<h5-red>CLIENT<h5-red> MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, AFGHANISTAN AND THE US EMBASSY IN KABUL I <h5-red>AREA<h5-red> 160,276 SQFT I <h5-red>STATUS<h5-red> COMPETITION ENTRY 2012 I <h5-red>TEAM<h5-red> AMBRISH ARORA, SIDHARTHA TALWAR, ANKUR CHOKSI
The Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan, in collaboration with the U.S. Government and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, had announced an <rt-red>International Architectural Ideas Competition for a new National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul.<rt-red>
The one-stage ideas competition sought to generate new and creative design proposals to envision a museum that represents Afghanistan in the 21st century. The core mission was to conserve, collect, study and exhibit important examples of the nation’s uniquely rich and diverse cultural patrimony, while advancing the world’s knowledge and appreciation of Afghanistan’s history and traditions. <rt-red>Studio Lotus explored the relationship of the site to the UNESCO gardens, the old museum building and the Darul Aman Palace as the natural basis for the master plan framework.<rt-red>
The principal axes generated from this relationship dictate the orientation and placement of the building block. The parking block, which is the arrival court to the museum ground, is created at the lowest level of the site. <rt-red>A series of plinths and landscape elements create a progressive walk through along the UNESCO gardens and the old museum building culminating into the entrance of a low ground-hugging built mass, enhancing and establishing the primary axis.<rt-red>
Landscape weaves into the old museum building, which is proposed as a learning and event space and displaces the display and cafeteria pavilions, clear of the views of the proposed new buildings. <rt-red>The landscape becomes the basis for reconstruction of the ecology and culture by preserving what is healthy, repairing what is unhealthy, and restoring what is depleted.<rt-red> The landscape contributes to the ecology by using vegetation, wildlife and water as a regenerative tool. Wastes are treated by phytorid beds and constructed wetlands.
<rt-red>The building mass in response to the existing building has been sunken partially into the ground, such that the new building does not rise above the existing museum.<rt-red> This naturally becomes an advantageous proposition in terms of energy efficiency, structural stability and ensures a secure enclosure. Well-integrated security touchpoints with minimally invasive presence from the peripheral compound walls to the building entry points ensures checks without compromising on the visitor experience.
The lower ground floor houses non-public collections, administrative offices and services, which have been secured in the heavy stone and concrete shell rising up from the ground, like a plinth. <rt-red>The public collections and public facilities have been placed on top of this plinth, drawing inspiration from a fort structure.<rt-red>
Deriving from traditional Afghan kilims and architectural typology of courtyards and lawns, the public galleries <rt-red>have been laid out as interconnected spaces and courtyards.<rt-red>
