The Flemish Government wishes to carry out a project for a memorial, museum and documentation centre on the Holocaust and human rights in DossinBarracks and its surroundings in Mechelen.The choice of site is not insignificant. During the Second WorldWar, Jews and gypsies were assembled at DossinBarracks before being transported to concentration camps by train.DossinBarracks is located on the north-eastern side of the town centre, alongside the ring-road. It is a classified monument and currently contains flats, the municipal archives and the Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance. The museum receives 35,000 visitors a year. At least double this is expected after its conversion.To implement this project, the Flemish Government purchased not only the front building of the barracks but also the former municipal prison (also a classified monument) onthe other side of the street. In the immediate vicinity is the monumental Dominican monastery (now empty) with its gardens, now the property of Mechelencouncil. This presents the opportunity to consider a broader scale of urban development. As a privileged partner, Mechelencouncil will therefore also be involved and will monitor the spatial quality of the project. The project will act as a lever for the high-quality development of the surroundings.Three main functions will be incorporated into the DossinBarracks project: a memorial, a documentation centre and a museum. The memorial will commemorate the many Jewsand gypsies who were transported from Mechelento Auschwitz, and the documentation centre will be attached to it. The museum, apart from telling this specific story (a permanent exhibition), will also cover the broader context of the Holocaust and human rights, with spaces for temporary exhibitions and public activities.The challenge will be to build up a consistent story distributedover the two buildings, with a possible renovated or new building and with accompanying public space. The public space is a crucial part of the assignment. Not only is there a street between the buildings, but the ring-road also imposes its own pattern. On the other hand the monastery gardens offer a substantial opportunity as part of the overall development.This architectural assignment is quite exceptional: the client is looking for a team that will be able to supervise a process where architecture, public space and museum form a synthesis. The design team will thus have to have a range of expertise at its disposal in order to qualify for selection.