Location : Afghanistan
Type : Culture, Education, Leisure
Phase: Design
Bamiyan city is where once became the important subsidiary route of Silk Road located between mountainous area and flat plain, people can see contrast view of rough-brown hills, glittering blue river, and refreshing-green of plants and trees. It is a city with multi-ethnic, multi tradition, multi-lingual, multi-religion, multi history which influenced the social life as it is now. This project was to design cultural, education, recreational space for Bamiyan people. There is necessity to connect the site with historical site, especially the Buddha Cliff which was known as the world’s tallest standing Buddha. What lies know only the niches that can be seeing clearly from the site.
The design is inspired by traditional house pakhsa and sky light in cave house. It aims to bring “homey” feeling to people who use the place. Pakhsa wall can trap solar heat during the day so at night when temperature drops, the house stay warm. The heat won’t penetrate to the inside of the room because the wall is thick. The building is formed from a combination of the shape of house and tower (minaret). The shape won’t be too different from local design so local people can also build it. The tower will be used as solar chimney to bring light to the room below.