Design for Imphal Peace Museum that Celebrates the Collective Character of the People

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week interior design series features a museum design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Huidrom Design Studio.

Imphal Peace Museum is dedicated to the indomitable human spirit which was so abundantly evident in the Manipur manner, as what can only be described as an epochal catastrophe, emerged. These spectacular hills and valleys are no stranger to violence but they had never before seen violence of such industrial-scale as WWII brought to their doorsteps. Though fought on their soil, the Manipuris always knew it was not their war, therefore had no enemies. In the true humanistic tradition the Manipuris, amidst their own misery, harboured no bitterness against any of the warring sides and extended humanitarian help to any soldier in need. This Museum is a Chronicle of the Heroism of the ordinary Manipuris.

This is a 6500 sqft. gallery where WWII archaeological finds are allotted appropriate contextual spaces in the narrative of a cataclysmic historical trajectory Manipur found itself in because of a peculiar turn of the geopolitics of the period. These artefacts from the past are reconnected to the activities which once gave them meaning, by materially and symbolically remaking the world they came from.

What was the client’s brief? 

We received a detailed project brief with a reference museum being Haebaru Town Museum in Japan. The display space of the museum was supposed to be divided broadly into two equal sections. The first showing the intensity of the war. The second, which is further divided into two sub-sections (“post-war” and “life & culture”), representing the resilience of these hills and valleys, and the people who made them their homes.

What inspired the design of the project?

The design took into consideration numerous factors such as functionality, scientific rigour, economic concerns, authenticity, and, above all, it was inspired by the collective character of the people of the state.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Our aim in this project was to leverage the material qualities and cultural connotations of wood, to achieve an orderly logic and authenticity, and thus harmonise design, nature and culture.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The highlight of this project was playing with natural textures in the design of the space. Some of them include the entrance wall where rice straw and mud clay are blended, and the exposes patterns of unpolished wood. Another great example of this is a bamboo bridge in a passageway.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Recognition. As the Imphal Peace Museum (IPM) exhibits continue to develop over time, there is hope that the museum itself will serve as a lasting symbol of peace and reconciliation. IPM is a building with local sensibility and stands as a Symbol of Reconciliation after WWII. So, winning or being shortlisted for the SBID Awards would show acknowledgement of all our hard work.

Questions answered by Suresh Huidrom, Senior Designer, Huidrom Design Studio.