For the most recent redevelopment, the museum had formulated a functional program so ambitious that none of the existing structures were suitable of sensibly housing it. The outcome: demolition of most parts of the building, with the exception of the historic gable, the striking corner turret and part of the lateral wall along the southeastern building corner. The seemingly very homogeneous masonry brick wall facing the street conceals numerous different spaces and wall construction types. The first two levels are supported by thick walls consisting of prefabricated concrete elements and reinforced formwork blocks in order to protect the building from potential explosive attacks. Further above, the facade comprises two layers of clay brick and glass brick wherever interiors require natural daylight. In the exhibition spaces, the architects combined single layer masonry brick with lightweight stud walls set behind them.
Along the middle of the building, a circulation space resembling a hall traverses its entire length. Towards the street, it leads to a courtyard with a birch grove - an exotic tree species for Australia, reminiscent of the European origins of the majority of Holocaust survivors. The separation between the courtyard and the streetscape consists of a lightweight masonry brick screen that seemingly becomes increasingly weightless from bottom to top. Alternating clay brick and glass brick are mounted to threaded stainless steel rods. The entire construction is supported by a steel frame on its rear.
Different than the street facade, the western side of the building features stepped setbacks in order to avoid casting shadows on the neighbouring residential structures. Each level includes large terraces, while the ground floor comprises an interior courtyard with a memorial space. The rear of the volume is predominantly closed, displaying light coloured masonry brick and few room height windows. In order to introduce additional daylight and reflections from the surroundings into the building, the architects employed a diverse set of instruments comprising reflecting wall and ceiling panels, as well as skylights with reflective reveals. At night, the museum redirects this radiance into the cityscape. The glass brick walls appear as a lightweight, diaphanous shell between interior and exterior. JS
