Ranchi · YAF National Competition, 2021

Jharkhand
State Ethnic Museum

A cultural gathering place shaped by Jharkhand’s craft, landscape and shared heritage.

Folk-art illustration of leaves, flowers and animals in orange and forest green

Rooted in local expression.

The proposal draws on Sohrai and Kohvar painting, bamboo artistry and sericulture. Earthy colors and regional craft inform a museum intended to connect visitors with Jharkhand’s cultural identity, while gardens and gathering places extend the experience beyond its galleries.

Bamboo craft, framed folk paintings and woven textiles informing the cultural palette

Craft and material references from the supplied presentation.

Aerial museum design visualization showing five circular galleries, landscaped paths and open-air performance spaces

A landscape for learning

Circular gallery forms sit within a connected landscape. The site concept brings exhibition, performance and outdoor gathering into one cultural setting.

Movement reveals the museum.

Curvilinear forms guide visitors between exhibition and everyday activity. Two circulation paths offer layered views, while indoor and outdoor spaces gradually meet. The design uses spatial form to support orientation, rather than relying solely on signs.

Hand-drawn programme diagram linking the central museum atrium with visitor services, library, dining, craft market and learning spaces

Programme and circulation concept from the competition presentation.

Five galleries, distinct stories.

Symbolic installations connect the exhibition to the region’s natural, cultural and industrial narratives.

Palash tree

Flora and fauna

Tribal dwellings

Regional ways of living

Bamboo and sericulture

Craft and material traditions

Megalithic culture

Jyotirling symbolism

Steel industry

Its impact on the region

Five circular gallery forms connected by a winding path, with symbols for each exhibition theme

Culture beyond the exhibition.

Gardens and meeting plazas make room for dialogue. A haat and souvenir shops are intended to support tribal craft livelihoods, while an auditorium and open-air theatre create places for performance and workshops. These are design intentions, not measured outcomes.