Running through the length of the site, the scar is the physical manifestation of a story which has been buried, the story of the Roma and Sinti. Constant, unwavering and unbroken, it is meant to relay that the land and its people have witnessed a trauma.

While the site’s final design cannot fully be defined without the input of survivors, their families and the Roma and Sinti communities, the proposal creates a procession through the site: from the visitor center, the scar leads visitors from the waters of Lipes Pond, north through the pig farm, a contemporary layer of trauma, and into the reconstructed concrete walls of the so-called- Gypsy camp, from which visitors emerge into the forest to gradually meet the burial site. This procession is meant to be an immersive, solemn and informative experience, where visitors begin to understand the complex layers of the site’s history. It is an experience where layers of history intersect with current conditions to illustrate the story of Roma and Sinti people in Bohemia.

We believe this memorial can also become a gateway to the story of Roma and Sinti in the broader region, and educational trails and pathways will reconnect critical historical sites to the memorial: the quarry, the parish cemetery in Mirovice and the train station. This will be done through trail markers and a series of new benches and informational signage that use the same materiality as that of the memorial.

Following the scar, the story of the site unfolds and the history of the Roma and Sinti is revealed. The Scar brings visitors through a procession of stories, artifacts, empty spaces, narrow pathways, successional forest-scapes, and memorials. Whether arriving on site via the parking lot on the west, or through the trails connected to Lety and neighbouring towns, the memorial’s elements form a sequence that can be viewed in many different orders. The story of the site can begin at the visitor centre where introductory material is provided and the basic necessities of the site are located. The visitor centre is a point of departure, or point of comfort, and a hub for all exhibition buildings on site.

Repurposed pig farms house exhibition and museum spaces that showcase the history of the Roma and Sinti before, during and after WW2, as well as introducing spaces for more contemporary cultural exhibits. The pig farms stand as a fragment of the site’s history, namely an attempt to cover up and disregard the atrocities which took place on the land. To demolish the farm would effectively erase an important aspect of the site and the narrative: that for so long after the war, the story of this land has been ignored and hidden. Overall, these spaces provide 2059 m2 of open air performance and exhibition spaces and 2000m2 of temperature controlled closed exhibition space. These newly repurposed spaces should also be a platform for contemporary Roma and Sinti culture, supporting their agency. They should be safe spaces, spaces of resilience where Roma and Sinti culture can thrive through cultural and artistic expression, installations, performances and lectures. During the first phase of construction we foresee repurposing one farm building to contain all exhibits; these exhibits could during the second phase be split into two buildings and expanded with contemporary cultural content.

As one moves along the scar, the pig farms deconstruct and give way to the resurrected camp walls. The scar, a 0.4m deep physical cut in the landscape, deepens to 2.5m by the camp walls, allowing visitors to pass through this barrier that was a prison for so many. The ground slopes towards the scar to create entry points and guards as needed. The scar releases visitors into the barren camp, where only emptiness greets them. Ruins of camp buildings are intended to be maintained within the camp walls, however this site is intended to be a contemplative void. The scar is built out of concrete, with a thin slice of weathering steel embedded at the top, changing the concrete’s patina over time.

Passing through the only narrow cut in the camp walls, one is directed towards the burial ground. This pathway through the forest is a direct juxtaposition with the emptiness within the camp boundary. It is meant to be a reflective moment for visitors intended to quietly lead them to the burial site. Along that path, a series of wayfinding and minimal concrete benches would tell the story of the different victims, building a personal portrait that culminates in the arrival to the burial ground. Whether it is the beginning of the procession, or the end, Lipes pond lies at a point of intersection with the scar. The physical manifestation of pain vanishes into the shores of the pond’s waters.

The building strategy aims to be sensitive to the memory of the site as well as lower carbon footprint by reusing existing structures and reducing new construction on site. Rather than removing the entirety of the pig farms on site, erasing their memory as an integral part of the traumatic history of the site, we propose reusing a selected few pig farms as exhibition and performance spaces. With minimal gravel and soil infilling, as well as interior retrofits and insulation, the buildings can help tell the story of the site, while minimizing new construction and waste. The pig farms are deconstructed into four primary forms.

The only new structure we foresee being erected on site would be the visitor center. While occupying a small footprint, the visitor center would be a hub for knowledge on the site and the regional network of historically significant places. It contains an information center, office spaces with necessary amenities, storage and warehouse spaces and public restrooms. The design is minimal yet functional, and offers flexibility to expand any spaces required. Its canopy creates sheltered seating and gathering spaces for groups, as well as a contemplation garden, which we imagine being home to a Roma or Sinti art installation, facing the entry to the scar. This building can be built to passive house and electricity net-zero standards. Use of high-efficiency air-sourced heat pumps and hydronic radiant heating would be offset by the use of low-profile solar panels located within the flat roof of the building.

Location:	Lety, Czech Republic
Status:	Finalist Design
Date:	2020

Lety u Písku

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