as needed.