syndicate studio: memorial house todor proeski

‘memorial house todor proeski’ by syndicate studio, gumenje, krushevo, macedonia image © tomislav georgiev all images courtesy of syndicate studio

based in skopje, macedonia, syndicate studio has completed ‘memorial house todor proeski’, a structure dedicated to the life of the young macedonian singer tose proeski, in gumenje, krushevo, macedonia. the pop icon and humanitarian of the balkans region was named an honorary citizen for his achievements and this memorial represents the country’s collective respect for the recent prominent figure. carved into the rolling hills typical of the region and in close proximity to historical heritage sites, including the makedonium monument and city cemetery. tracts of parkland merge and become the gently sloping roof, allowing visitors to roam throughout the grounds and onto the building. bordered by white retaining walls, a series of stairs are recessed into the terrain leading to a monolithic concrete volume which has been intersected with a smaller transparent cube.

entrance carved into the landscape image © dejan sekulovski

inside, a ramp descends into a subgrade level which is naturally illuminated from above through an overhead skylight. the shell, comprised of steel and glass framing, defines an axis of internal movement through the memorabilia, music room and cafeteria. subtly programmed spaces present the timeline of his life while allowing a free and personal experience among melancholy visitors.

transparent volume image © dejan sekulovski

(left) reflecting pool (right) outdoor dining area images © dejan sekulovski

(left) cafe seating (right) elevation of glass facade image © dejan sekulovski

concrete cube intersecting glass volume image © dejan sekulovski

(left) skylight connecting the galleries defining axial movement (right) seating along steps images © dejan sekulovski

(left) stairs to lower level (right) ramp to lower level gallery images © dejan sekulovski

ramp descends into gallery underground image © dejan sekulovski

glass displays illuminated from above with daylight image © dejan sekulovski

relief of tose proeski image © dejan sekulovski

sloping landscape planes become green roofs image © dejan sekulovski

reflecting in the adjacent pond image © dejan sekulovski

landscape stairs descend the sloping site to the water image © dejan sekulovski

reflecting pool image © dejan sekulovski

entrance at night image © dejan sekulovski

luminaries image © dejan sekulovski