The next time you plan to visit Udaipur, the city of lakes, don’t just plan to see the palaces and the bazaars or take boat rides on Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar or any of the several other lakes there. Instead, get a little more adventurous and move out of the city towards Chitrakoot to check out Third Space – an amazing amalgamation of creativity and curiosity that puts the spotlight on the importance of public spaces at the centre of social progress.
A brainchild of Udaipur-based Shivani Singhal, who also runs a not-for-profit organisation called Dharohar, Third Space is an aesthetically designed and environment-friendly home for the curious and the quizzical. Spread over five storeys, it boasts of a science lab, a Jugaad lab, an exhibition hall, a tower, a climbing wall, a cafe, an adventure adda, a backstage, a theatre, a library and a toddler space.
In a chat with Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, Singhal talks about the main philosophy and the need behind creating Third Space.
Excerpts from the interview with Shivani Singhal, Founder of Third Space
T+L India: How would you define Third Space and what was the thought or motivation behind creating it?
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Shivani Singhal: The motivation for creating Third Space mainly came from the American sociologist Ray Oldenburg, who put public spaces at the centre of social progress and harmony. Oldenburg said that any thriving democracy has many ‘third places’ for people – a term that applies to parks, pubs and even post offices, compared to home as the first place and office as the second. And, communities disintegrate when third places fall apart. With that thought in mind, we decided to open Third Space in the City of Lakes to try and reignite the conversation about the importance of public spaces.
T+L India: When did you start putting your plan into action and what is the philosophy behind Third Space?
Shivani Singhal: I started pursuing this project nearly a decade ago. Third Space has been built on the belief that learning leads to inventing. This applies not only to creating scientists and inventors but poets, philosophers and parents, too. We want this space to push the sense of who we are through autonomy and freedom of mind. There is a huge hunger for learning. But we also need to create a space for the community to do so as our core belief is that anyone can learn anything.
T+L India: What does Third Space offer to the visitor?
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Shivani Singhal: Spread over five storeys and built on a 14,000-square-metre floor area, Third Space is an aesthetically designed and environment-friendly home for the curious and the quizzical. Each space is designed to allow learning and questioning of the purpose and direction of knowledge, and letting minds create their vision.
T+L India: You have been running Dharohar, a not-for-profit organisation since 2006. Tell us more about it.
Shivani Singhal: Dharohar aims to aid individuals to step up and take charge to face challenges like climate change, poverty and educational inequity. It takes a village to raise a child, nurture a city and build a future. We need resilient communities of lifelong learners. So whether it’s planting a million trees or teaching teenagers to debate, we create structured opportunities for people to volunteer. Our projects span three key areas: Sanskriti – making India’s ancient knowledge accessible to all; 10 lakh vriksh – communities nurturing their lived environments; and Third Spaces – learning to learn in spaces for curiosity, connection, and creation.
Initially, Dharohar ran Khoj from 2012 onwards, an initiative for scientific experiments by school children in Udaipur. It was conducted in a tempo traveller which was exhausting but also amazing at the same time. During that time, we realised two things: one, science is very important. Kids need to understand science and technology. But in today’s world, they also need to understand how to listen to each other and they need a space to be heard, too. So we decided to create some unique spaces for this. Dharohar even ran a Third Space prototype for a decade inside a city mall.
T+L India: What age groups are Third Space open to?
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Shivani Singhal: While working on the concept, we realised that Third Space needs to be a space not just for students, but for young adults, too. There are activity clubs or various fests that happen all year round in schools and colleges. But these options are limited for ages 18 to 35. These people get stuck in their chosen fields or professions and don’t get a chance to pick up anything else. We want [Third Space] to be a space where not just children and students, but people at the start of their adult life can come and push their boundaries or even make out–of–the–box choices. For students, we continue with what we’ve been doing with schools and colleges for years, that is getting them in groups and running a structured learning in the Juggad lab or the Makers Space where they push their curiosity levels. Once the science labs are on, we want them to get creative with inventions and experiments. At the same time, we also need people who can tell stories, create beautiful music or art, make vaccines and take good care of children. Third Space aims to provide the perfect backdrop for all that.
T+L India: What kind of a traveller are you and what activities do you enjoy?
Shivani Singhal: Travel for me is a chance to push my boundaries, connect with new people, and reset my perspective. I look for chances to be out in nature, learn a new skill, and challenge myself — whether that’s climbing, diving, or skateboarding. I love travelling solo, as it pushes me to meet new people and dive deep into the place I’m in. I’m not interested in ticking stuff off a ‘to-do’ or ‘must-see’ list when I travel. I like to have an action-packed trip, where I am free to follow random opportunities and experiences.
T+L India: What makes travel special for you?
Shivani Singhal: The people I meet and the chance conversations bring a place alive for me and make it special. It’s one of the reasons I love carrying my skateboard when I travel–it gives me easy entry into local people’s lives pretty much anywhere in the world! Food is key, too. I find it a great way to connect with people and understand a place.
T+L India: What made Udaipur an ideal location for Third Space?
Shivani Singhal: I think any city in the country or world could be ideal for a Third Space. At a very basic level, Third Space is in Udaipur, because Udaipur is our city. It’s our home town.
At a more intellectual level, I think Udaipur is a big enough place for this to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The investment makes sense. There’s enough of an audience who wants to do and be more. At the same time, it’s still a small enough place that we are deeply connected to as a community. In a huge metro city, there are a million opportunities and lots of resources already. A space like this wouldn’t be a game-changer in the same way. For Udaipur, it can, and I hope will be.
Related: Exploring Udaipur’s Countryside On An E-Bike
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