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Architecture & design studio  
in New York led by Sasha Topolnytska.

New Lines: Museum of the Displaced

Proposal for “Displaced: Design for Inclusive Cities” Competition 2018

Architecture installation design




Across the world, millions are being forced to leave their homes, families, belongings, and relationships because of war, persecution, natural disasters, or poverty. After fleeing, refugees face a dangerous journey of survival, traveling for days, or in many cases weeks or months. They set upon a journey that does not guarantee that they will reach the border, many do not, and those who do end up walking into the unknown and often into a frightening future of the “somewhere else”. Often this hostile reaction is provoked by the unfamiliarity of the newly arrived culture. A lack of knowledge and understanding about refugees’ backgrounds and culture can cause a dissolution of trust through gross misunderstanding of cultural norms.

As human beings, we tell stories. Sometimes through words, but many times through the acquisition and creation of objects. These objects that we display in our homes, on the shelves or hang on the walls, all have a meaning and a story behind them. They keep the memories of a moment and create a feeling of comfort and attachment to our heritage. New Lines: Museum of the Displaced is a series of temporary museums, which strive to increase awareness, understanding, and acceptance through an exhibit of home and cultural objects that were once possessed and cherished by the refugees in their homes. Located in the public squares, plazas, or streets of the cities where refugees have found themselves, New Lines museums attempt to change the public attitude towards refugees through offering an intimate moment between the visitors and objects on display. By creating a common narrative to understand the basic human condition of “home”, perhaps we can re-establish a basis by which to re-convene these seemingly desperate communities.