Project for the museum of survivors in the Shindler's ark building. Brnenec, Czech republic.

Saint Petersburg State University of Technology and Design

Project idea

The project proposes volumetric-spatial solutions for creating a modern museum dedicated to the surviving Jews from Schindler's list and their descendants.
The purpose of the museum is to promote humanity and pacifism, unite relatives, and proclaim family values.

Project description

The project for a museum for the survivors in the Schindler's Ark building represents a modern understanding of the development of museum space. The main and most developed part of the museum is an exhibition consisting of the following parts (halls): The fate of the Jewish
people during the 2nd World War, Selection, Death camps, Labor camps, History of the Schindler factory before the 2nd World War, History of the Schindler factory during the 2nd World War , Life of prisoners at Schindler's factory, Hall of survivors. The exhibition is also complemented by an interactive hall.

The main idea is to lead the viewer through an intricate path (thanks to complex passages and halls) from dark and narrow spaces (due to both initial data and design decisions) to the final large bright hall, honoring the memory of the dead and telling the fate of the surviving Jews and
their descendants. The darker and more uncomfortable rooms evoke a feeling of anxiety and fear, while the final bright room produces a calming and peaceful effect.

Throughout the entire exhibition, the viewer's path is dictated by a broken line on the floor, similar to a cardiogram, which turns into a straight line in the hall of the death camps, as a symbol of the loss of hope at this stage. This solution allows you to perceive your surroundings more acutely and follow the indicated route correctly.

The exhibition presents a large number of art objects and symbolic solutions: columns on the ground floor, intended for fastening industrial machines, create a feeling of crampedness and hopelessness, narrow dark corridors make visitors feel discomfort, rotating bobbins with fabric in the hall of survivors rewind Schindler's list printed on the fabric and reflect it on the floor, the water in the mini pools in the survivors' hall symbolizes the passage of time and transmits light down.

The left side of the building is used as service premises: science, storage, administration, restoration. The third floor represents public spaces: a gathering place for the Jewish community, cinema halls, and interest clubs.

Significant techniques are also used in the exterior: paving pedestrian roads with sprouts of green grass allows the industrial to smoothly flow into the natural, a metal mesh ramp in front of the entrance refers to the times of industrial use of the territory, concrete steles have a memorial
purpose, an artificial stream with water links the museum territory to nearby reservoirs, projections of people on glass along the path to the ark create a feeling of the spiritual presence of the people who worked at the plant, the zigzag pedestrian path dictates the chaotic walking that is
natural for a person while walking.

One of the most important techniques is the presence of a basket with stones: after visiting the museum, each viewer can take a stone and lay it on the territory of the complex in memory of the dead. This is an ancient Jewish tradition.

Technical information

One of the most important parts of the adopted planning and design decision was the transfer of the entrance to the ark to a different place from the original one. This decision was dictated by the existence of a certain pedestrian direction in this area: visitors pass from the parking lot to the building through the entire territory, and a comfortable straight road leads to the new entrance.

Due to this decision, one of the most important accents (the area in front of the ark) was left aside and turned into an impassable recreation area with no high traffic. People come to the square intentionally, with certain thoughts, and do not pass by it.

Also important to consider is the demolition of some of the existing buildings. Thanks to this, it becomes possible for more flexible use of the territory and its advantages: views of the stream, large open spaces.

An important point, among other things, is moving the parking underground in order to clear the space of traffic and make it closer to nature. Above the car passages, at ground level, there are openings that allow sunlight to pass into the parking lot.

Documentation

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