Abstract:
The project is exploration of memorial architecture and its role as a socio-culture object, using
collective memory of a significant event from the past to bind communities in the present.
Serving as a place of commonality, Architectural intervention is designed as an extension of a
pre-existing Earthquake memorial bridge and would transfigure it into a "living bridge". The
project would be an infrastructural hybrid programmed to be a memorial for earthquake 2005
reinforcing the existing connotation of the bridge. Vitalizing the usability of infrastructural voids
and left out spaces into significant memorial spaces. Binding the monumental value of bridge
and programmatic value of architectural space, together into one holistic ideological state.
Architectural programmes are designed on dual concepts of memorializing and learning, former
would be a museum dedicated to the event itself and its affected zones. Later is a private
research unit used as a platform for investigation in building technologies.
This scheme would offer instructive recreation while promoting cultural, traditional, and historic
aspirations of public realm, contextualizing the project through idiosyncrasy of place, event and
memory into singular ideology of commonality for the residents of Muzaffarabad.
Site for the project is under the shadow of Naluchi Bridge that was constructed as one of the
significant projects in post-earthquake scenario, the bridge is named as Earthquake Memorial
Bridge but it wasn't designed to be a memorial and has become a monumental object, using the
infrastructural voids the programmatic intervention would help in transformation of this
monumental object into an architectural memorial.
Bridge acts as an emblem of technological growth, redevelopment, acts as physical common
idea and connection between two districts.
The project will operate as an extension developed in architecture, green spaces and social
spaces being the part of it. It also acts as a cultural and social anchor.
Event of history beyond dispute is used as a key source to attain spatial commonality, serving
the presence of memorial.
