Melbourne Holocaust Museum
- Jakob Schoof
What is architecturally adequate for a building intended to memorialise the atrocities of the Nazi regime? For the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in the suburb of Elsternwick, Kerstin Thompson Architects chose light as the central motif of their design: Light as a symbol of education and understanding for a new building open to hundreds of annually visiting school groups. The exterior only reveals this at a second glance: An historic bay window and an arched doorway with fixed glazing near the building corner are the only larger openings along the street facade. The remaining surface consists of a patchwork of grey brick and glass brick arranged in different masonry bonds. The combination of new and old building fabric refers to the history of the museum: In 1984 it was founded by a private initiative in a former dispensary hall built in the early 20th century. In 1999 an addition was created according to plans by SJB Architects.
