Shindler's Ark

Yaroslavl State Technical University

Project idea

The main objective of this project is to regenerate the abandoned territory and partially ruined complex of the Brnjenecka manufactory with the formation of a multifunctional socio-cultural public space dominated by the memorial and museum function. The preserved buildings and structures, as well as the territory of the manufactory itself, are witnesses of those historical events and silent keepers of the memory of salvation. The idea of the project is to form an architectural environment that will "speak" and tell the world about its history, about its brightest history - the history of merciful courage, the history of salvation.
Architecture surrounds a person throughout his life - from birth to death, and after death too, becoming memorial. People leave, the walls remain - they keep the past life, they keep the memory of the people who used to be in these walls.
The underlying principle of this project is truth - the truth of history, the truth of place and the truth of time. Truth is based on the authenticity of the material environment, in which ethics trumps aesthetics.

Project description

"Speaking" memorial architecture should be honest, ethically restrained, without excessive theatrical pathos and feigned sentimentality. Aesthetic qualities such as austerity and simplicity of purism are needed here. The aesthetic principles of rationalism and suprematism with their abstract metaphysical images of elementalism, neo-constructivism, dandy purism and neobrutalism were projected.
Metaphysical images speak to everyone about the same thing and to everyone about their own. The multiple meanings of images of metaphysical aesthetics generalize the meanings of such categories of social consciousness as heroism, courage, strength, feat, triumph-triumph, joy-jubilation, death, grief.

Technical information

Basically all the load-bearing structures of the buildings have been preserved and reinforced, with the exception of the new roof of the Education Center (former laboratory building), which is clad with glass panels. The new canopy of the former weaving workshop is designed with steel roof structures and circular columns. The atresol floor of the restaurant is reinforced with I-beams.