The Last Echo of Tragedy

Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon

Project idea

The world’s worst industrial disaster or the Bhopal Gas tragedy took place exactly 40 years ago, on 3rd December 1984 in Bhopal, India, poisoning more than 500,000 people and taking upwards of 20,000 lives. Even today the victims face unspeakable horrors and continue to strive for justice. However, their voices are buried with not a single place talking about the atrocity that the disaster had caused. The UCIL site where the tragedy occurred lies in shambles; forgotten and abandoned.
The project looks at revitalising the abandoned factory through adaptive reuse by designing a museum to become a place that pays tribute to the victims, fosters remembrance, provides support, acts as a tool for raising awareness and promoting healing. The very place that took everything away from the people would now be the one to voice their stories and memories so that their sacrifice does not go in vain, serving as a manifestation of resistance over decades.

Project description

Envisioning to keep the past alive, the museum is incorporated within the forgotten factory integrating the existing debris and broken machinery, merging the old and the new. The angular path is established around the broken machinery and debris. Through a thematic journey using a series of dark and enclosed spaces, ,using descending pathways to represent the impact of the tragedy, the visitors go back in time feeling the trauma of the past and heightening the emotional weight.

Moving through the memorial walk outside serving as a quiet contemplation space with the stories and names of victims etched into the walls, each name a silent echo of a life cut short. It becomes a place of purity, serenity. The Fluid dynamic movement ensures a subconscious and rhythmic flow, with seating pockets allowing the visitors to take in the gravity of the situation, pause and reflect in nature.

In the consolation hall atop the reflective pond, the silence is profound and the intangible, physical and metaphysical forge together allowing one to realize the gravity and implications of the manmade disaster.
With only a sliver of light being reflected using water, a locus of energy is established, giving the visitors the opportunity to enter the contemplation space to process their emotions privately focusing inwards.

The visitors leave the museum deeply moved, their hearts heavy with collective pain yet uplifted by the resilience and enduring memories of those lost.

The Community area within the tragedy museum serves as a beacon of hope and empowerment for the survivors. Fusing together spaces where they develop new skills, learn about the various initiatives for their rehabilitation and support and sell their crafts using souvenir shops give the survivor community required forefront and exposure.

It enables them to move beyond the tragedy, develop a positive impact and identity and from the negative memory attached into a healing memory. The project explores how acknowledging and interpreting memories leads to recovery, positive identity formation, leaving a profound impact on individuals and communities. Further emphasizing the importance of memory in understanding the past and its potential to inspire positive change in the present and future.

Technical information

Mapping the conditions of the built structure. Framing; The whole factory setup is laid on a grid system of 7.5m by 7.5m, Serving as the base unit, this is used as the fundamental parameter for developing the design and marking out the spatial areas

Total Site Area; 6 acre (24320 sq.m)
Max. Ground coverage; 30%
Achieved ground coverage ; 5156 sq.m (21.2%)
ECS; 2ECS/100 sq.m
Max. FAR: 120

Formulation Shed ; Structure: 52.5m x 37.5m x 10m
Saw Tooth truss system, 300x300mm metal columns, 7.5m clear height, 10m top height
Condition; There is existing rubble and debris with chipped and peeling walls, broken machinery.

With the existing column grid layout and large volume of space it is ideal for creating galleries and exhibition spaces. The museum is incorporated here, within the factory while preserving the existing debris present and creating a walking trail around it. Allowing natural light to filter with and defining partitions and circulation.

The entrance block is directly connected to the museum. Easily accessible and High visibility; parallel to the primary road. Addition of new built symbolizing Moving from present to past.
In accordance with the existing built, lightweight concrete, glass and brick walls are used for the construction of spaces.

Control center;
Structure; 5.4m x 7.5m x 3.6m rooms with 1000x 1450mm hinged windows, 1000 x 850mm top hung windows, 300mm x 450mm depth beam -1800mm distance
The control center had laboratory spaces and workshop spaces, easily accessible and allowing ample natural light to infiltrate for intricate work and provision artificial lighting.
Being column and barrier free space, it is ideal for intensive and intricate interior based work such as learning classrooms and workshops that can be included.

The cafeteria is Incorporated at the back edge of the site, It can be encountered after users visit the museum and shop. With an Outdoor café deck placed amidst nature
The main vehicular lane parallel to the primary road and service lane is provided connected to the cafeteria and workshop storage areas with service drop off points serve as loading and unloading docks.

Amphitheatre is connected to the existing factory providing tangible connection. Outdoor shaded seating areas near the water body serve as leisure and recreation space.