MSH Atelier has designed a portable landscape for the Dhaka Stock Exchange, one of the major stock exchanges in Bangladesh, located in Nikunja, Dhaka. The unprecedented concepts and design solutions of MSH Atelier are created as a result of a detailed analysis of how contemporary life is perpetually evolving. This project was created collaboratively by MSH Atelier and The Headoffice Communication. In this building profiling project, they tried to carry the portability concept connected to our delta. Considering money as a pinnacle that moderates all society’s activities and DSE, working as a pinnacle that contributes to the community, the idea was to incorporate nature into their premises. The “before-and-after” outlooks of the site evidently show how the landscape design was successfully carried out. The presence of natural landscapes on such premises not only represents our changing delta but also invites diverse attributes to rejuvenate nature.
Be it an element of surprise or a focal point for the landscape design, discovering the presence of an interesting sculpture while walking along a meandering journey is always intriguing to people.
There are three contemporary sculptures in the entryway that reflect the significance of agriculture in the economic development of our country. For months, a young artist, Chandan Sarker, worked on designing two sculptures (men and women) inspired by S. M. Sultan’s painting, “First Plantation.” Steel, paint, and some other materials were used to create these two sculptures. The other 110-kilo bronze sculpture of the father of our nation is dignifiedly placed at the center of the entryway. It not only inspires but also reminds stakeholders to lead our country to the top.
The sustainable landscape includes a variety of large canopy plants. As a result, the temperature at the DSE Tower’s entrance drops dramatically. Moreover, different microclimates are now evolving because of the diverse birds flocking to this location. There were a few challenges in making the landscape design sustainable. According to the architect, before the design process, there was a barrier between the tower and passersby. They used Corten steel, which is naturally rustic but can be reusable and portable if the surface is sealed correctly. This Corten steel is seated on top of the old boundary walls, which can be relocated in the future if needed. On the other hand, a water fountain is introduced in the middle of the design to keep the humidity level tolerable. Reusing grey water and rainwater for automatic site irrigation makes this landscape more sustainable.
The team at MSH Atelier is pursuing several ‘portable landscape’ projects right now. Their lead architect, Muhammad Shafayet Hossain says, “Through our experimentation and design process, we hope that we can bring nature into the spectrum of human creations. Moreover, we hope that people and designers will celebrate this ‘portable landscape’ concept in their daily lives. And we are trying to design a better future with portable design solutions to make a more sustainable world. “
