MEMORIAL OF VIOLENCE: Remembering the Army Public School attack by using intangible elements as a tool to bridge the past, present and the future. regional

Abstract

The past is what morphs us into who we are, and the future is what will define us. Events that leave permanent marks are not to be forgotten, thus, this thesis aims to commemorate and remember the past of our country. Recent history, an unfortunate one, must be memorialized and honored as a responsibility of our nation. The Army Public School attack that took place in Peshawar on the darkest of days, 16% December 2014, changed the lives of numerous people forever, leaving mothers without children, sisters without brothers, friends without friends and classrooms without students. Hence, this thesis looks into the art of reminiscing about this tragic event by wholly understanding the effects and prerequisites of such incidents and how, through architecture, we can pay our respect to the victims. The programs and design are informed by the results of questionnaires and interviews held with the affected people, backed up by the existing literature read. Based on the results of the research, a memorial museum is designed with an aim to provide a space for reflection, learning, and growth. It allows visitors to pay their respects to the fallen and find solace. The space aims to foster acceptance by incorporating awareness through museology as well as encouraging dialogue and cultural exchange, to cultivate mutual respect and understanding among people of different ethnic backgrounds, hence, targeting the root cause of such incidents which lies in intolerance and bigotry. Strategically nestled in the urban sprawl of Peshawar, where art and architecture are fading away, the museum serves to revive the essence of museum storytelling and rekindle its relevance. The space will be anchored to its context by basing the design principles on the regional art of storytelling, which weaves the intangible threads of human emotion and experience into the tangible fabric of architecture. The design forms a physical manifestation of the narratives it seeks to preserve, creating a language of its own that acts as physical transformation of the intangibles of storytelling. The design aims to create a space that not only commemorates the past but also fosters empathy, unity, and peace for a better future.