In early 2022, the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center launched a competition for a new masterplan to reshape the site in Kyiv, Ukraine, aiming to encompass diverse narratives of the tragic events that occurred there during World War II. However, the outbreak of war in Ukraine halted the project, and Russian missile strikes on Babyn Yar further underscored the site’s symbolic and tragic significance.

The project proposes a new architectural approach, restoring Babyn Yar’s original topography by reconstructing the ravine, thereby allowing the landscape itself to become a place of reflection. The memorial aims to evoke memories without the reliance on symbols or texts, offering visitors space for personal interpretation and a deeper connection to the site’s past. As Babyn Yar’s history becomes layered with new tragedies, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the need for a unified and respectful memorial becomes ever more pressing.