Thanks to Pari Syal Photography for compiling this collection. ZHA The groundbreaking new institution and genocide monument that Zaha Hadid architects have designed has been unveiled in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The institute will include a museum, research center, graduate school, document archives, and research library. The Sleuk Rith Institute, which was established and is chaired by Youk Chhang, an unrelenting human rights activist and investigator of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge, will be the repository for the one million documents that are held by the Documentation Centre of Cambodia. This collection is the most extensive collection of genocide-related material in Southeast Asia. A worldwide center for teaching and research on the documentation, causes, and prevention of genocide is suggested to be established as a result of this proposal. Youk’s study led to the creation of a very well thought-out brief for a structure that not only inspired and innovated, but also fostered introspection and reconciliation. This was accomplished in spite of the terrible past that was investigated at the institution. Despite the fact that Cambodia will never be able to escape its past, the country does not have to be enslaved by it. He believes that post-conflict countries must go on with their lives. As a result, the brief required a course of action that deviates from the distress-inducing, quasi-industrial, and harshness of the majority of existing genocide memorial models. This was done in order to create a forward-looking institution that breaks away from some of the stereotypes that are associated with genocide memorial architecture. The conclusion that Youk reaches is that “this is not to condemn or disparage such models; rather, it is to underline that in light of Cambodia’s rich cultural and religious traditions, we must go in a new and more positively-oriented manner.” The buildings of the institution will be constructed on elevated terraces in order to protect them from the yearly floods that Phnom Penh experiences. The institute will be located at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers. The smaller lower floors of the institution are shaded by the shape of the structure, which is designed to accommodate the tropical environment of the area. On the other hand, ventilators on the higher levels prevent intense sunlight from entering the building. The passive design of the building, which includes the implementation of measures to reduce energy and water consumption while simultaneously increasing system efficiencies, as well as the installation of renewable energy sources, will result in an increase in the structural efficiency of the building. The shape of the structure is designed to minimize solar gain, and the facade shading system will be adjusted at each elevation in order to decrease solar gain while still ensuring that appropriate daylight levels are maintained in areas where it is necessary to do so. The archive and exhibition areas will be protected by thermal buffer zones, which will also significantly minimize the amount of energy that is used. Guests will approach the structure by means of causeways that are situated above reflecting catchment pools. These pools will mimic the shape of the building and will allow light to penetrate deep into the interior rooms. As is the case with the catchment pools of Cambodia’s ancient temple sites, such as Sras Srang and Angkor Wat, these pools, along with those on the upper level courtyard and terraces, will be nourished by rainwater that has been collected. They will also be an integral part of the institute’s water management processes, which aim to minimize the impact on the local environment and drainage systems. Visitors would be greeted by exhibits from the Institute’s collection as they entered the building through the atrium located in the middle of the structure. From this point, they would have the freedom to choose their path, which could lead them to the museum, auditorium, or other areas of the building. The highest floors of the building are occupied by offices for researchers and the management of the Institute. Additionally, a bridge is suspended above the atrium to link the school and the library. The institution will contain a memorial park that is 68,000 square meters in size and will be open to the whole community. This park will have traditional meadows, urban vegetable gardens and fruit orchards, athletic grounds, and a forest that will be home to modern Cambodian sculptures. You may see the photographs of the monument on indiaartndesign.com by clicking on this link.
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