— Turquoise Mountain, Myanmar.

In partnership with the Yangon Heritage Trust and the Yangon Regional Government, Turquoise Mountain Myanmar led the conservation and adaptive reuse of the former Tourist Burma Building in central Yangon. Over two years of renovation, the derelict building was transformed into a functioning cultural hub in the heart of the city.

The team of local and international engineers and architects, as well as skilled local tradespersons resulted in not only a culturally appropriate contemporary design solution, but also an important knowledge exchange, where each person involved in the project invested in the outcome and left with greater capacity for the future.

An important legacy of the project was to build a local workforce trained in heritage restoration to international standards. Through the restoration process, over 500 Myanmar people were trained on site and across the local construction industry, raising skill levels and creating stronger job prospects. This photography project was undertaken for Turquoise Mountain Myanmar and documented tradespeople onsite, the design/engineering team and a number of local stakeholders, accompanied by their individual stories. The result was an exhibition upon the completion of the restoration.