MoMA concerned about Kamlapur Railway demolition
New York-based Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world, has recently expressed deep concern about the decision of demolishing the Kamlapur Railway Station (KRS).
In a letter, MoMA Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design Martino Stierli and Associate Curator Sean Anderson urged the authorities and all involved parties to reconsider the plans of tearing down the iconic structure.
"We (MoMA) believe that the Kamalapur Railway Station is a unique iconic structure within Dhaka's urban fabric, the demolition of which would amount to a severe loss in the cultural and architectural patrimony of your great nation," the letter said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The art experts also noted their prior visit to KRS and said they were 'moved' by its extraordinary architectural and spatial qualities.
"In our opinion, the Kamalapur Railway Station constitutes one of the prime examples of post-independence modern architecture in Bangladesh and South Asia more broadly," the duo wrote.
They also expressed concern saying that demolition of KRS would lead to irreparable reputational damage for Bangladesh.
The government plans to tear down KRS in order to accommodate an extension of the Dhaka Metro Rail's Line-6.
The Prime Minister's Office has given the go-ahead to shift the complex further north by dismantling the present structure.
