Moshe Safdie & Associates
Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex
Anadpur Sahib, Punjab, India
Photo Ram Rahman
The Khalsa Heritage Memorial is a new museum of the Sikh people located in the holy town of Anandpur. The museum celebrates 500 years of Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa, the scriptures written by the 10th and last Guru, Gobind Singh, founder of the modern Sikh faith.
Deeply rooted in the surrounding landscape and resonating with regional architecture, the Centre seemingly rises from nearby sand cliffs.
Photo Ram Rahman
Clad with local sandstone and evoking the fortress cities of Rajasthan, Gwalior, and Punjab, the Centre acknowledges the Sikh’s history as celebrated warriors. The upwardly curving roofs of the museum’s tower like galleries are covered in stainless steel, designed in counterpoint to the rich tradition of gold domes that crown sacred Sikh buildings such as the Golden Temple in Ammritsar.
Photo Ram Rahman
Photo Ram Rahman
The museum campus is composed of two functionally sets of buildings. The western complex, forming a gateway to Anandpur Sahib, houses exhibition galleries; a two-level library centered around a grand reading room that overlooks water gardens; a facility for storing rare archival materials; and a 400 seat auditorium.
Photo Ram Rahman
Photo Ram Rahman
Photo Ram Rahman
A 540-foot bridge from the western complex crosses a network of reflecting pools, providing access to the eastern complex, which houses permanent exhibitions presenting Sikh history, and culture.
Photo Ram Rahman
Photo Ram Rahman
Arranged in groups of five, the galleries reference the Five Virtues, a central tenet of the Sikh faith. The symbolic themes of earth and sky, mass and lightness, and depth and ascension are represented by the museum’s sandstone towers and reflective silver roofs, and are further echoed inside the museum’s galleries.
Sketch courtesy Safdie Architects
Sketch
Drawing courtesy Safdie Architects
Site Plan
Drawing courtesy Safdie Architects
Section
Drawing courtesy Safdie Architects
Gallery Section
Photo courtesy Michal Ronnen Safdie
Aerial View
Site area: 75 acres
Total Area: 23,225 square meters (250,000 square feet)
Completed: 2011
Client: Anandpur Sahib Foundation
Architects: Moshe Safdie and Associates
Associate Architects: Ashok Dhawan, New Delhi, India
Moshe Safdie arcspace features
April 16, 2012
