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Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog by Siddharth Bathla

Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog by Siddharth Bathla is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award nga Pilak in Disenyo sa Espasyong Interyor ug Eksibisyon Competition Category.


PilakInteryor· 2023

Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog

by Siddharth Bathla

Client: Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority

A' Design Award nga Pilak Winner in Interyor Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog

Ang Smritivan usa ka museo ug handumanan sa linog nga nahimutang sa bungtod sa Bhujio Dungar sa Bhuj, Gujarat, India. Ang museo naglangkob og 9200 metros kwadrado nga sulod ug gawas nga luna, nga gihan-ay sa pito ka tematikong bloke ug 27 ka galeriya. Ang mga eksibit nagpahinumdom sa linog sa 2001 pinaagi sa personal nga mga istorya, arkibo nga materyal ug siyentipikong sulod. Ang lokal nga mga artesano nakigtambayayong sa paghimo sa mga obra sa arte, ug ang hinabol nga mga panapton gikombinar sa lig-on nga asero. Naapil usab ang usa ka dako nga simulator sa linog ug mga digital nga pasidungog alang sa mga biktima. Ang sentrong tema sa disenyo mao ang kalig-on sa tawo.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award nga Pilak

Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog usa ka mananaog sa A' Design Award nga Pilak, usa ka talagsaon kaayo nga prestihiyoso nga pag-ila nga gihatag sa labing taas nga lebel, matahom, ug makadani nga mga disenyo. Ang mga mananaog sa Pilak labihan ka hayag ug mamugnaon nga mga buhat nga nagpakita sa bantogan nga kahanas, talento, ug kamatngon sa ilang mga tigdesinyo. Gilauman nga ang Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog mahimong talagsaon nga buhat nga ipasigarbo, dako ang pagkapropesyonal ug lawom ang kabag-ohan. Kini nga disenyo nga nakadaog og A' Design Award nga Pilak usa ka labihan ka mamatikdan, gihangaan nga imbento nga mapuslanon ug nagpalapad sa mga utlanan sa arte, siyensya, disenyo, ug teknolohiya. Smritivan Museo ug Handumanan sa Linog usa ka paglalang nga giinggit sa daghan, nga nagpukaw og mga tinguha, nagdala og positibo nga mga pagbati, ug nagsiga sa katingala ug paghangyo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
India’s largest memorial-museum, coming alive with stories of the devastating 2001 earthquake woven into the philosophy of the space. Metaphor of resilience and constant change is presented across 7 thematic blocks. Collaboratively designed with master craftspersons, vibrant, local crafts create scenography. Large-scale quake simulator, digital homage and personal stories bring an emotional connection. To animate the visitor experience, live actors and artists bring the museum journey alive.
Dimensions & Packaging
An integral part of the memorial, the museum is spread over 9200 square meters of indoor and outdoor experience on the Bhujio-Dungar hill. The exhibition space is divided into seven blocks, which are further divided into 27 galleries. On an average each gallery is 8 meters wide, 12 meters long and 4.5 metres high. The museum also houses other amenities like library, shop, cafe, auditorium, play area and temporary exhibition spaces.
Tags
Earthquake memorial, earthquake museum, immersive, interactive, craft, human-centric, scenography, storytelling, resilience, Bhuj, culture centre
Production Technology
All bespoke installations and narrative elements were custom-designed and fabricated in India, following iterative experimentation and prototyping. A fresh approach to processing local resources was implemented to create contextually-rooted exhibit spaces. Local craft persons were commissioned to co-create the largest ever narrative-based artworks of their repertoire. Contextual materials such as woven textiles, in synergy with durable materials like steel, create a blend of local and global expression.
Design Challenge
The responsibility to present sensitive personal and complex stories of the earthquake and beyond, to evoke varied emotions was a creative challenge and opportunity. Moving from an incident to an overarching story based on the ideas of resilience was pivotal. The 27 similar galleries dealt with an innovative, contextual design strategy for distinct and memorable thematic experiences. Translating the big idea into a physical reality demanded a smart orchestration of various stakeholders.
Research
Narrative and design development took shape based on intensive continuous research rooted in ethnography, literature review, and archival data. Being an earthquake museum inspired by resilient stories of people and landscapes, geological, archaeological, and seismological experts directed the entire process. Personal stories and archival data were collected, analyzed, and curated from recurring, extensive field visits undertaken across entire quake-affected areas and humanitarian organizations.
Inspiration
The unique, thriving culture of Kutch in west India, gave impetus to the museum’s content and design. The Timelessness of human resilience, absorbed from a nearby 4000-year-old civilization is carried forward in the museum’s ethos. The region’s rapid recovery post-2001 quake is embodied in Smritivan as universally relatable stories of human determination. Content design, scenography, and installations are based on and emerge from the rich local living traditions and crafts of the Kutch region.
Project Duration
After winning the open design competition on a proposal based on the concept of “eternal resilience” the project was initiated in 2018, in Bhuj city of Kutch district, Gujarat. Following detailed research and design, on-site execution began in 2020. The Smritivan Earthquake Museum and Memorial were inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in August 2022. We continue to curate and engage with public programming for the museum.
Operation Flow
Since its inauguration, the museum receives an average footfall of foreign tourists and locals over 100,000 every quarter. Holistic end-to-end placemaking and local community engagement through digital marketing, and innovative public events are an extension of the design strategy. Each visitor adds a part of themselves to the museum through digital tributes for quake victims, which collect into a bright beam of light. India’s first design biennale on the “art of storytelling” was hosted here recently.
Team Members
Creative Director: Siddharth Bathla
Design Director: Prashasti Chandra
Visual Design: Masood Khan
Installation, Scenography: Suryanath Sunny
Research,Content: Niharika Joshi
Architect: Prashul Sharma
Special Artist: Mukul Goyal- Sculptor
Special Artist: Vankar Vishram Valji - (weaver shyamjibhai)- weaving
Special Artist: Dr. Ismail Khatri- block printing
Special Artist: Mukesh Bhanani- kala Raksha
Special Artist: Gafur Khatri- Rogan art
Special Artist: Paresh Khamir- lacquered artwork
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Bharat Aggarwal, Smritivan, 2022.
Optional Image #1: Photographer Bharat Aggarwal, Smritivan, 2022.
Optional Image #2: Photographer Bharat Aggarwal, Smritivan, 2022.
Optional Image #3: Illustrator Masood Khan, Smritivan, 2022.
Optional Image #4: Photographer Bharat Aggarwal, Smritivan, 2022.

Video Credits: Cinematographer Sohaib Ilyas, Smritivan, 2022.

Sound Credits: ANBR - Stars, Ardie Son - Come back home, Ardie Son - Tonight is Golden, Smritivan, 2022.

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