Competition (Public)

MEHRIN / MORAVAVIAN JEWISH MUSEUM / 1st place in the international competition

The landscape solution is closely linked to the specific nature of South Moravia. We are creating a lively public space in the city center that will be very inclusive at the same time – culturally and socially. It will be intended for both museum visitors and city residents who are just passing by or stopping for a coffee.

The heart of the design is an atrium with a calm atmosphere, almost contrasting with the pulsating city around. The atrium will function as an outdoor area of the library, allowing sitting in the shade of an oak (Quercus cerris-bitter oak) – a tree whose longevity symbolizes the connection of the past and the future. The irregular distribution of the paving in the greenery expresses the number of directions in which the Jews left or were forced to leave. The water element again elaborates the motif of the (golden) circle. In the entrance ground floor, we distinguish a quiet park area behind the museum, near the cafe, which will be connected to the adjoining park in the future. The front part follows on from the Benešova street reconstruction project, enabling active movement of pedestrians.

Both spaces are dominated by black pines (Pinus nigra spp. pallasiana), a link between South Moravia and the Middle East. The rooftop landscape creates another imaginary ring, already very natural, made up of native species of herbs and grasses.

Project design: Kengo Kuma and Associates (JAP) / Paris Office, AED Projekt, L&SCAPE

Locality

Brno

Project date

International competition 2022 / 1st place

Client

Nadační fond pro zbudování a provozování Dokumentačního centra holokaustu na Moravě (Endowment Fund for the Construction of the Holocaust Documentation Centre in Moravia), Martin Reiner

Our work

architectural and urban design competition for a new museum building, Brno

Cooperation

fire safety: AMPeng; structural engineering: Němec Polák; cost management: Martin Hvězda; acoustics: AVETON; advisory and sustainable development: Grinity; technical installations: Stantec; traffic engineering: European Transportation Consultancy; external consultant: David Korecký