Bamiyan, the Afghan town that has lost alot of its legacy and shot into prominence when the two ancient statues of the Buddha were destroyed in 2001, has gone through alot since then, on many bases; its cultural heritage, its tourism income, its buildings and most impotantly … on its PEOPLE…

The loss of those statues caused general depression through locals who lost hope and courage after seeing their most important and well known heritage symbols getting destroyed and gone forever. In order to heal the wounds of Bamiyan local people, a psychological and economical boost is needed.

However, Bamiyan city – just like its people – should never lose hope; it has been recently selected to be the SAARC cultural capital for 2015. So building a project that re-builds Hope .. Courage .. & Culture, will regenerate the town and create a cultural icon that attracts tourist and artists from all around the world…

LINEARITY & CENTRALITY

The Design approach puts the local environment and people at the centre of the dynamic and recognizes the vital importance of their interaction and response in optimizing the richness of the places over time. In Bamiyan, the natural forces have played a dominant role in forming its urban fabric, it is well obvious that the valley going towards the cliff, had a strong influence on the tissue of the city, forming both linear and central forces in the city. this urban fabric mixture which was considered as the DNA of the city is used as a base for the design concept. Using these lines in the design will enhance the traditional and the sensational identity of the city to create a project that fits into the context and becomes a lasting legacy for Bamiyan.

BAMIYAN IDENTITY

Searches for the spirit of the place as embodied by the social order which defines the types of relationships and behavior patterns that are influenced by acquired and inherited customs. These are also formed by environmental, climatic and geographic factors.

CELEBRATE CULTURE

Architecture by definition gives us a special generative power in this movement from concept to realization. Architecture is beyond the physical, beyond the learned, beyond current conditions. Architecture moves from conception to realization through visualising a potential in this context. Buildings are not an end in themselves, they are a means to an end, and in the Bamiyan Culture Centre project that end has to do with restoring hope in a place that will preserve and celebrate culture. The winning design will give a vantage point from which to forge a new path to transcend and find the opportunity in challenges.