Dom Turka House of Remembrance by Tremend

The Dom Turka House of Remembrance in Augustów, Poland, stands as both a preserved historic monument and a newly adapted cultural institution dedicated to memory, truth, and national identity. Once a site of suffering during the post-war Soviet occupation, the townhouse has been carefully restored and expanded by Tremend, a leading Polish architectural studio, to honor the victims of the 1945 Augustów Roundup, one of the darkest episodes in Poland’s modern history.

A Witness to Tragedy

Dating back to around 1900, the Dom Turka townhouse embodies layers of local history, both rich and tragic. During the immediate aftermath of World War II, it became the headquarters of the Soviet NKVD and later the communist-era secret police. Within its walls, countless Poles—members of the anti-communist underground and civilians alike—were detained, interrogated, and often disappeared.

The most infamous of these events was the Augustów Roundup of July 1945, in which Soviet forces and the NKVD massacred hundreds of people. Historians regard the Roundup as the worst crime against the Polish nation after World War II, a wound that continues to shape collective memory in the region. Dom Turka thus carries an undeniable symbolic weight, its walls a silent witness to unspeakable suffering.

Preservation with Purpose

Tremend’s design for the transformation of Dom Turka into a House of Remembrance was guided by the need to balance conservation, adaptation, and memorialization. The architects approached the building as both a fragile historic artifact and a living space that could host new functions without erasing its past.

The restoration preserved authentic architectural details and fragments of former detention spaces, revealed through meticulous archaeological and research work. These traces remain visible within the museum interiors, allowing visitors to confront history directly and without embellishment. At the same time, modern interventions discreetly enhance the building’s usability as a cultural institution, accommodating exhibition areas, educational spaces, and visitor facilities.

By integrating historic authenticity with contemporary museography, the project transforms Dom Turka into a space of remembrance that communicates tragedy while engaging visitors in reflection and understanding.

Expansion and Symbolism

Given the need for additional space, Tremend designed a new extension located deeper within the plot. Its architecture, while contemporary, resonates with the language of the original townhouse. A steep gable roof references the domestic forms of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, while the façade is defined by a rhythmic composition of vertical elements. These sculptural lines, animated by light and shadow, subtly allude to the dense forests of Augustów, the very landscape where executions and burials took place during the Roundup.

This interplay of historical reference and symbolic abstraction creates a meaningful counterpoint to the preserved Dom Turka. The new volume does not overshadow the historic building but acts as a companion piece, echoing the dialogue between past and present, concealment and revelation.

The Memorial Landscape

An integral feature of the project is the Augustów Roundup Victims Memorial Wall, inscribed with the names of nearly 600 murdered individuals. Positioned within a contemplative outdoor space, the memorial invites both private and collective acts of remembrance. Families can place flowers, ribbons, or personal tokens next to the names of loved ones, reinforcing the intimate connection between history and community.

The landscape design further deepens the symbolic dimension. Sculpturally crafted steel trees rise within planted areas, merging natural greenery with crafted memory. Over time, vegetation will grow among these symbolic structures, creating a living memorial that evolves with the seasons and years. This fusion of architecture, landscape, and memory reflects the duality of the forest itself—at once a place of refuge and of horror.

Memory as Responsibility

The Dom Turka House of Remembrance is more than a renovation; it is a national act of remembrance and resilience. By preserving a building once associated with terror and transforming it into a cultural institution, Tremend has enabled a shift in meaning—from a symbol of suffering to a place of truth, mourning, and education.

The project aligns with broader efforts in Poland to confront difficult histories and safeguard national heritage. It ensures that the voices of victims are not lost and that future generations can learn from the past.

Ultimately, the House of Remembrance demonstrates how architecture can serve as both guardian and interpreter of memory. Through sensitive conservation, symbolic design, and integration of memorial spaces, Dom Turka now stands not only as a witness to tragedy but as a beacon of remembrance—an architecture of dignity, reflection, and continuity.

Photography: Tremend