The idea of the project is the renovation of an industrial building in order to create a museum space dedicated to the activities of Oskar Schindler. The important tasks taken into account in the project are: renovation of the museum, creation of a master plan of the site and a memorial site on it in order to preserve the historical value of the place and the presentation of exposition functions to attract and introduce people to this "page" of history.
Formation of a building facade solution
The facade solution was formed from the general concept of the project, which was applied to the master plan. the visual component is metal structures breaking out of the old appearance of the building, like fragments of rocks, emerging from the past and leaving cracks in it.
The choice of visual stylization fell on stones not by chance - according to jewish tradition, in tribute to memory, members of the jewish people bring small stones instead of flowers to the tombstones of the dead. This fact also formed the basis of the concept - both the external component of the facade and the visual solution of the master plan are dotted with metal polygonal fragments, stylized as stones.
Memorial space of project
The site for the memorial open space was chosen taking into account the various visitors to the site - both museum visitors and visitors to this public space.
Historical buildings were not used in the project. the project only provides for the restoration of these objects for further use without making changes to their existing function.
Interior solution
The interior of the building is a unique combination of the original structure with modern additions that preserve the integrity of the load-bearing elements. To achieve this, the columns and pillars of he support structure are coated with carbon to maintain their structural integrity.
The metal framework in the main exhibition hall is designed to be either preserved or carefully reconstructed to support the roof structure.
The museum's interior aims to preserve the legacy of the past by providing exhibition halls with historical displays, dioramas, and wax figures that help visitors immerse themselves in the atmosphere of events. The most dramatic and challenging stories in the museum are presented in smaller spaces, creating an additional sense of discomfort due to their confined nature, allowing visitors to men illy engage with the events of the holocaust.the main exhibition halls of the museum:
The main exhibition hall - on this site, there is a recreation area and exhibition halls with high lighting.
"arrival at the concentration camp" - this exhibition hall shows visitors the moment of prisoners' arrival at the concentration camp. prisoners are represented by wax figures, and visitors pass under right floodlights before descending into a lower exhibition hall that tells the stories of those who survived the concentration camps. personal items from dead and surviving prisoners are also on display.
The main public areas of the museum include:
- a social events hall;
- a cinema hall for historical films and documentaries, a hall of memories from the sets;
- a public library with file cabinets to supplement the history of the holocaust
The old frame of the building is restored with the replacement and strengthening of supporting structures if necessary. The appearance of the building is preserved for future renovation projects.
Taking into account the concept of the project, it was decided to use remote metal structures. The metal frame is mounted into the old foundation of the building. The external frame and metal plates are installed on both the new steel frame and the historic building frame. The joints between old and new structures are filled with modern waterproofing buildings to protect the historical part of the building from moisture.
The new appearance of the building combines the old brick walls of the building and new external metal struc-tures, which creates a visual contradiction between the "past" and the "present", which is a method of "contrast" in the typology of the main methods of renovation of historical objects.
The functions of the building were divided into several sections:
a section with exhibitions;
A section that includes a storage area, laboratory, workshop, and staff quarters;
An administrative section, which houses a public library with stories of holocaust victims, office spaces, and a clubroom;
On the third floor, there are final exhibition rooms with a chronicle of film pro-duction, a chronicle of holocaust survi-vors, and two halls for public events and a cinema for historical films.
Visitor and employee traffic are strictly controlled and distributed throughout the building. employees use separate elevators and stairs to move between floors and transport exhibits around the museum.
There is a separate route for visitors to access the cinema and public event hall.