Voices of Partition

Project idea

The idea of this project is to create a space that captures and communicates the human stories of the Partition of 1947, one of the most traumatic events in South Asian history. It draws inspiration from the need to preserve the emotional and personal experiences of those who lived through that time. Since architecture serves as a storytelling medium, the project aims to create a sensory connection between the past and the present, giving voice to silenced memories of pain, resilience, and displacement.

Given the city's central location and historic significance, the question arose: what kind of space could truly honour such a site? This museum fills a long-standing void in a country where memorials are rare. It becomes a space to honour forgotten lives and unrecognised voices that have long gone without acknowledgement.

Without such places of memory, our history risks fading away. This museum aims not only to preserve that past but to make it accessible to future generations, so that the lessons, pain, and resilience of that time are never forgotten.

Project description

This museum is designed as a physical and emotional journey through a series of experiential galleries. The journey begins with a quiet descent, where the outside world slowly fades and engraved personal stories emerge from the walls. As visitors enter the first gallery, ambient sounds and archival visuals from the pre-Partition era are played, showing a time of unity and shared identity. But as the journey continues, the spaces grow more complex and fragmented, mirroring the breakdown of that unity.

The narrow passages evoke tension and disorientation, eventually leading to open courtyards scattered with gravel and stones, each step symbolising the hardship and pain thousands endured during the mass migration. These raw, open spaces embody loss, emptiness, and absence. As the visitors move beyond these galleries, they reach a final reflective space, a moment to pause and confront the present, and to question where we stand today after all the sacrifices that shaped our land and identity.

Technical information

The museum is composed of a sequence of architectural elements: enclosed corridors, carved narrative walls, open courtyards, and a final reflective space. Materials like raw concrete, brick, and stone are used for their tactile and emotional depth. The play of natural light is integrated to shift emotions as one moves through the space, narrow slits, diffused openings, and shaded voids guide the experience. Circulation is intentionally non-linear, encouraging pause and reflection. The structure emphasises passive climate control through shaded courtyards and cross ventilation, while acoustics are controlled to enhance moments of silence and sound.

Documentation

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