Sinop Historical Prison Museum by TEATI Architects

The project reinterprets the Sinop Historical Prison, known as the “Alcatraz of the Black Sea,” as a Museum of Justice, where confinement is explored beyond its physical boundaries and extended into psychological and existential dimensions. Structured as a multi-layered, spatial narrative, the design integrates the building’s architectural presence, its institutional history, and the experiential perception of incarceration.

The prison’s repetitive spatial system – cells, wards, and courtyards – is preserved and activated through light, sound, and scenographic interventions, allowing identical spaces to convey differentiated themes, such as time, discipline, and production. At its core, the courtyard establishes a constant yet unattainable relationship with the sky, creating a tension between enclosure and freedom. A dual-layered approach preserves the structure in situ while introducing a secondary exhibition system that reveals and interprets its narratives without compromising its mnemonic integrity.