Project Name: BOI BAGAN Client: Nasrul Hamid Foundation Project Type: Institution Location: Keraniganj, Dhaka Land area: 2.68 Katha, Period: 2019-, Status: Design Development Design Team: Rashed Chowdhury, Shakib Ahamed Lam, Mir Gazi Abdulla All Mamun
The site location of the project commemorates the intention of preserving a garden for children to encourage reading. the great poet Sirajul Islam imagined the space to be a safe heaven for children where they could come and spend time reading under the trees. Respecting his vision, the architect has put effort to preserve his garden, his house and his grave inside the site area.
Poet Sirajul Islam is a writer of many famous folk songs of our country. For instance, “Holudia Pakhi, Shonar boron, Pakhiti charilo ke”, “Nobi mor poroshmoni, Nobi mor shonar khoni” and many other spiritual Islamic songs are written by him. The Great Poet Jasimuddin endorsed him as a reviver of our ancient folk songs. He had also contributed in Bengali literature by his rich writing.
The idea behind designing the premises came from the wish of the poet and the architect actualized it through designing a space to protect the garden and come up with a sustainably maintained space. The design has incorporated three main spaces which is consisted of the garden, a reading area and the grave. The entry approach starts from the melancholic streets of the suburb to the green canopy which is the garden, next is a perforated structure through which public access is enabled for free flowing of the space. The reading area comes sequentially as a silent area to concentrate. The grave would be combined inside the designed premises which comes at the end of a journey giving a sense of direction. With time, later on a memorial has been designed for both he and his wife . Moreover the complex “ Boi Bagan” will act as part of social development of the area which will create an great aperture in the public life of Keranigonj.