The concept for the Mausoleum of Martyrdom of Polish Villages in Michniów won first place in a competition organized by the Kielce Village Museum in 2009. The mausoleum is to serve as a memorial to the victims of the July 12, 1943 pacification of the village. For its design, {tag:Studio} was awarded the European Property Awards in the Public Service Architecture category.
Mnichów has become a symbol of all the pacifications and repressions that affected the Polish countryside during World War II and the occupation. The designers created an extremely expressive form that combines the function of a museum and a memorial. They succeeded in coupling the historical narrative with the sculptural inspiration and architectural thinking of the building.
intentional degradation
The mass consists of eleven segments - five closed and six open, separated by wide cracks. The farther away, the more parts gradually deform and disintegrate. This symbolizes the escalation of wartime repression experienced by the villagers. The building-sculpture is full of expression - the cracks between the various segments and the deliberate degradation intensify its dramatic overtones. Also adding to the drama is the natural light coming through the rips in the block - different depending on the time of day and year, it affects the perception of the space.
Mausoleum of Martyrdom of Polish Villages in Michniów
photo by Wiktor Utkowski
Construction work is currently underway, and the mausoleum's artistic arrangement is also being implemented. A team of graphic designers under the direction of Miroslaw Nizio is developing the space for the permanent exhibition, which will occupy an area of 1,700 m². The stages of the pacification of the village will be presented here. The materials used in the creation of the object are primarily concrete, wood and black hot-rolled steel. The scenography of the Mausoleum of Martyrdom of Polish Villages will act as a non-verbal communicator for visitors.
scenography for the senses
The materials used - their smells, shapes, colors, textures, are carriers of content - literally and figuratively. The imprint of wood has been mapped on the surface of concrete, part of the walls will be used, among other things, to display multimedia projections. An important element of the exhibition will be large-scale sculptural objects of irregular shapes, for the finishing of which wood from old huts and barns was used. The blackened, burned and impregnated boards are characterized by a specific smell that will fill the space. In the next stage of implementation, sheets of black steel with prints presenting the history of pacification will be applied to some of the objects. They will form part of the exhibition. Furnishings, an altar and pews are being built in the mausoleum's chapel. 270 sq m have been allocated for temporary exhibitions.
The Nizio Design International studio is the general designer of the mausoleum. The team of architects led by Miroslaw Nizio is responsible for the architectural design, interior design and landscaping - in the conceptual, construction and execution phases. And also for the supervision of the project from inception to completion.
