THE MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE

Carl Sandburg has accurately described language as the most indispensable tool in the life of us social animals, men. Men have traversed through ages and grown into the most superior race on Earth because of their advanced linguistic and communication skills. Human language is unique in comparison to other forms of communication, as it allows us to produce a vast range of expressions and emotions from a finite set of elements.

The timeline for the development of modern day languages spans thousands of years. Sounds have developed into words, meanings, scripts, grammar, fonts and a formal system of communication called linguistics. One organization suggests that there are about 7099 living languages in the world, but which are not evenly distributed around the world geography. Only 23 languages account for more than half the world’s population. Roughly a third of languages are now endangered, often with less than 1,000 speakers remaining.

Language is much more than just a means of communication. It is also an inseparable part of our culture. In fact, language allows culture to exist. Language allows us to pass on ideas, knowledge, and even attitudes on to the next generation. Language allows culture to develop by freeing people to move beyond their immediate experiences”. Language is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. It is the means by which culture and its traditions and shared values may be conveyed and preserved.

Languages are the most important part of a particular cultural heritage. As one culture dies and another grows, the same happens to their languages. Language is a relic that needs preservation as other inventions and objects of importance. It is an intangible resource that can also unlock some of the lost secrets and even civilizations that existed on the face of the earth.

The aim of the competition is to design an iconic museum of language in the heart of London that will deconstruct the science of linguistics into various aspects of- speech, script and sense. The proposal must not only become an archive for the past and present world languages but also serve as a learning center that works to develop languages and future communication systems.

SCHEDULE

• Start of Competition and Early Registration: 16^th January 2018
• Early Registration ends: 31^st March 2018
• Standard Registration starts: 1st April 2018
• Deadline for Questions: 15th April 2018
• Standard Registration ends: 29th April 2018
• Closing day for Submissions 30th April 2018
• Announcement of Winners: 21st May 2018
• Note: All deadlines are 11:59 pm – 00:00 IST (India).

AWARDS

• Winning participants will receive prizes totaling INR 2,00,000 with the distribution as follows:
• First prize- INR 1,00,000/- + Certificate
• Second prize- INR 60,000/- + Certificate
• Third prize- INR 40,000/- + Certificate
• 10 Honorable mentions

Winners and honorable mentions will be published on archasm’s website and several international architecture magazines and websites partnered by us.

More: http://archasm.in/current-competition/