Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw
with Mateo Josep Lluis MAP Architects, 2004
In 1997, the city of Warsaw designated a site for the construction of The Museum of the History of Polish Jews in the only undeveloped part of the so-called central ghetto. In 2004, the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute launched an international architectural competition. The main challenge of the design was maintaining the park open to the general public, all the while optimizing this open space for the Museum and paying tribute to the deep historical significance of the site. The final design proposed a large shallow basin in which carps would wallow. This fish is a quiet reminder of eastern European Jewish culture as well as a testimony to the stillness that the site emanates till today. The trees edging the site were left untouched, forming a visual barrier to the modern housing that borders the park and providing a green backdrop to this very flat and open design. An underground passage and exhibition space connects the museum, the monument commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto, and the parking on the other side of the park. This passage is lit from the ground and acts as a central lighting element at night.