National Rail museum
Year : 2022 l Status : Proposal l Area : 1,10,000 sq.mt l Est.Cost : 950 Cr
To rethink the concept of the museum – a space not only for archival but for thought and interaction – was the foundation of the design of the National Railway Museum.
This competition entry built on the lessons of the past – appropriating them to impact the present and the future of a new India, which is bold and daring, yet respectful.
Towards the beginning of the Museum layout, the built form of the ‘city’ is an extensive lay of railway heritage, creating awareness of its rich history for the visitors. From there, the structure opens up into a central cultural center, that acts as a platform for dialogue and exchange.
The open exhibit along with this cultural center is interactive and dynamic, urging the visitor to pause, think, and reflect. From here grows the expansive form of the mountain as the museum, becoming a center for deliberation, dialogue, and innovation.
The National Railway Museum is only a representation of the heritage of the world’s largest rail network but is also a representation of the country’s geographical brilliance with intertwined programs and functions.
Pictured here is the Cultural Centre towards the opposite end of the NRM campus.
The design of the museum must force the visitor to pause, think, and reflect – it has and shall always be a public amenity that can be freely accessed. A museum promotes the ideology of shared spaces firmly with its context. We must use museums to build on lessons of the past – appropriate them to impact the present and the future of a new India, which is bold and daring, yet respectful.
