Plans for a new Holocaust Museum for Dallas was the subject of a student project in the architectural school of Texas A&M University (TAMU), which culminated in a juried review of the students’ designs on May 3. A collaboration between the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, Corgan Associates architectural firm and Texas A&M, the project was started two years ago, and involved six students of architecture at TAMU and their professor, Dr. Anat Geva.
Students were to design a Holocaust Museum with guidance and inspiration from David Zatopek of Corgan Associates and Elliott Dlin, the late Museum Director. Dr. Geva - whose concentration is in historic preservation, sacred architecture, and heritage conservation - guided the students through the history of Holocaust memorials and museums around the world. Zatopek and the Corgan team defined the physical parameters and requirements for the project, and Dlin provided the students with an historic perspective of the Holocaust, as well as an overview of the evolution of the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance. The students—Allison Barton, James Beyer, Lisa Bradley, Brittany Lawrence, Nicole Madden, and Alex Manzo - then went to work, designing Holocaust Museums, including exhibition, administration and special event areas.
The finished products were as individual as their creators, yet all shared a sensitivity to the subject matter, as well as an understanding of some the iconic symbols of the Holocaust.
After the review of the students’ projects, the Corgan team presented an overview of the “real” process of selection Corgan went through to be chosen as the architects of the new Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance that will be located on Houston Street, as well as what went into the design of the new Museum building. Charles Fleming of Southwest Museum Services, who had been working with Dlin on the preliminary design of the permanent exhibit for the new building, outlined the basic themes of the exhibition.
At the conclusion of the reviews, Dr. Geva and the students presented the Museum with a plaque in memory of Elliott Dlin, who passed away March 3, 2010. The gift was accepted on behalf of the museum by Director of Education, Kathy Chapman.
