Bamiyan Cultural Center




Our design for the UNESCO Bamiyan Cultural Center draws its inspiration from the striking views of the Buddha Cliffs of Bamiyan Valley, a World Heritage Site. Our proposal is infused with the region’s remarkable landscape, and the intelligence and beauty of the local architectural traditions that have developed in response to it.

We chose a simple and spatially direct form and a locally sourced material palette of stone and brick masonry, to allow collaborative construction with local construction labor. The brick masonry used in the building will be made with soil excavated from the site and fired in an on-site kiln. An essential aspect of our design strategy is our strong consideration for the social role of this building in the local Bamiyan community, and this begins with the participation of the local community in the construction of the building.





Program: Cultural Center
Location: Bamiyan, Afghanistan
Client: UNESCO
Team: Andre Guimond, Evan Erlebacher, Austin Crowley, Emily Gruendel
Status: Proposal
Year: 2015

      About

Instagram