deeply rooted in world war II history, the site is the original woodshed where mr. zanis and mrs. johanna lipke hid more than fiftyjews during the nazi occupation of latvia, still standing today in kipsala. an NGO was formed in 2005 dedicated to those people of all ethnic backgrounds who risked their lives to save others', collecting donated artifacts and materials to display at the memorial.latvian practice zaigas gailes birojs has recently renovated the building to create the 'zanis lipke memorial museum' in honor of those selfless citizens.
the general form portrays an overturned ship, with very few windows and dark grey wood planks, representing the postflood archharboring surviving life. it is also reminiscent of the barns typical to the area, with slightly angled walls that lean from the wind. the entrance sequence begins in a long boarded tunnel, letting only slivers of light illuminate the way, built as the shed itself with a light wood frame construction. the principle volume suddenly opens to reveal a three storey structure with a large open shaft cuttingthrough the floor planes allowing constant views into the basement where people weathered the lifethreatening events occurring above ground. the concrete bunker was kept at its original scale and dimension, with the wood being carried through in the textures imprinted by the form work. nine bunks hang down the walls with a few objects that suggest a human presence.
the entry floor contains the sukkah, a temporary shelter used throughout jewish history, maintaining the timber truss construction embossing transparent inner walls made of paper. lightly drawn landscapes on the thin partitions interpret this space between the subgrade level and the attic as an intermediary space between heaven and hell. from the top storey, visitors can learn about the zanis lipke family and observe through the lower floors at the story laid out by the arhitecture.