“..... am almost on the way. I don’t think I will be able to see you again. Sorry. Please raise our children well.....” – Sister Lini PN.
The concept of the memorial is synonymous to the ‘journey’ reflected in sister Lini’s last words. Designed as a place of transit, it reflects how short and impermanent our lives are. More than just a bus stop, it is a living memorial to sister Lini and the 17 people who died due to Nipah. As a public place, it also symbolizes the togetherness of the people witnessed in combating the virus.
The site is a linear stretch of land in Perambra, abutting the NH 54, near the Govt. Taluk hospital where sister Lini worked. For her daily commute, she had been using the existing bus stop here, which was already in a bad condition. The site is also close to the CKG Memorial Govt. College and Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation Ltd Sub Office. There is a shopping complex behind the site, towards the west side. The existing vegetation in the site included an almond tree, a mango tree and two flowering trees.
The design includes a memorial and the bus bay. Instead of a typical sculpture, an intangible memorial has been designed in a minimal and thoughtful manner. An illustration of sister Lini, plaques with her last words and a brief description on the Nipah outbreak are displayed in a landscaped area. The bus bay is designed as a semi-open structure in a rectangular plan with built-in seating, exposed laterite walls and single-side industrial sloping roof. MS grills have been provided in between the laterite walls to grow creepers. The bus bay was planned around the existing flowering trees in order to conserve them. However, the execution agency got them cut during the time of construction. New plants were planted in their place as soon as we go to know about it without changing the design. The planting included along with the bus bay represents the hope and faith in mankind. Half walls with candle-like installations represent the victims of Nipah outbreak. Waste bins with proper segregation have been designed along with the bus bay, which has not been executed yet. Both the structures though disjoint due to site constraints, are unified through the architectural vocabulary. The material palette and roof form are same throughout.
© Space Art
- MATERIAL PALETTE AND BUILT FORM: The warm palette of materials used include locally available laterite, stone, concrete for the benches, onduline sheet for the roof and terracotta ceiling tiles below. The scale is intimate and the built form merges with the setting.
- RESPONSE TO THE SOCEITY: Each person who passes through the bus bay will come across the selfless act of sister Lini. The values of her life are depicted as socially relevant messages on the back walls of the bus stop. As a public place of transit, it serves its function by providing quality spaces to the commuters. At the same time, it is a thought- provoking monument. Waste bins have been designed to prevent public littering, which will imbibe a sense of social and environmental responsibility in the people. Hopefully, this would come to reality in the near future. This would help in bringing up human beings to sensible and responsible fellows.
This document is embedded in …
On to the Streets (2014 – ongoing), Edited by Thomas Oommen. Kozhikode: Architexturez Imprints, 2023.