1200 STEPS TO FREEDOM: THE SCHINDLER’S ARK SURVIVORS MUSEUM

UACEG - University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia, Bulgaria

Project idea

The Schindler’s Ark Survivors Museum will transform the historic Low-Beer family factory in Brněnec, Czech Republic, into a memorial site where Oskar Schindler saved 1200 Jews during WWII. This museum will honor those lives through immersive and educational exhibits, preserving the building's historical elements while focusing on innovative interior design to create a profound emotional and historical journey.
The central theme of the museum is that the path through the museum is approximately 1200 human steps long, symbolizing each life saved by Schindler. Each step taken by visitors represents a life saved, creating a powerful physical and emotional journey. The museum will feature interactive testimonies, digital media, and personal artifacts to provide a deep emotional connection to the past, making history not only witnessed but felt.

Project description

The museum offers a profound and immersive journey through history across three distinct paths. The primary visitor path spans all three floors, beginning with a projection room for the film "Schindler's List." Visitors then proceed through the Hall of Impressions, representing different periods from the start of the war to the liberation of the Jews, using interactive testimonies, digital media, and personal artifacts.

The museum features the Hall of Fabrics on the second floor, dedicated to the older history of the Low-Beer factory, honoring its historical significance. Four additional halls each narrate different parts of the factory's and Schindler’s history, providing a comprehensive and emotionally engaging experience.

Additionally, the museum includes a gallery on the first floor, offering diverse spaces for various activities and exhibitions. This design ensures that the museum not only educates but also deeply engages visitors emotionally, making history both witnessed and felt.

Technical information

The renovation of the "1200 Steps to Freedom: The Schindler’s Ark Survivors Museum" is concentrated on the parts of the building with the most historical significance. This includes the L-shaped building, which is listed as part of the national cultural heritage, and the large production hall.

The project aims to preserve the majority of the building's exterior features, making changes only where necessary to maintain structural integrity and improve functionality. This includes the restoration of all external openings, transforming them into windows with black metal sills replacing missing brick sills.

Inside the building, most of the existing construction is preserved. Significant changes are focused on the reception area, where two floors are united, and existing columns are replaced with steel support frames to create a spacious and welcoming entrance for visitors. Additionally, new elevators and staircases are installed to ensure the building is fully handicap accessible, adhering to modern accessibility standards.

In the large production hall, where machinery for the fabric factory was previously housed, the existing holes in the floor will be repurposed. These will be covered with three layers of frosted, laminated, and tempered glass supported by perimeter frames, creating a glass walkway that enhances visitor experience while preserving historical context.

A detailed diagram accompanies the renovation plans, illustrating every structural element that will be removed or newly installed.