Liberation War Museum, Dhaka

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Dhaka

Project idea

The future is here, there is no way back now, Cities are growing out of control, with new innovation and technologies, we are being propelled through the sky of knowledge, the network of connectivity , but should never forget where we came from. The history about the nations, the wars, the culture, the lack of space intends us to deliver the facilities and services of living for a city dweller, as a result the museums seems like the most unique way to waste space as everything in on the internet now, nobody goes to the museums anyway.
But the effects of a museum convey such a knowledge to a visitor that can never be achieved via a digital screen. The idea of the design was to erect a museum in very close proximity to a residential area. The site was chosen near the Saharawardi uddan filled with the stories of Bangladesh’s liberation war, in the Catchment area there is a residential facility of the officers of the governments. the land area is so small (90ft by 120ft) with a MGC of only 50% that it was a challenge to provide the visitors with a built form which can be compact and concrete at the same time. which will also work as an urban installation to the people nearby. The museum had to speak itself with its form and landscape and create a lasting effect on the visitor’s minds.

Project description

About the Concepts behind 

The concept of Landscape

The Concept the Landscape come from the complementation of the design and its 
Boldness, as from the bold massage of the Liberation. The Sven group of the pillars
signifies the 7 “Beer Shrestha” of the Liberation war. all the supplementary columns
of the groups signifies the other warriors of the war without whom the country would
have never been born. The columns are situated in such a way that they are giving the
salute or showing respect for the thing they have sacrificed for. they are faced towards 
the museum as the museum signifies as a symbol of the victorious Nation of 
Bangladesh.

Concept of Journey
The Concept of the journey for an individual will take a ride through the past and the
process of independence. foremost a person will go down through the surrounding ramps
flanked by the ever-flowing waters. Then enter the museum. as the story of the liberation
has a deep dark past and going under the plain level of sight it can only be realized.
Then a person is through to move through the exhibits and Realize the thru story of the 
war period. then eventually the person will move through that efforts and go into the the 
elevated point towards the end of the museum. From their he/she can see the great 
Ramna racecourse Moydan where it all came to an ended the Pakistani Occupation 
force finally surrendered. This platform of independence will certainly be signified as the
conceptual thinking as “largest exhibit of the Smallest Museum.”

The concept of design
The Main Concept of design was based on the historic war of the Bangladesh in 1971.
Bangladesh was a state of Pakistan and was very much unappreciated. The people of 
the Bengal was tortured from time to time from many topics from politics to basic 
human rights. In spite of all the disadvantage the People of Bengal fought and after the 
final 9-month full-fledged battle of liberation the Country was finally evicted of the 
Occupation Force. The Main design of the building was such that the building is rising
 from the ground breaking all the bondages and finally achieves the monumental form 
from being the Liberated. 

Concept of built form
The Main Form of the museum comes from the unstoppable fire of the liberation
known as the ‘Shika Anirban’. The symbolic fire was lighted at the historic sharawardi
uddan as a declaration of the liberation of Bangladesh. It has been kept lit since. The 
Flam is symbolical represented as a outer shell of the museum. Emitting light and
acting as a vision of truth and dignity of the people of liberated Bangladesh. The 
outer shell can also be changed from time to time as a greater pert of interactive 
urban installation.

Concept of going green
The materials used to make this museum is mostly concrete and glass panels, which are both environment friendly and easy to use. The design was done in such a way that the maximum
amount of natural light can be admitted throughout the displays as it drastically reduces the
use of power throughout the day. Using Led lights in the museum galleries also reduce power
usage to a drastic level. By setting the museum inside the ground and the falling water
surrounding it reduces internal temperature and thereby reduce the cooling load of the museum.
The green concept of the museum is not only used by the materials, but also prominently found
In the language of the built form.

Technical information

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Co-authors

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