! updated on 19/03/07 !

The workshop ended on Sunday 18th of March.

Results will be published on this website .

 

 

Picture of the Dossin-Kazerne (mid of 20th century)

BACKGROUND

50.000.000 people died in the Second World War.

6.000.000 of them were Jews (including 1.500.000 children) who disappeared in the concentration camps.

27.257 Jews and 351 gypsies (Roma and Sinti) were deported from the Dossin Kazerne (Mechelen), mainly to Auschwitz.

The Belgian Association of Jewish Deportees and the Jewish Central Consistory of Belgium are the initiators of the actual "Museum of Deportation and the Resistance", (that opened in 1995) - www.cicb.be

The Flemish Authorities and the Jewish community want the Museum-site "Dossin-Mechelen" to become an important memorial so that also younger generations will receive the message regarding the tragic events of 1939-1945 and prevent them from ever happening again.

The museum wants to confront the visitor with this dramatic period, asking for a deep reflection about the dangers of intolerance, discrimination and racism.

An open invitation to design the new museum-site will be launched by de Flemish Government begin of 2007.

 

GOALS

The main goals of this architectural workshop are:

  • reflection about past and future of 'symbolic places' ,and -more specifically- the purpose and future of "'places of memory and remembrance'"
  • research and design-work on memorials and heritage, with both intangible and tangible components

 

SCHEDULE

More details of the workshop-program available below.

The Design-brief for this workshop will be communicated end of February 2007.

The proceedings of the workshop Dossin-Mechelen with the students' projects will be published and made available to all participants

 

PROGRAMM

During 5 days 140 Master-Students from Belgium and all over Europe (more than 20 architecture departments participate) discuss and reflect around the themes of "Holocaust" and "Racism" and work intensively on an (architectural) answer on the future of 'places of remberance' and 'cultural heritage'.

After registration and welcome, the program of the first day will concentrate on introducing the principal aims and assignments of the workshop, some specific lectures & testimony of a Shoah witness, formation of the Design Studio Teams, exhibition & site visits, and first discussion. Moderator: Rik Vanmolkot.

The other days are mainly dedicated to the Design Studio-work with other field visits in and around Mechelen, discussion & debate, intermediate presentations and reviews.

On Sunday 18th March the teams present their final results to a jury panel.

For the Design Studio teams of 7 to 10 students are composed from all universities. The Design Studio coordinators are young Belgian architects working (or recently been -)at famous international architects offices:

  • Bart Hollanders: Eisenman Architects (NewYork, USA) ; West 8 (R'dam, NL), MVRDV(NL)
  • Andre Houdart: Kas Oosterhuis (NL)
  • Ephraim Joris: University College for the Creative Arts (Canterbury,UK)
  • Joost Heremans: Foster&Partners (London, UK)
  • Joris Pauwels: Foster&Partners (London) ; Zaha Hadid (London, UK)
  • Caroline Sohie: Ove Arup (London, UK)
  • Tom Cortoos: West 8 (R'dam,NL), Stéphane Beel (Ghent. BE)
  • Natalie Vanderick: Claus & Kaan Architects (A'dam, R'dam,NL); Max 1 (R'dam,NL)
  • Philippe Brysse: Foster & Partners (London, UK)
  • Alexander Desbulleux: Jerde Partnership ( Los Angeles, USA)
  • Barbara Roosen : MVRDV (NL)
  • Sylvie Bruyninkx: Mecanoo (Netherlands); EEA-Architects (London, UK); Conix Architecten (A'pen/B'xl, BE)
  • Riet Eeckhout: LDavies (London, UK)

and 'visiting professors' from the participating universities.

Most of the workshop activities enrol in the splendid environment of the Lamot-site, an old brewery in the inner-city of Mechelen that was recently transformed into an exhibition and congress centre.

Social and cultural evening activities in and around the historic city of Mechelen are foreseen during the workshop period.