Today’s post is a feature on Moshe Safdie’s Khalsa Heritage Complex.
The Khalsa Heritage Museum, Anandpur Sahib,Punjab
I had recently been to a talk by Bani Singh on the Khalsa Heritage Complex, organised by the Goethe Institute Bangalore, as a part of the World Heritage Day lectures. Although this talk was not strictly about architecture, it gave a few incites into the design of this museum and mostly about the challenge of creating content for a community that has very few artifacts and imagery, due to a code prohibiting direct imager, may it amount to idol worship. The imagery that exist are generic ones that are symbolic and very few at the most. She also spoke about problems faced in encompassing the heritage of the actual Punjab and not the political Punjab. A large part of the complete Punjab now lies on the Pakistani side of the border.
Extent of the Cultural Punjab
This museum is the brainchild of former chief minister of Punjab (India), Parkash Singh Badal, who was inspired by Moshe’s work on a Jewish museum in Jerusalem and invited him to create this museum in Punjab. The project began in 1998, but was plagued by many hurdles which saw work on this project halting on several occasions. Nonetheless, the project is now at its finishing stages and will in most likelihood be completed in the coming months. The scale of the museum is nothing like anything seen before in India and probably closest in nature to the Getty Center, LA.
The following text and images are courtesy Moshe Safdie & Associates.
The Khalsa Heritage Memorial is a museum of the Sikh people located on a 75-acre site in the holy city of Anandpur Sahib, near Chandigarh. The museum celebrates 500 years of Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa, the scriptures written by the 10th and last Guru, Gobind Singh, founder of the modern Sikh faith.
View of the entire complex
In the project, two complexes straddle either side of a ravine and are connected by a ceremonial bridge. The smaller, western complex is organized around an entrance piazza and contains a 400-seat auditorium, two-story library, and temporary exhibition galleries.
View from temple, near by.
The eastern complex contains the cylindrical memorial building as well as extensive, permanent, interpretive exhibition space, consisting of two clusters of undulating galleries that evoke the fortress architecture of the region (most evident in a nearby temple) and form a dramatic silhouette against the surrounding cliff terrain.
Sketch by Moshe Safdie
The Eastern Complex from behind
The gathering of the galleries in groups of five reflects the Five Virtues, a central tenet of the Sikh faith. The buildings are constructed of poured-in-place concrete; some beams and columns will remain exposed, while the bulk of the structures will be clad in a local honey-colored stone.
View of Bridge Connecting East and West
The rooftops, to be clad in stainless steel, exhibit a double curvature; they effectively gather and reflect the sky while a series of dams in the ravine create pools that reflect the entire complex at night.
Plan of the Project Site
Total Area: 23,225 square meters (250,000 square feet)
Client: Anandpur Sahib Foundation
Architects: Moshe Safdie and Associates
Associate Architects: Ashok Dhawan, New Delhi, India
April 24, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Thanks for the post.