And you, lost Motherland of mine, distant
Will remain (a) caress and (a) wound
As the day breaks in another land
Nikos Gatsos
Genius loci
This project is an attempt to redefine the meaning of the symbol in this unique land and to mark a landmark of hope for the Rohingya. The acceptance of reality begins with the knowledge of the place . This is why, this process for the creation of a new symbol started with the visit to the site, continued with an analysis on the most important features of the area on an urban scale and ended with the design of a public cluster of buildings and spaces on this traumatized land. T he approach focused on what we observed as the three most important features of this
place. The sprawl of the city in an ad-hoc way, the absence of cultural expression and the essence of temporality.
Urban scale research
This research tried to find out what the elements of a city are in order for it to be reconstructed and developed with a long-term plan. The first element is that the city is a set of systems that start from the shelter, which forms the neighborhoods, then even wider areas and then the city itself, and the second is the necessity of having public spaces and public infrastructures to organize all these systems into an indivisible whole.
It was impossible to start designing the proposal without answering to an extremely important question.
Design Proposal
It was impossible to start designing the proposal without answering to an extremely important question. How do you create architecture in a place that everyone dreams of going away?
The answer was given by observing how different cultures, at different times, tried regardless of their financial situation, through their architecture, to establish their system of values, their relationship with the place and to express their culture. For this reason, the creation of a symbol for this city was crucial.
The physiography of the site with these two almost connected hills and the steepy slopes was the main constraint of the proposal. Briefly the specific proposal can be described by 3 distinct and simple gestures.
1 The first gesture concerns the unification of the two hills. Using the physical topography, we attempted with the slightest gesture to create a large-scale public gathering space - a social hub
2 At the same time a bridge made from the materials of the place joins the two hills, defines the
amphitheater-public space and organizes all the flows of the proposal.
3. The third gesture concerns the functions proposed in the two hills. In the first a small educational center with classrooms and a small library that promotes lifelong learning. In the other, a community center hosting and conducting community meetings.
And somehow that is how the idea of this proposition is subtly organized. The functions of these two hills there are two functions - symbols. Two functions that are the cornerstone of every society. As a symbol of the value of education as the foundation stone of every society. As a beacon of hope for a better future.
As a vision for a better tomorrow!
Architects: Fokialis Evangelos, Pyliotis Alkiviadis Studio Instructor: Anna Heringer Location: Kutupalong Banglandesh Project Year: 2018 Project Type: Academic (Harvard GSD)