Khalsa Heritage Center in Punjab, India by Safdie Architects

Article source: Safdie Architects

The Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex is a new museum of the Sikh people located in the holy town of Anandpur Sahib, near Chandigarh, the capital of the state of Punjab. The museum celebrates 500 years of Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa, the scriptures written by the tenth and last guru, Gobind Singh.

• Architect: Safdie Architects
• Name of Project: Khalsa Heritage Center
• Location: Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India
• Client: Anandpur Sahib Foundation
• Associate Architect: Ashok Dhawan Architects
• Public Opening: Fall 2011
• Total Area: 250,000 square feet
• Total Cost: US $21 million

Located on a 30-hectare (75-acre) site overlooking the town, the memorial is divided into two sections that straddle a ravine and are joined by a pedestrian bridge. The western area, connected to the town of Anandpur Sahib, is organized around an entrance piazza and contains a 400-seat auditorium, a two-storey library and temporary exhibition galleries. The eastern portion, housing permanent interpretive exhibition space, consists of two clusters of undulating galleries that evoke the fortress architecture of the region and form a dramatic skyline against the surrounding sand-cliff terrain and the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains beyond. The clustering of the galleries in groups of five reflects the Five Virtues, a central tenet of the Sikh faith.

The buildings are constructed of cast-in-place concrete; columnar arcades remain exposed as architectural concrete, while the ascending walls are clad with sand-colored stone from Gwalior. The roofs are sheathed in stainless steel; they reflect the sky and light towards the gurdwara (temple) and fort in the town. A series of dams create a water garden in the ravine; a restaurant located midway across the pedestrian bridge faces the water garden.

Tags: India, Punjab

Categories: Memorial, Museum

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