Patna, Sept. 18: The race to design the ambitious New Patliputra Museum has entered its last lap with five international architecture firms and their Indian partners remaining in the fray.
The building construction department, responsible for the architect selection process for the museum, released the list of the shortlisted firms on September 18. The selected firms would get over three months to create their design for the international-standard museum on the southern part of Bailey Road.
The five short-listed international architecture firms are Austria-based Coop Himmelblau, UK-based Foster and Partners, Japan-based Maki & Associates, Norway-based Snohetta and USA-based Studio Daniel Libeskind. The Indian partner of Coop Himmelblau is ARCHOHM. CP Kukreja & Associates is the Indian partner of Foster and Partners, while the Japan-based firm’s Indian partner is OPOLIS. Indian firm Spacematters will work with Snohetta and Studio Daniel Libeskind’s Indian partner is Morphogenisis.
Anjani Kumar Singh, the principal secretary of the state human resource development department and the nodal officer for the New Patliputra Museum project, said: “The five short-listed firms would be given over three months to prepare their designs. Thereafter, the firms would submit their individual request for proposal. The architect whose design would be finally selected would be announced as the recommended architect for the ambitious project.”
Singh said the construction of the museum is likely to start in 2012. The deadline to finish the project is 2015.
The overall responsibility of developing the new museum is with state department of art, culture and youth affairs. Canada-based Lord Cultural Resources is the master planning consultant for the ambitious project. It is working with the department art, culture and youth affairs and the building construction department for the overall development of the museum.
The new museum would have an area of around 15,000sqm. According to sources, the preliminarily estimate for the project is Rs 350 crore.
The museum would showcase the state’s rich history. Historical stones, bronze and terracotta sculptures and artefacts related to ancient Patliputra would be on display at the museum. It would also house artefacts of Buddha, Mahavir and Ashoka era. The historic collections would be complemented with audiovisual commentary and some interac- tive activities.
The New Patliputra Museum would be based on the green park status of the site. Its building would meet the professional museum standards. The museum would have permanent collection galleries and a temporary exhibition gallery.
