LOST IN TIME: A Social Hub Resuscitating the intangible heritage of Taxila

Abstract

Taxila has been renowned for its cultural diversity, co-existence of multiple traditions but especially for its skilled labors. It has been a central hub of arts and philosophical intellect and marked history with its unique stonework and handicrafts that are now on the verge of extinction. This is due to lack of preservation and revival of these crafts. Cultural heritage is central to "protecting" our sense of who we are. These culture and traditions to a huge part are demonstrated through craftsmanship where handicrafts serve not only as a tourist attraction and as an economic advance, but they also preserve a place's local heritage within them. As the time passed by, there has been a minimal attraction towards Taxila's handicrafts, and the traditional practices are less transmitted from generation to generation, mainly due to lack of variation and poor quality of products. The number of craftsmen pursuing this work is decreasing, putting the conservation of local patrimony into difficulty, eventually resulting in extinction of these skills, poverty, and decreasedjob opportunities for the people ofTaxila. To analyze the severity ofproblemidentified, qualitative approachwas adopted focusing oninterviews and surveys fromcraftsmen. The findings highlighted issues such as no formal display areas to showcase work produced, lack of interactive spaces generating dialogue between artisans and the locals, absence of training facilities to revive the interest ofyouth towards these precious crafts. This thesis aims at solving the above-mentioned problems by proposing a social hub in Taxila. It explores how communal architecture could be used as a medium to encourage both economic and cultural revitalization in a community. Building on the goals and visions of local community, this project features interactive spaces where the craftsmen can congregate to develop skills, as well as exchange the knowledge. By creating nodes where members of the community can gather and be connected to each other while cultivating local crafts, will create a sense of empowerment in the artisans to go out into the community and stimulate positive economic and social change.