Press Release
Vadnagar Museum by Siddharth Bathla Is Granted the Platinum A' Design Award in Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
Siddharth Bathla honored for cultural heritage and culture industry design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 28, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Platinum A' Design Award in the Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design category for Vadnagar Museum by Siddharth Bathla, designed for Design Factory India. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Platinum A' Design Award Explained
The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.
About Vadnagar Museum
Vadnagar is an archaeological experiential museum in Vadnagar, India. The museum stands beside an excavation site and presents more than 2,500 years of local history. Nine galleries, among them City, Belief and Lifestyle, use scenography, installations, audiovisual shows and interactive stations to make archaeology accessible. Rammed earth, mud and stone recall the excavation layers and shape walls, furniture and displays. Locally sourced materials and local artisans were used. The design presents the city itself as living heritage.
About Siddharth Bathla
I am architect and an industrial designer by education. My keep interest lies in story telling and problem solving through design. I don’t get along to a silo as a designer, this is very fundamental to the kind of designing I do. The hunger to make a difference. Also to lead a time of passionate and creative people is a high in itself. My design philosophy is not to work in a silo but to be creative through the multidisciplinary approach. To work on public projects which brings narrative to the society. I design spaces where you experience a story, like you have films showcasing you a story, we do storytelling in space. Such spaces / museums are new to India comparatively.
Award Record
This recognition makes Siddharth Bathla a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2022 - 2023 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award
The A' Cultural Heritage Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good designs that preserve, protect, and promote cultural heritage. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to cultural heritage designers, culture industry professionals, cultural heritage specialists and museum designers from all countries. Entries typically include cultural heritage projects, cultural conversation, preservation and restoration and protection projects. Awarded cultural heritage designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/cultural-heritage
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/183382
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/183382
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!183382
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/339801
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://shorturl.at/mURJj
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Vadnagar Museum
- Function
- Museum
- Category
- Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Social Impact
- Colors
- Saddle Brown, Black, Sienna, Dark Olive Green and Rosy Brown
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Design Factory India
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Siddharth Bathla
- Country
- India
- Recognition
- Platinum A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #183382
Credits
- Team
- Prashasti Chandra, Niharika Sarna, Suryanath Sunny, Swarnika Nimje, Abhisht Thapak, Abhinav Mithal, Ankita Duhan, Rinkoo Kumar, Purnima Roy, Ashish Varshney, Prashant Nehra and Ashwani Kumar and others
- Image Credits
- Andre J Fanthome; Andre J Fanthome PDF - Andre J Fanthome Video- Andre J Fanthome
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- First Archaeological Experiential Museum in Vadnagar, India reveals over 2,500 years of living history. Through thematic galleries City, Belief, and Lifestyle, it translates archaeology into an accessible and engaging experience. Immersive scenography brings artefacts to life, where one walks over excavation site, visits markets of past, and try hands at making a terracotta pot. Rooted in resilience and continuity, a local Bhavai inspired musical reflection on what we will carry forward.
- Inspiration
- The Vadnagar excavations anchor the narrative of the museum, revealing a city evolving through seven cultural periods. It explores archaeology as a bridge between past and future, questioning if they mirror each other. Rammed earth embodies layered time, uncovering stories within. Situated next to an excavation, the museum frames Vadnagar as a living heritage, where the city itself becomes a museum, and the museum becomes starting point to the story.
- Research
- The museum narrative is grounded in rigorous research and close co curation with archaeologists, historians, and subject experts. Excavations were studied in situ, supported by literature reviews and artefact analysis across materials and typologies. An evolving, dialogue driven process ensured validated interpretations, transforming research into stories of lived heritage. Technical knowledge was simplified, placing visitors at the centre of an evidence-based yet accessible narrative.
- Challenge
- The challenge was to translate archaeological discoveries into a cohesive, engaging, and accessible narrative beyond academia. Primary and secondary sources were studied, along with interactions with subject matter experts to gather insights and validate inferences. The experience evokes curiosity and exploration, balancing factual accuracy with creative interpretation. Three similar floors are transformed into distinct, visually rich environments, each with a unique narrative identity.
- Realization and Technology
- The museum adopts a true to material approach, mud shapes the City gallery, stone defines Belief, and artefacts lead Lifestyle, using sustainable, locally sourced materials. Rammed earth reflects excavation layers, innovatively used in walls, furniture, and installations. Replicas and scaled models make archaeology accessible. Designed and fabricated in India with local artisans, it celebrates indigenous talent, technology, and living heritage of Vadnagar.
- Operation and Interaction
- Since inauguration, the museum attracts around 1000 daily visitors, locals, scholars, students, and international audiences. It offers layered storytelling through independent interactives, stand alone shows, usher led tours, and audio guides with 1000 artefact stories. Sculptures connect indoor outdoor spaces, with break areas between galleries. It has become a vibrant cultural hub, fostering strong sense of pride among locals. Continued outreach initiatives expand its reach and engagement.
- Project Duration and Location
- After winning the open design competition on a proposal based on the concept of Vadnagar archaeological experiential museum the project was initiated in October 2022, in Vadnagar city, Mehsana district, Gujarat. Following detailed research and design, on site execution began in October 2023. The Anant Anadi Vadnagar Archaeological Experiential Museum was inaugurated by the Home Minister of India in January 2025. We continue to curate and engage with public programming for the museum.
- Specifications
- First archaeological experiential museum of India Overall 68500 sqm Indoor and outdoor curated spaces Around 2 lakh visitors visited 9 galleries Over 100 installations, 30 avs, 25 interactives, 9 mega shows Adjoining excavation site experience Audio guide tours Cafe, temporary exhibition space, play area, outdoor amphitheater, anchor for city heritage tours Administration block comprising of curator staff offices, conservation labs, library, research labs and conference rooms.
- Keywords
- Archaeology museum, archaeological experiential museum, excavation site museum, vadnagar, immersive, interactive, artefact display, scenography, storytelling, continuity
