Siddharth Bathla & Prashasti Chandra ON THE EVOLUTION OF CURATED SPACES

The designers share their thought process and vision to inspire society by creating narratives and experiences within the museum context, with focus on the Smritivan Earthquake Museum in Bhuj that serves as a symbol of hope and resilience.

- SEEMA SREEDHARAN

On January 26, 2001, an earthquake devastated the town of Bhuj, and its effects were felt throughout northwestern India and some parts of Pakistan. The earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale, claimed 12,932 lives and injured over 150,000 more. The devastation was unprecedented, but the spirit of the people of Bhuj was undaunted. The loss of life and property of this magnitude remains immeasurable to this day. Smritivan Earthquake Museum was conceived as a memorial for those who lost their lives to the geographical vulnerability of the region, and as a tribute to the resilience and fortitude of the people who survived the devastating earthquake. But how do you build a memorial that takes you back to the tragedy and yet stands as a symbol of hope and resilience? The museum experience design has been conceptualised and curated by Siddharth Bathla and Prashasti Chandra of Design Factory India.

Design Factory India (DFI) is a Noida-based multidisciplinary design studio with a vision to inspire and evolve society by creating narratives and experiences. They do this by strategizing, designing and building solutions across mediums and typologies. DFI undertakes projects with a cross disciplinary approach spanning spatial planning, installation design, interaction design, visual communication, among others. DFI envisions and delivers museums & exhibitions, heritage & urban spaces, branding & communication projects across various scales, through an iterative design process rooted in user research, narrative building and integrated environmental design. With a close-knit team of spatial designers, architects, storytellers and design thinkers, DFI aims to create memorable, meaningful and magical experiences for all!