ZAYTSEVO, RUSSIA
Historical Memory Centre
Public and Exhibition Center
Awards for the project:

Silver diploma from the international competition “Golden Trezzini” in the category “Best Architectural Project of a Museum”

The main idea is conveyed through the ruined houses, from which only a barely discernible shell remains, preserving the echoes of past life. This is the concept of a museum where the visitor can feel the inaccessibility of freedom. The museum itself delicately “descends” beneath this metaphorical village, going underground.
The concept of the Historical Memory Centre in the village of Zaitsevo
Центр исторической памяти в Зайцево, архитектура, БИП, BIP, БалтИнвест-проект
Центр исторической памяти в Зайцево, архитектура, БИП, BIP, БалтИнвест-проект
The architectural solution reveals the meaning of the building:

Deconstruction: the museum space reflects destruction through the deliberate abandonment of right angles and distorted perspectives, creating a sense of instability and loss.
“Void” as an exhibit: vast, empty spaces symbolize loss and absence. In these voids, barely discernible outlines of houses emerge, projected shadows, or an echo of past life.
Materials associated with destruction:

Charred wood, rusted metal, exposed concrete convey a sense of loss. Contrast is created by adding elements that symbolize hope: penetrating rays of light and thin threads of fabric.

The “Earth that has slipped from under your feet” effect:
The sloping surfaces of skylights and ramps in the passages between halls create a physical sensation of instability and loss of footing for visitors.

In our search for an image, we also relied on the monuments of the “Green Belt of Glory.”

The building is one‑storey and has the following parameters:


− total area of the building – 1,765 m²;

− construction volume of the building – 11,442 m³;

− height of the building – 9.200 m;

− building footprint area – 1,824 m².

Центр исторической памяти в Зайцево, архитектура, БИП, BIP, БалтИнвест-проект