War Museum

RAKSHAK

The competition for the National War Museum, organized by the Government of India in 2016, was an extension of the competition for the National War Memorial. With the deadline for both the projects of such a large scale being one week apart, we knew were stretching ourselves thin. Though a little exhausted, we were motivated to participate and were not willing to lose out on this great opportunity. So we pulled up our socks and started to put down our ideas on the drafting board. 

Looking back at India’s war history, one thing becomes clear, that India has always gone to war to protect her peace, and never really in an attempt to attack the other or covet their territory. With this thought in mind, we chose to name the National War Museum as ‘Rakshak’ or ‘The Protector’ which would highlight different facets of the War history of India. 

Carrying forward our core idea and taking the cue from the ‘Barrel Shroud’ of a gun, we designed a double layered wall system, which was to be the facade of the building. The outer layer made up of perforated sandstone, allowed the building to camouflage into Lutyen’s Delhi on one hand, and shielded the building from the harsh sun on the other. Flanked by the sandstone walls, what rests in the core of the building is the ‘Peace Garden’. With the ‘Peace Garden’ being at the heart of the building, we aimed to highlight the nation’s constant effort to protect its peace. 

These two key ideas brought together our intentions, not only in terms of the concept but also in terms of the function. This we believe was a sweet spot, where with a little bit of driving force, we were able to weave together the body and soul of the building.