Babyn Yar Synagogue, Holocaust Memorial Center

It was here that light was revealed to its fullest extent as a very strong emotional tool.

This architectural structure has two types: a folded and an open book. It opens and closes with the help of mechanisms operated by special people. We reinforced this transformation with the light part, creating scenarios for both the closed and open synagogue structure.

The structure is made of 200-300-year-old barn oak collected from different parts of Ukraine. When opened, the "book" turns into an open wooden synagogue, and its walls are decorated with images of animals, floral ornaments, and prayer texts that echo the paintings of synagogues in western Ukraine from the 17th and 18th centuries that were destroyed during the Holocaust.

Given the dynamic nature of the folding structure, we placed the lamps in the floor. Thanks to this, when the structure moves, the lighting is not interrupted during the process of opening and closing the book.

Everything inside is imbued with deep symbolism. The ceiling is painted with flowers that reflect the starry sky on September 29, 1941, the day the first mass executions began in Babyn Yar. We emphasized the brightly colored ceiling with light, excluding the lighting of the walls.

On the walls, which serve as a dark, less illuminated background, we used the light to "draw" certain architectural accents and painted windows.

The uneven, accent light emphasizes the subtle drama of the atmosphere: in a place where emotions are very important, light plays a key role.

The project is incredibly interesting and emotional - an allusion to the book, the siddur, and the Bible, which is read by the synagogue parishioners together during the service. Reading a book together opens up a world of wisdom, morality, and history.