City of Lost Children

By April 1942, more than 850,000 children had been taken from their homes and families and relocated into the country. Problems arose when the children returned after the war to find their cities in ruins and their mothers and fathers perished in the war. A generation of orphans arose during this time period, and left many children homeless, run out of their cities, and scared. The City of Lost Children is built for these orphans.

Built in 1943 and existing until present day, the orphanage stands as a memorial and daily remembrance of the terror of the world wars. The decision of site was the first question that arose. The Black Forest, located in the south-western corner of Germany is a place riddled with history and fairy tale; it is also out of the way of British bombing raids. Because of this, the Black Forest seemed the perfect site for this project. I chose the Nonnenmattweiher Lake because of its location in the corner of the Black Forest and the scenic views it provides. Choosing the lake as a site also gives unique opportunities for program development on the water, which would not be possible otherwise. The juxtaposition of the dense forest and the clear, open lake also interests me. Nonnenmattweiher Lake, the exact site of The City of Lost Children, is near Badenweiler, which houses the closest train station. 2.5 miles away by bus or car sits the City of Lost Children, an orphanage composed completely of treehouses that float up from the ground to the treetops as a place of sanctuary for the lost children of Europe.