21/12/2023
A big investment plan unveiled - Gelephu Mindfulness City - A deliberate blend of art, architecture, culture, heritage, innovation, investment, green city, technology, education and infrastructure.
His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of the Kingdom of Bhutan officially unveils Gelephu Mindfulness City - a new economic hub in the South of Bhutan, designed according to the country's Gross National Happiness principles, culture, and strong spiritual heritage.
Designed by BIG, Arup and , the 1000+ km2 masterplan aims to lay the foundation for the country’s future growth, creating opportunities for the Bhutanese people through investments in green technology, education, and infrastructure. The masterplan includes a new international airport, railway connections, a hydroelectric dam, public spaces and a language for local building typologies.
“The Gelephu Masterplan gives form to His Majesty’s vision to create a city that becomes a cradle for growth and innovation while remaining founded on Bhutanese nature and culture. Shaped by waterways, Gelephu becomes a land of bridges, connecting nature and people, past and future, local and global. Like the traditional Dzongs, these inhabitable bridges turn into cultural landmarks, doubling as transportation infrastructure combined with civic facilities. Among these, the Sankosh Temple-Dam embeds the city’s fundamental values into a cascading landscape of steps and landings, that like a 21st century Tigers Nest will be a manmade monument to the divine possibility of a sustainable human presence on earth. Turning engineering into art and turning the forces of nature into power." - Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director, BIG
Squint/Opera & Brick Visual
https://www.facebook.com/bjarke.ingels.group/videos/370656105542348/
