Folklore is the reflection of ordinary life of the commoners. The sublime simplicity of folklore offers uncommon philosophy of life to others. Rajshahi, for instance, an ancient and culturally enriched region of Bengal, is affluent with folk tradition. The establishment of a centre to collect, research, preserve and exhibit local folklore in Rajshahi is on demand. The following student project envisions the centre as a living museum aiming to provide a comprehensive insight into the local folk culture. The down-to-earth design approach is manifested through its pavilion-like structures — a sensible effort to portray the “sophistication in simplicity” of folklore. The designer further emphasized that despite our utmost sensitivity to uphold folk culture and tradition, the cultural invasion has become a threat today and it is high time to establish such facilities to protect our identity. – Editor

Text from the Student:

The vision of this project is to explore the context of our Bangladeshi folk culture and heritage and bringing them in the same compound where it gets rich environment to grow. Here, the aim of this project is to design an establishment where both our lost and existing folk culture can come out alive for people, not only just for pleasure but also for learning and passing our heritage to future generations.

The designated site for this particular project is in Rajshahi district, where a vast level of folklore veins runs in the context itself. Other than that, the site, which is near the Padma River, is declared as a recreational zone. The project eventually turns out to be a public facility hosting a folklore museum and research centre along with other recreational activities.

The core idea is to design a pathway where people can walk along to reach different functional spaces while experiencing the cultural activities by the local folks. The project is absolutely down to earth which is the main agenda of folk culture. The transitional pathway is leading people to multiple courtyards where they can experience various roots of our vast folklore culture.

The project contains various programs to be accommodated in the site, but as the folklore stands out to be “people and their artistic mind”, the proposed layout offers local people to get blended in by their recreational need while the museum and research facilities run alongside.

The master plan has been designed to create a dialogue between land and river nearby; all come together in a place to celebrate the vibrant aspects of folklore culture in accord with the events and seasons of Bangladesh.