Mountain Museum "Celebrating Culture And Adventures Of Mountains"

Abstract

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, mountain museum is a dedicated cultural, educational, and experiential institution that preserves, documents, and showcases the history, heritage, and accomplishments of mountaineering. The Himalayas of Nepal, encompassing eight (8) of the world's fourteen (14) highest mountains, have attracted climbers, explorers, and adventurers for decades. A mountaineering museum in Nepal is essential to celebrate this legacy, educate the public, and address pressing environmental concerns. To execute this idea, studies on various aspects of a museum-its function, the technical aspects like circulations, displays arrangements, standards etc. are carried out through the literature review. Furthermore, to gain-in-depth knowledge, several national and international case studies were done. National case studies on International Mountain Museum (Pokhara), National Museum (Chhauni) helped to analyze the present scenario of museums in context of Nepal. Simultaneously, International case study on Mountain & Sea art Museum (china) and Messner Mountain Museum (Crones) added more insight on topic. The selection of site was done fulfilling criteria like visitor's accessibility and visual context with the site surrounding ensuring the visitors are provided with the views of mountain range. As a result, Nagarkot was selected for designing the mountain museum. Another reason for the site selection was flow of tourists (national and international) ensuring regular flow of visitors. The main concept in designing the mountain museum embodies the spirit of the Himalayas. The design is carried out following the geography of the site and buildings are placed on site in such a way that maximum views of mountain ranges can be gained by the visitors. The museum is planned as an expedition and its form is inspired by the Himalaya's layered terrains reflecting the sacredness of the Himalayas. Furthermore, enhancement of the project is done by incorporating sustainable design strategies.