Images courtesy of Montreal Holocaust Museum.
The Montreal Holocaust Museum announces KPMB Architects + Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker as the winner of the International Architectural Competition for the $90-million development of its new Museum, located at 3535 Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal. It is scheduled to open in September 2025, to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
School of Architecture University Professor/ Associate Director, Graduate Studies, Robert Jan van Pelt served as an advisor on the proposal. An internationally recognized authority on the history of Auschwitz, Robert Jan advised the team on evolution of Holocaust memorials, museums, and Holocaust representation from the 1960s to the present. Robert’s experience as Chief Curator of the travelling exhibition Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away offered a unique perspective to the design of the spaces of the permanent gallery.
Taking a major role in writing of the text that accompanied the panels submitted in the first and second round of the process, Robert Jan provided guidance to the team and presented on the difficult question of symbolism when it comes to the memory and commemoration of the Holocaust, especially as it applied to the commemorative spaces and elements of the project.
Sherry Simon, Distinguished University Research Professor at Concordia University, participated in a similar role, advising the team on the uniquely Jewish history of the site, and of the Holocaust survivor community in Montreal while providing key texts that inspired important elements of the design.
See the full announcement and details of the September 8, 2022 unveiling of the successful proposal at Montreal Holocaust Museum.