We first told you about the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida (Website) and its new downtown campus project back in January 2018. That project was delayed during the first years of the pandemic. That project was just updated.
The organization’s new Holocaust Museum for Hope and Humanity, which will be the world’s first Holocaust museum designed around survivor and witness testimonies, will soon occupy the former site of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce property located at 75 S. Ivanhoe Boulevard [GMap], on the shores of Lake Ivanhoe.
Plans were updated from last year’s set and now include changes like a new perimeter wall around the outside of the property for added protection. The new building will be built in the shape of a shofar or ram’s horn used in Jewish religious holiday ceremonies. The main window of the museum which will overlook the adjacent Lake Ivanhoe and memorial plaza will also feature a decorative brise soleil or gridwork over the glass, as seen below that will serve to protect the window from an attack or act of arson while also looking nice.
“At a time when we are losing all remaining Holocaust survivors, the new museum will employ state-of-the-art technology to ensure their voices are not forgotten. The entire visitor experience will guide individuals and groups to learn the history of the Holocaust, make connections to those who endured through it, and understand the power that we each possess even in the face of tremendous odds.“
The building is expected to cost $57.5 million and is being designed by Beyer Blinder Belle. The project will break ground in mid-2024.
Why are they tearing down a perfectly nice building to spend more than 50 million dollars for a new building in Orlando when the largest Jewish population is in South Florida and there is already a National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC?
Wonderful news!