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\u201cA building itself, the building of POLIN<\/em>\u00a0very much so too, is a lab. A historical lab, in this case, and a lab of history, at the same time. It does function as both a telescope and a periscope, simultaneously. A building is not about details. A building is to convey the message, to provide the best form to do it, and still to have the message and a metaphor of its own.\u00a0 Both overdoing and undergoing is very damaging in architecture, especially with regard to the buildings bearing such an extremely important public message as POLIN does. And of course, an architect working on a new building is looking also for his own creative sides of his future building, something that would bear an imprint of novelty and creativity. That\u2019s why architecture is a very complex art\u201d<\/em> – prof. Rainer Mahlam\u00e4ki in his conversation with Inna Rogatchi (C). 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile working on the ( POLIN) project, I knew and realized that this museum will tell not only the story of Polish Jews, but also the story of the Jews in Europe, with those pivotal moments in it. I also knew that the museum will tell not only the history of Poland, but, crucially importantly, the history of Europe, and it will present it quite deeply. That understanding guided my approach. Since the very beginning, I knew that we were to create and to build a lighthouse. A lighthouse in the heart of Warsaw, in the heart of Poland, in the centre of Europe, which should attract all those people, including also the new generations, who would be interested to know how the history unfolded\u201d<\/em> – Prof. Rainer Mahlam\u00e4ki in his conversation with Inna Rogatchi, for Special Project POLIN 10 (C), 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Together with the splitting of the sea, as a core idea referring to a Jewish world and its values, a canyon\u00a0 as a form came to my mind during my work on the POLIN building,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 famed architect reflects in the days of the celebration of the POLIN\u2019s 10th anniversary. \u2013\u00a0I knew yet back in 2005 that for this kind of a lighthouse in the heart of Warsaw, for the modern time, and also thinking of the future, it has to be universal, both in meaning and in the form. The ( POLIN) building has\u00a0 to be an abstract, non-figurative,\u00a0 and most importantly, bearing a universal message\u201d<\/em> – prof. Rainer Mahlam\u00e4ki in his conversations with Inna Rogatchi for the Special POLIN 10 project (C). 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Special 10th Anniversary Essay was published in the Times of Israel, as well as in the leading American media, The JerUSAlem Connection Report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rogatchifoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/3-POLIN-10th-anniversary-special-architectural-author-tour-with-prof.-Rainer-Mahlamaki-10_urodziny_29.09.2024_-Photo-Magda_Starowieyska-118-.-C-POLIN-1024x683.jpg\")
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