Public vote winner for cultural building of the year: The synagogue is a transformative building, made of wood, that stands on a platform, elevated above the ground.

The Babyn Yar Synagogue, outside of Kyiv, commemorates the massacre that took place on the site 80 years ago, when Nazi troops shot almost 35,000 Jews within two days, and several ten thousand people in the following weeks. The congregation comes together to open the synagogue manually, unfolding the roof, the women’s gallery and the praying platform ("Bimah"). Like a pop-up book, it opens a new world to the congregation, commemorating the past, while also celebrating the beauty of life.

Architect: Manuel Herz Architects
Project: Babyn Yar Synagogue