Mazā Balasta street 8 in Ķīpsala is a place where Žanis Lipke saved lives of 57 jews during the World War II hiding them in a pit under a shed. The memorial building is the BLACK SHED – as a symbolical shed in the basement of which the people were hidden and saved. The image of the building is inspired by old fishermen's and sailors' pitch black sheds characteristic to Ķīpsala. The image of the museum ideologically and visually resembles Noah's ark, inverted boat which in the same way can be regarded as a shelter. The territory of the museum is surrounded by a solid black wooden fence. More…
The inner space of the building is organised as a labyrinth with the hidden pit in the centre of it. The visitors are emotionally directed along the pathways within the shed, then they ascend to the attic and arrive at the well through which one can see the pit in the basement, designed 3x3x3 metres wide with wooden plank beds resembling the room of the historic bunker. The attic is the main exhibition hall of the museum with visually damaged roof through which some sparse sun beams enter the dusky room from the outside – from the desired freedom. On the ground floor there is another detour around the pit. A sukkah is built above the pit – a symbolic jewish divine temporary shelter from the harshness and cruelty of the outside world, the desired home with painted walls. The visitor is allowed to have a look inside the sukkah only through small windows. The paintings on the walls of the sukkah are made by artist Kristaps Ģelzis.
Building of the memorial is funded by donations raised by society “Memorial of Žanis Lipke”.
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New building
Riga, Ķīpsala, Mazā Balasta str. 8
Concept: Māris Gailis, Augusts Sukuts, Viktors Jansons
Architects: Zaiga Gaile, Agnese Sirmā, Ingmārs Atavs, Ineta Solzemniece-Saleniece, Zane Dzintara, Dāvis Gasuls
Design: Kristaps Ģelzis
Exhibition: Reinis Suhanovs
Sound: Jēkabs Nīmanis
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Commission of Society “Memorial of Žanis Lipke”
Project: 2005 - 2009
Construction: 2008 - 2012
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