The Lost Shtetl Jewish Museum, Šeduva | Lithuania

With "The Lost Shtetl" Jewish Museum, a place of remembrance has evolved in Šeduva, in which the architecture, landscape and exhibition space are closely linked. It evokes the Jewish culture of the former shtetl of Šeduva, which was wiped out in 1941 with the murder of its Jewish population.

The design is based on the idea of an abstract village. Several compact buildings with sloped roofs are grouped into a silent, almost archetypical silhouette in the open Lithuanian landscape. The architecture is therefore not recognised as a monumental symbol but as a conservative, spatial setting for remembrance and exhibition.

The buildings are linked together with narrow passageways and form an ensemble which evokes the structure of a historic shtetl. This concept simultaneously enables a later extension of the museum without changing the spatial arrangement.

The facade and interior spaces follow a common material language and styling. The aluminium facades evoke traditional wooden shingles with their scale-like structure and change their effect depending on the lighting and weather throughout the day and year. The materiality and atmosphere are consciously minimised in the interior. Black, white and natural wooden tones create tranquil spaces for the narrative exhibition. Skylights along the roof ridges lead daylight into the galleries in a controlled way and strengthen the connection between the interior and landscape. The path through the museum leads from introverted exhibition areas to open rooms with a view of the landscape.

The switch ranges LS 990 in matt graphite black and matt snow white as well as in the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® shade of LC 32141 ombre naturelle moyenne blend perfectly into the reduced material and colour concept and continue the architectural design in every detail.