Kandahar, Afghanistan
After the Russian invasion in 1979, and the Russian troops supporting the communist government in Afghanistan, guerrilla wars started on the country sides of Kabul and other providences in Afghanistan.
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| Landmine Victims Memorial Hospital |
As a result of decades long Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the accompanying guerilla warfare, followed by two decades of civil war, the country is littered with millions of exploded and still unexploded land mines.
Children's have often been accidental victims, stepping on live mines and even playing with them as toys. The enormous need for medical attention prompted me to design a hospital for land mine victims.
With millions of children becoming disabled by land mines, it was taking a heavy toll from the children's lives, and years of bloody wars, pilling up the hospitals rooms with injured children. These children are devastated and has no hope for life.
Landmine Victims Memorial Hospital is inspired by the shape of a landmine shell itself. By exploding the mine in my mined, I designed one third of the landmine as a building for a hospital complex, with its arms reaching to its victims and amputees. The landmine once a killing device, becomes live saving place for those who needs medical attention.
As you enter the hospital complex, you are invited by a memorial pool laying in the front of the hospital plaza, which is designed after the design of an home amputee crutch.
Victims who survived after the explosion of a landmine, by stepping on it, either by playing with it and become an amputee, and struggle to live the killing field trough years of civil wars with a home made or very primitive type wooden crutch, and the wooden crutch become their body part for life, inspired me to respect the crutch, and design the memorial pool after it.
The two level green lawn courts with threes in the center on both side of the front entry memorial pool, was once after the explosion the killing fields of the landmine, where ancient people become amputated is now a memorial green lawn court in the memory of all its victims.
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| LMVMH (Alternate Angle) |
The red brick walkway which is in between the hospital plaza and the parks is the magnitude of the line of injury, people become amputated. Parks walkway to be used for rehabilitation's of its victims, exercise and walk around the park.
There are two entrances and exits to the hospital to access people to the rear parking lot, and also to be used for ambulances during emergencies.
The green and white colors on the complex means the landmine is setting peacefully and is in the service of its victims and amputees opening its heart and reaching to its victims for help. The roofs gray gravel represents the mine was buried once under rocks and debris.
The flag for Afghanistan is rising from the center of the complex, above the main entrance to the hospital, which once was the trigger of the mine. Since the trigger of a mine is the main button for the explosion and causes all killings and injuries it conceder as a very sensitive point of the entire complexes. Under a tight security and surveillance, the trigger which is the main entrance to the hospital it can be very important place for the future safety of future terrorism acts.
A triangular glass canopy is attaching to the entrance of the building, meaning to be clear of any explosive devices and weapons if you carry, and its is directing visitors to one point, for better screening and security.
On both side of the entrance in the plaza court yard there are smoking areas, for those who wants to get fresh air, or smoke cigarettes. The courtyards are being landscaped very simple and low for the visibility and natural lights purposes. Which includes two planter /ashtrays and two three feet in diameter sculpture stands, for a girl and a boy, amputated by a landmine, which will be displayed permanently on the plaza of the hospital complex.
The white marbles platform of the plaza is representing Ground Zero of a mine explosion, and this area is with in the diameter of the hospital complex, it conceder as plaza platform, is being decorated by two water falls. Water as pool of life and hope for future is being offer by the hospital, as the complex is reaching on both sides to its victims. The blue pools is cooling off the wounds of its victims and innocent people who were amputated and were killed.
The Red Cross symbol as sign of balance, equal aids, and medical attention to all its victims, is being displayed above the highest roof on the building for a strong positive hope.
Wrapping the hospital building on two sides, is a pedestrian's walkway to the rear part, and rear entrance of the hospital. Both walkways slightly rising up at the heights of 14 to 16 feet above the hospital ground.
Close to the end the ramp is being connected with two sets of steps for visitors to have access to the rear parking lot, and on both side the evergreen trees on the sloping grass makes the area more pleasant and will comes visitors. Along the walkway next to the foundation is a step high planter which blends the foundation wall into the site. There are two emergency entrances and two emergency exits on the building for the convenience of its emergency staff, the emergency entrance and exit in the front of the hospital is for the ambulances that delivers female victims. Rear emergency entrance and exit are for males victims, because Afghanistan culture wont allow nudity of male and female together, and during emergency victims maybe carried in nude and inappropriate. Male landmine victims are to happen more often in Afghanistan, because of de mining job is carried out by the male government employee. Emergency entrances in the rear of the building is being used more often , and this area is on the ground floor of the complex.
Between the rear emergency entrances and exit is the rear stairs which leads people to the parking.
Structures coming out of the building, is part of the actual landmine design, and wraps around the building, in order for the building to give the idea of a landmine.
I do recommend Afghan flag to rise above the front entry, and to be mounted above the rear entrance canopy, to symbolize the strength of Afghan people and their wounds caused by landmine, and will be suffering for many decades ahead.
The LVMH hospital can be built on any size of a property, which of-course will be given by the government of Afghanistan, the planning of this project was completed according to my decision. In rear of the hospital is site for parking spaces, which can grow to size of the site, which we will be given to. By deciding to site the parking spaces in rear of the building, I'm opening the blasted part of the hospital (landmine) for the people who comes and goes for tread and visit to see how the hospital complex is reaching theme with two arms handing them water (life), and asking for change donations to drop on its memorial pools, to support minor expenses of the hospital, the change from the pools will be collected every six month or twice a year, and will be given to the hospital treasury office.
The handicap ramps on both sides of the hospital plaza are designed for convenience of both handicaps and pedestrians.
Yet the hospital is designed as an empty shell, all open spaces in every floor is to be planed according to the hospitals requirement and their needs.
Landmine Victims Memorial Hospital is my first stop sign on the road for reconstruction projects in Afghanistan, and its quoted as humanitarian project for the victim of landmine.
— Reyaz Nadi