Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館 by Siddharth Bathla is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award 銀獎 in 室內空間及展覽設計 Competition Category.

銀室內· 2023

Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館

by Siddharth Bathla

Client: Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority

A' Design Award 銀獎 Winner in 室內 Category

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The Design

About Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館

Smritivan係一座地震博物館暨紀念館，位於印度古吉拉特邦布吉嘅Bhujio Dungar山上。博物館佔地9200平方米，涵蓋室內同戶外空間，分為七個主題區同27個展覽廳。展品透過個人故事、檔案資料同科學內容，回顧2001年嘅大地震。當地工匠共同創作咗館內嘅藝術品，並將編織紡織品同耐用鋼材結合運用。館內仲設有大型地震模擬器，以及向遇難者致敬嘅數碼悼念裝置。整個設計嘅核心主題係人類嘅堅韌不屈。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銀獎

Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館是 A' Design Award 銀獎得主，這是授予頂級、華美而令人印象深刻的設計的極為崇高的認可。銀獎得主是極其卓越、極具創造力的作品，展現出其設計師傑出的專業技能、才華與敏銳。預計Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館將成為一件出色的典範之作，兼具非凡的專業性與深刻的創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銀獎的設計是一項備受矚目、令人欽佩的發明，造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。Smritivan 地震博物館暨紀念館是一件令人羨慕的創作，它喚起渴望，帶來積極的情感，並激發驚嘆與讚嘆。

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.