“The greatest crime ever committed by architects” - Robert Jan van Pelt, exhibition principal and University Professor, University of Waterloo School of Architecture
“… a fresh perspective on a cataclysm whose historical presence is unmatched.” – Murray Whyte, Toronto Star
TORONTO, August 2, 2018 — After being held over from January 2018, the powerful display of The Evidence Room will close on Monday, September 3, 2018. This exhibition examines the chilling role architecture played in constructing the Auschwitz death camp, and was widely acclaimed on its debut at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of the 2016 Venice Biennale.
The Evidence Room features reconstructions of key objects central to the research work of Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, one of the three exhibition principals. His careful analysis of the architecture of Auschwitz, introduced as evidence in a landmark court case, established that it was purposefully designed as a death camp. This ground-breaking research became a source for a new and emerging discipline—architectural forensics—which encompasses architecture, technology, history, law, and human rights. The exhibition is a compelling illustration of the role of architectural forensics as a means to establish the past and capture collective memory.
Designed by Waterloo architecture professors Donald McKay and Anne Bordeleau, The Evidence Room includes chilling, full-scale reconstructions of three key components of the Auschwitz gas chambers—a gas column, gas-tight door, and gas-tight hatch—augmented by more than 60 plaster casts of architectural evidence, including blueprints, architects’ correspondence, contractors’ bills, photographs, and drawings. Constructed entirely in white, the installation compels ROM visitors to recognize the enormity of the calculated architectural decisions which culminated in the creation of a death chamber, and the reconstructed elements, which serve as silent material witnesses to the horrors of Auschwitz.
The Evidence Room is on view in the Museum’s Samuel European Galleries and is included with Museum admission.
Organized by the University of Waterloo School of Architecture
The Evidence Room was originally created for the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of the
2016 Venice Biennale by a team from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, including
O’Donovan Director Anne Bordeleau, architecture professors Donald McKay and Robert Jan van Pelt,
independent curator and editor Sascha Hastings, and students and consultants. The installation
at the ROM was co-curated by Anne Bordeleau, Donald McKay, Robert Jan van Pelt, with Waterloo
alumna and project manager Piper Bernbaum, and a team of students.
Lead Patrons: Rob & Penny Richards, The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation
Supporting Patron: Larry & Judy Tanenbaum Family
Exhibition Patron: The Jay and Barbara Hennick Family Foundation
The ROM would also like to thank the following donors for helping make this exhibition possible:
Hal Jackman Foundation, Ron and Vanessa Kimel & Family, KPMB Architects, Sam Mizrahi,
Jonas & Lynda Prince, Sandra Simpson, Jay Smith & Laura Rapp, The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation, Joy Cherry Weinberg & Family, Henry Wolfond & Rochelle Reichert, The Petkovics Family, Donald McKay, Sr., and Dr. Paul Munk.