DHAKA, Bangladesh -- As night falls in Dhaka, powerful beams of light shine tall as reminder of Bangladesh’s hard-won independence achieved in 1971 after one of the twentieth century’s bloodiest war.
The light beams are anchored to the recently completed Tower of Light, focal point of the Independence Monument designed by architects Marina Tabassum and Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury from Urbana, winners of the national design competition held by the Ministry of War Liberation Affairs, Public Works Department in 1997.
One commentator on social media network Facebook wrote, “It looks like a pathway to the sky.”
The memorial also features the Liberation War museum, a research centre, library and an amphitheatre. The park surrounding the memorial is publicly accessible and one of the few remaining green public spaces in the fast growing city of Dhaka.
The illumination of the Tower of Light, (otherwise, also known as the Glass Tower) is orchestrated by Singapore-based lighting design studio Light Collab. Light Collab’s designer Yah Li Toh says “Light is a powerful symbol of freedom. To achieve the architects’ vision of a glowing tower, special attention was given to angling the many narrow beam spotlights for them to graze the surface of the stacked glass panels, achieving a prismatic glow without highlighting the skeletal structure within. Powerful 1-degree beam searchlights were also used at each corner to heighten the glowing effect of the Tower of Light, rendering it visible from afar.”
The site for the Independence Monument is where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation delivered the historic speech that united the people of Bengal to fight for their liberation from 24 years of oppressive military rule under Pakistan.
Victory Day was declared on 16th December 1971 after nine months of bloody battle, when the Pakistan armed forces accepted defeat at the same grounds. The Bangladesh Liberation War is remembered as one of the most violent wars waged in the 20th century. Victory Day has been celebrated since 1972 and is a national holiday in Bangladesh.
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To view other projects from Light Collab, please go to www.lightcollab.com
For further enquiries, kindly email info@lightcollab.com or call Yahli Toh at 93620642 or 84486074
Contact
Light Collab
+65 9362 0642
yahli@lightcollab.com
