Excerpt: The Northeast Commemorative Gate is an installation by atArchitecture that is designed like a vaulted void with a cube aligned with the four cardinal directions. Giving the gate a dynamic shape, the bamboo lattice cube intersects the vault at an angle consistent with the existing road. Built by experienced craftsmen from the area, the architecture is a testament to the history of bamboo construction, which is widespread throughout all of NER.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The Surajkund Craft Fair 2023, an annual event in Faridabad that promotes Indian crafts and gives artisans a forum, features a memorial gate that honours eight of the north-eastern states of India. The site is adjacent to the renowned Surajkund Lake, which King Suraj Pal of the Tomar dynasty ordered built in the tenth century. The lake is no longer in use, but it is well-known for the Surajkund Craft Mela, which draws more than a million tourists from around the world over the course of three weeks.
North Eastern India (officially the North Eastern Region (NER)) is both a geographical and political administrative unit of the country. It comprises eight states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. Ethnic diversity in the NER is high, and indigenous forms of arts and crafts are widespread.
The architecture is a testament to the tradition of bamboo construction, which is common in almost all of NER, and was built by skilled craftsmen from the region. The gate is designed as a vaulted void consisting of a cube aligned with the cardinal directions. The bamboo lattice cube intersects the vault at an angle consistent with the existing road, giving the structure a dynamic form.
The 12 concrete columns that were already on site were integrated so that 8 freestanding columns represented the history of each state with illustrations, and the remaining 4 columns became part of the bamboo frame.
The details of the bamboo joinery were developed with the help of the artisans, while many of the design integration decisions were made on site during construction, with an emphasis on local collaboration and craftsmanship.
At the end of the three-week fair, the gate will be integrated into the public space, becoming a permanent framework to be enjoyed by local residents and pedestrians, open to all.
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