Monolithic Bold Form

Project: JayaPrakash Narayan Interpretation Centre/Museum of Socialism, Lucknow, UP

Architects: Archohm, Noida, UP

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The JayaPrakash Narayan Interpretation Centre/Museum of Socialism is built on the idea of creating public architecture, whose design vocabulary endows a contemporary value to past events, but stands its ground with its ‘new-found’ institutional identity reflecting the polarised views of civic authorities, curators, historians and the general public. The contemporary nature of the museum’s architecture takes responsibility for creating what will be tomorrow’s history while narrating the current one. Although it celebrates and shares the ideology of socialism in retrospect, it also reflects the times we live in—both in its experience and space-making. The building- the parts and the whole do their best to communicate the essence of the Interpretation Centre which is about the idea of socialism and about the visionary—Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). Archohm Consults, a multidisciplinary architecture studio, in line with Akhilesh Yadav’s (Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh) vision, has been responsible for the design of this museum.

The monolithic and bold form of the building takes a stance, and exudes empowerment, saying that, be it a building or man, one must be undaunted while envisioning and realising a dream. It is much like what we understand of JP’s life. Despite, the scale and the unconventional shape, the building with its clean and clear lines is deceptively simple. Just like the man it represents, the profound depth and complexity is revealed on the inside and it only reinforces the notion of simplicity being rooted in deep thought and reflection.