New York, New York, USA
“Storytelling is one of the oldest educational tools; it is a universal language. Building a museum with testimony integrated into the fiber of its being, with connection and interactivity woven in, will revolutionize the museum experience and ensure lasting relevance of the stories of the Holocaust for generations of visitors,” states Kori Street, Finci-Viterbi Interim Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation.
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Ralph Appelbaum Associates reveal their new plans for creating the world’s first Holocaust museum designed around survivor and witness testimonies, serving as a distinctive destination for the region and a global point of attraction.
The structure will be designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, in collaboration with Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), Dr. Stephen D. Smith of Memory Workers, and Carolynne Harris Consulting.
USC Shoah Foundation—The Institute for Visual History and Education (USC Shoah Foundation), a leader in testimony-based research, education, and interactive experiences, will serve as a content and creative partner in the development of the museum, making it the first time the foundation has teamed up to design and implement a ground-up and permanent museum-wide exhibition.
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida has worked closely with Beyer Blinder Belle on the idea that the museum’s space will be shaped by the stories and testimonies revealed by the survivors.
A central ramp will serve as the centerpiece of the museum, illuminated at night to symbolize a beacon for humanity.
The ramp, which will be lit with natural light during the day, wraps around a cylindrical auditorium and connects to the exhibition space across two levels.
The largest single exhibit area, with more than 12,000 square feet, provides a unique venue with an open end that includes a large, glazed aperture, symbolizing a window of hope.
The window of hope is oriented towards the east and opens towards the “Remembrance Fountain,” a contemplative water feature reflecting on six million lives.
As described by Hany Hassan, partner at Beyer Blinder Belle, the design reflects the museum’s mission to share and preserve the stories of the survivors, using an architectural form, space, and volume to educate, engender empathy, and inspire.
The museum will also include innovative exhibitions, such as Dimensions in Testimony, pioneered by the USC Shoah Foundation, which enables visitors to converse and ask questions to specially-recorded interactive testimonies of Holocaust survivors and to hear real-time responses.
Project: Holocaust Museum for Hope & Humanity
Architects: Beyer Blinder Belle LLC.
Associate Architects: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Institutional Planning: Carolynne Harris Consulting
Client: Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida
Special Consultants: USC Shoah Foundation—The Institute for Visual History and Education
Drawings/ Renderings: Beyer Blinder Belle LLC.
