| 22 : 00 – 24 November 2017 |
The Mythological museum designed by ZROBYM architects is a recent dedication to display of Pre Christian history.
Museums for long time have been a strong institution meant to integrate and become a part of our cultural experience. They are often regarded as guardians of treasures, ancient objects of history. But the one designed by ZROBYM Architects, located in forest reserve of Belarus is meant to commemorate evolution of Pre Christian history.
From the Architects –
The customer turned to us with a very unusual request – to design a museum of mythology. The basis of the building was the old house of the forester in the Berezinsky Reserve. It was long abandoned, but most of its well preserved. According to the idea, this museum should acquaint people with pre-Christian history: what our ancestors believed.
The sharp roof
Since it is a matter of religion, this is reflected in the external form of the building. To the forester’s house we designed an entrance group of racks, which resembles a silhouette of a cult structure with a sharp roof. In the center of this canopy stands the tree of life. In mythology, it symbolizes the beliefs of our ancestors about the organization of the world. The roots of the tree are the underworld, the trunk is the world of people, and the crown is the world of spirits.
‘Tree of life’
Tree at entryway
If we talk about the decor, then we decided to give up everything. There are not even windows in the museum. Outside, the building was completely painted in anthracite color: foundation, walls, roof. The idea was that the outside of the building was not something remarkable, except its shape. The essence of the structure must pass its inner part.
Wooden fencing
Windowless museum
Near the museum there is a mythological path with a length of 3 km. We dealt with the “entrance” to it.It is a log stuck vertically with attached to them mirror plates of stainless steel.
Mythological path
Portal frame –
To get on the trail, a person passes through a “portal” between two mirrors, in which he sees an infinite recursion of the reflection of himself and the forest. The effect of double reality is obtained.
Entrance trail forming a portal
We also developed original benches, which will be installed somewhere in the middle of the mythological path. We decided to make them in the form of a constellation of Big and Little Dipper. Their bottom is made of metal, the top is wooden.
Benches in form of constellation
Benches – wooden top with steel cladding
Floor plan
Information board
Fencing around the museum
Structure painted in single color
Project details –
Project Name – Mythological Museum
Architects – ZROBYM Architects
Design Team – Alexey Korablev, Roman Kot
Project location – Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, Belarus
Project Type – Religious, Cultural, Museum
Client Name – ‘Rest in the village’
Project Area – 68 m2
Completion year – 2017
Photography credits – © Alexandra Kononchenko