Heritage Museum Banepa, Kavre

Abstract

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration (UNESCO 2003). A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. (ICOM 2022). Hence Heritage Museum is a place committed to obtaining, preserving, studying, translating and showing of heritage attributes that a nation or society has had for a long time that mirrors an essential piece of its identity. With the influence of modernization, technological advancements and economic developments, our pristine heritages, culture and traditional practices are fast disappearing. Banepa, the project site located in Kavrepalanchwok district 25 Km east from the capital Kathmandu, is also affected by these aspects, once a renowned historical city now has lost its charm due to dilapidation of many heritages and the dominancy of modern building trends. The massive Earthquakes (1990,2072 B.S.) and Fire disaster (2017) are one of the major reasons for the mass destruction of Tangible heritages. at today�s time the very few monumental sites remaining are also at risk, negligence and ignorance towards the heritage eventually might lead to its disappearance. Preserving these seems to be crucial and a Heritage Museum, a place to safeguard the ignored heritages and the practices associated with it seems extremely relevant. To execute this idea, studies on various aspect of a museum- its function, the technical aspects like circulations, display arrangements, standards etc. are carried out through the literature review in order to gain in-depth knowledge, several case studies were done. National Case studies on Taragaon Next, Patan Museum, National Museum help analyze the present scenario of Museums in context of Nepal. Simultaneously International Case study on Bharat Bhawan, India and Khwa Ttu San Heritage Centre, South Africa added more insight on the topic. Selection of site made fulfilling criteria like visitor�s accessibility and has visual context to the surrounding landmarks. The design is carried out by zoning all the functional units like galleries, administration, restaurants and library within the site considering visitors comfort, circulation in and out the galleries, free flowing layouts enhancing the artifacts in display, central gathering point, etc. Further enhancement of the project is done by incorporating the traditional architectural elements and spaces around the site.