Rails of Memory: A Shoah Monument in Lyon

In the heart of Lyon, near the historic Perrache station, The Rails of Memory rises as a poignant tribute to those deported during the Holocaust. Conceived by Blaising Borchardt Studio, the project commemorates the 6,100 Jews deported from the Rhône-Alpes region and speaks to the broader tragedy of the six million Jewish victims of the Shoah. More than a symbolic installation, this memorial is the culmination of over twenty years of dedication by the Association pour l’édification d’un Mémorial de la Shoah à Lyon, emerging from a global design competition in 2023 that drew 96 proposals from 25 nations.

Contextual Power in Design

Set in Place Carnot, the project was designed with deliberate symbolism and raw materials—steel rails, ballast, and wooden sleepers—evoking the very infrastructure used in the Nazi deportation trains. The 14-meter installation includes 1,173 meters of actual rail track, a stark allusion to the 1,173 kilometers between Lyon and Auschwitz. Blaising Borchardt Studio transforms these elements into an emotional landscape, allowing visitors to connect with the past through touch and presence, rather than grand narrative gestures.

Architectural Details That Speak Silently

The minimalist form resists dramatization, instead drawing strength from its physicality and material honesty. The rails are reclaimed, donated by SNCF—the national railway company whose infrastructure was used in the deportations. Every element is left visible and exposed, a gesture of historical transparency. Landscape design by Atelier NDF reinforces the somber yet reflective mood, while subtle lighting by Les Éclairagistes Associés ensures the memorial remains legible and respectful both day and night.

Education Through Experience

Beyond remembrance, the memorial functions as a pedagogical tool. Benches embedded with QR codes invite visitors to explore stories of survivors and deportees. This integration of technology within a site of contemplation reflects a desire to reach younger generations, transforming memory into an active educational resource. The project embodies not only absence and mourning, but also commitment to transmission and understanding.

Collective Memory Materialized

“The Rails of Memory” is more than an artistic intervention. It is a public space, a civic action, and a cultural necessity. Blaising Borchardt Studio successfully merges narrative and material into a landmark that invites quiet reflection while preserving historical truth. By transforming brutal symbols into tools of education and contemplation, the studio underscores their broader architectural ethos: context-sensitive, memory-conscious, and materially articulate. Learn more about Blaising Borchardt Studio.

To this day, the Shoah Memorial in Lyon remains a crucial link between personal histories and collective responsibility—ensuring, through silence and steel, that we do not forget.