Designing memorial architecture requires seriousness, respect for history, and the right balance between strong expression and exercising restraint in creating architectural manifestos. The Tremend Sp. z o.o. studio is responsible for the design of the revitalization, reconstruction and expansion of the Turk 's House into the Augustow Manhunt Memorial House.
The tenement house at 16 May 3 Street in Augustow was built around 1900 - the creator was most likely Włodzimierz Ślósarski, who designed the building in the Russo-Imperial style. The building owes its distinctive name to the figure of Kiamil Takosz, a Bosnian immigrant, who opened the "Ankara" confectionery in the building on May 3. He was called a Turk by the locals, and the products they had the opportunity to taste in his confectionery were also of Turkish provenance.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
design: Tremend © OKK press materials
communist prison in an ornate house
The sweet period in the history of the Turk's House ended, however, with the outbreak of World War II. In 1940 the building was taken over by the NKVD, in 1941 German soldiers opened a bakery there, and between 1945 and 1956 the District Public Security Office operated in the Turk's House. Further on, the tenement was occupied by the Civic Militia and the Border Guard.
After 89, the future of Augustów's Turk's House was drawn in various variants - local government bodies handed over the tenement to themselves, spinning a vision of building an educational center, until finally , in 2005, the building ended up in the hands of the Rechtman family, pre-war owners who fell victim to expropriation.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
design: Tremend © OKK press materials
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House
The property was quickly sold to a private investor, who planned to create...a shopping mall in the former NKVD and UB prison. The visions did not come to fruition, because, although it is not an example of outstanding architecture, already in 2009, at the request of patriotic organizations, the building was entered in the municipal register of monuments. Two years later, the building also appeared in the register, and archaeological research commissioned by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) quickly began in search of material evidence of the crimes that took place there in the post-war period. These were found, and in 2021 the Turk's House came into the hands of the Pilecki Institute, which immediately announced its intentions to create the Augustow Manhunt Memorial House, an institution dedicated to the pacification operation carried out by the Red Army in the Augustow Forest in July 1945.
The Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
history of the fall
The turn-of-the-century building is located at 16 May 3 Street, near Augustow's market square, right next to the neo-Romanesque basilica, surrounded by historic buildings. The first step on the way to the creation of the new museum had to be the renovation of the Turk's House, which, after decades of use as a detention center, numerous renovations, and then more than 30 years during which it served no function, had fallen into disrepair and, from the perspective of architectural history, presented no significant historic value.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
starting from scratch
The work, carried out according to the results of archaeological expertise and under the close supervision of conservation services, led to the restoration of the historical character of the tenement. In the facade, the old plasterwork was stripped and replaced with carefully restored tsarist veneer. The ornate character has been maintained with ceramic moldings in the form of rafters, serrations and cornices, and not all the bricks are of the same color. Similar divisions and decorations were found on the eastern façade, which, however, was covered with a layer of new, light-colored plaster that originally decorated the building.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
As the construction manager reported last July, the renovation of the building posed considerable problems. Before the work was carried out, there were hardly any foundations under the Turk's House, so it became necessary to shore them up. Things were similar in the interiors - the historic wooden ceilings were replaced with reinforced concrete structures. The matter was not made easier by numerous renovations and reconstructions that took place in the building over the years - none of the walls dividing its interior stood in the place where it was originally planned.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
bold combination
It didn't end with the renovation, however, as the new institution needed much more space for infrastructure. Architectural interventions were carried out in two places. The first was the back of the building. The Tremend studio designed its extension to the south. The new volume is a cross-sectional structure continuing the form of the Turk's House with a gabled, steep roof. The resulting reinforced concrete block is framed by a glossy aluminum facade, punctuated by large window openings. The fac ade's expression is given by veining - individual slats, roughly one story high, interlock at the heights of the ceilings, emphasizing the horizontal divisions of the walls. According to the architects, the procedure of covering the building with razor blades also has a symbolic dimension:
It also symbolically refers to the forests of the Augustow Forest, the setting for the tragic events associated with the Augustow Manhunt. The modern facade, made of materials and in colors that harmonize with the surroundings, not only emphasizes the memory of the past, but also fits into the city landscape.
The links to the urban landscape can be seen primarily in the color of the chosen material. At first glance, it may seem that the gray of the aluminum is out of step with the brick buildings of the May 3 neighborhood in Augustow. From street level, however, many buildings reveal their sloping roof slopes, which are secured with sheet metal precisely in the metallic color. A similar material was used in the roofing of the renovated Turk's House, and the added volume appears to be a formal continuation of the expression of the roof slope.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
design: Tremend © OKK press materials
Deep inside the plot stood another brand new building, serving administrative functions. Situated perpendicular to the new wing of the Turk's House, it is its spatial counterpoint. The architects decided to use similar treatments here as in the case of the extension to the turn-of-the-century tenement house - again, it is a building topped with a gabled roof, with facades covered with sheet metal and obscured by elegant veiling.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
history written in the walls
The razor blade motif also carries over to the interiors, housing an exhibition designed by Karolina Fandrejewska. In the entrance space, 21 gray slats with dynamically wavy edges were suspended from the ceiling, behind which technical installations are hidden. The arrangement of the building's interiors was a game between attempts to preserve the existing material and the need to adapt the building to the needs of modern users, people with disabilities and to serve as an exhibition venue.
In addition, interactive and multimedia exhibitions will be adapted to the needs of the blind and visually impaired. As part of the idea of inclusivity, the museum will also offer sign language support and adapted materials for people on the autism spectrum, allowing them to visit comfortably at an adapted pace and conditions.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in Turk's House
proj.: Tremend © OKK press materials
Architectural details and material evidence of the existence of prisoners held in the building by the communist repression authorities have been restored. These can be found primarily in the basement cells, where internees left inscriptions hollowed into the bricks. As a result of the work of an interdisciplinary team, they were discovered, inventoried and secured, and then properly displayed.
In addition to an exhibition dedicated to the Augustow manhunt, the buildings will also house administrative offices, a conference room, a public library or educational spaces.
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
design: Tremend © OKK press materials
wall of remembrance
The space between the buildings has also been developed. In addition to the new pavement, a new element of great importance to the site has appeared at the eastern edge of the plot.
The Wall of Remembrance for the Victims of the Augustow Manhunt, designed by Tomasz Trzupek, is more than twenty three-layer concreteslabs, on which the names and surnames of almost 600 victims of the events of July 1945 are commemorated.
The concept of the memorial to the victims of the Augustow Manhunt is based on presenting the idea of the edge of the forest being both a place of execution and a place of refuge. The wilderness unites our communal idea of what is valuable and timeless. We wanted to create a place that does not have exclusively negative connotations, but speaks of sacrifice and sacrifice for the common good and a better future
- describes Tomasz Trzupek
Augustow Manhunt Memorial House in the Turk's House
design: Tremend © OKK press materials
Although the Augustow Manhunt Memorial House is scheduled to open in July 2025, the renovated facade and new buildings, hidden deep within the plot, are already enriching the space of Augustow's downtown.
