Artisan’s Village: “A platform to revive the culture of Multan through the preservation and enhancement of local handicrafts.”

Abstract

Multan is known all over the world because of its rich cultural heritage. It is one of the oldest cities of Pakistan which has been inhabited for more than 2000 years now. The city is mainly associated with the famous tombs and mausoleums situated in its heart along with its traditional essence and rich culture. For centuries, Multan has been a hub for traditional arts and crafts. The major handicrafts of Multan include embroidery, khussa, baskets, chunri, blue pottery, and camel skin lamps. The two main handicrafts which need immediate attention are blue pottery and camel skin lamps as these handicrafts are associated to Multan only and their artisans are only located in this region. It is extremely unsettling to see that the fast-growing city lacks a platform to preserve and showcase its most important cultural heritage and identity. Through conducting primary research, it has been analyzed that these artisans are not being recognized for their services and there is a dire need to bring these artisans to one platform with our locals and young generations to prevent and promote this art. Moreover, to promote and keep the art alive, it is important to bring innovation through research and experiments which can be done through the collaboration between local artisans and designers with modern technical skills. This thesis aims at providing a collaborative platform for the local artisans, designers, and public, to preserve, promote and innovate traditional handicrafts. The platform will provide the artisans with a working environment in their natural setting and these workshops provided will serve as a live museum for the visitors. The site chosen for the thesis is located at Bahadur pur, Bosan Road, Multan. The site lies on education avenue, in close proximity to all the targeted user groups. The design concept is to interpret the spaces in a way to familiarize the user with the process behind the final product, through excitement, knowledge, and hands-on learning experience.