Franchise
Unveiling Museum Smritivan Earthquake Memorial/ Vastushilpa Sangath
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Architects: Vastushilpa Sangath
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Area : 10900 m²
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Year : 2023
Located on Bhujiyo Hill in Gujarat, India, the Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum is part of the larger masterplan to commemorate the 2001 earthquake, of which Bhuj was the epicenter. The museum is a celebration of the region’s heritage, culture, crafts, and wildlife sanctuaries, providing a civic space for citizens to gather and celebrate festivals.
The museum’s design had to be carefully considered to ensure it didn’t disturb the hill’s cultural patrimony. Rather than building a large-scale box that would contrast with the hill, the contours informed an alternative approach. The built mass recalls the relic of the fort wall, zig-zagging its way up the hill in a natural pilgrimage route.
The spine of the museum is a veranda that punctuates the 50m climb, providing a place to pause, reflect and absorb the landscape. This tensile structure also creates a soft glow over the monolithic buildings, which are covered in local stone quarried from near the site.
The museum’s central spine operates as a civic space when galleries aren’t open. The rooftop gardens are planted with different species of local flora, reflecting the passage of time and providing a space for temporary exhibits and performances.
Designed for incremental growth, the modularity of the galleries and the central spine’s trace ensures that any extension will always remain aligned with the genius of the place. The museum is a settlement, as old as Bhuj, and as young as the memory of the last visit.
