War and other forms of violent acts permeate deeply into society, the trauma and devastation that conflicts generate are echoed in all aspects of culture and civilization, and architecture is no exception. Post-war architectural designs are varied, as there is no single architectural solution as a response to destruction. Some may choose to replicate, others reinvent, and in some instances, the space remains unaltered – an open memorial to the tragedy. The choice is complicated, but it reflects the philosophy, ideology, and mentality of society towards violence, at least of those whose task it is to shape it.
A precedent of how conflict shapes architecture is the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. By the early 20th century this space was a commercial and cultural hub. During the Nazi Regime, the cultural life of Berlin was suppressed, and during the Second World War, the Platz was bombed and left in ruins. When the conflict ended Berlin was divided by the Berlin Wall which cut directly through Potsdamer Platz, defacto turning it into a no-man’s land. In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, converting the space into a symbol of reunification. The Platz was revitalized, the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) was established at the Theatre am Potsdamer Platz, bringing back the cultural ambiance, and the commercial essence was brought back by the Sony Center. The historic events that took place turned the site into a tourist destination. The ever-changing environment of the Platz through various forms of conflict, and its return to its previous functions, reflects how post-war architectural designs are instrumentalized to heal the wounds of conflict. Public spaces are testaments of the aftermath of political transitions, Potsdamer Platz is now a representation of reunification and regeneration of Germany’s society post-second-world war.
Daniel Libeskind
There is one architect who stands out due to his capacity to produce post-war architectural designs that successfully balance the role of reflecting the devastation of conflict, with the task of providing relief and closure for society. This architect is Daniel Libeskind, his studio designed the extension of the Military Museum of Dresden Germany, which was bombed during the Second World War. The intervention accentuates the destruction that the building faced during this period. In the building’s itinerary, visitors navigate the history of Germany’s Military in chronological order. When they meet the point of intervention there is an alignment with the timing when the bombing took place. Libeskind’s extension forces visitors to absorb the gravitas of the events that occurred, which the building itself was witness to. The wedge is positioned pointing toward the direction from which the building was attacked, and fragmented natural light penetrates through the façade to dramatize the experience. In this project, Libeskind attempts to give visitors the impression that they are first-hand witnesses of the catastrophe that took place, so that its impact is wedged into their memory.
Daniel Libeskind is Jewish, his religious and cultural background provided him a distinct perception of the trauma and devastation that conflicts generate in society. It is in part thanks to this that he was capable of winning the competition of the Jewish Museum Berlin. The building exhibits the social, political, and cultural history of the Jews in Germany from the fourth century to the present, explicitly presenting and integrating, for the first time in postwar Germany, the repercussions of the Holocaust. ‘ As Libeskind stated ‘It is impossible to understand the history of Berlin without taking into account the contributions of Jewish citizens.’ This perspective provided him with an understanding of how post-war architectural designs are necessary instruments of education.
The building can be described as a formation of layers with divisions of corridors that reflect the ever-changing relationship between Germany and its Jewish citizens. The architecture transports the visitors through an emotional journey. Libeskind’s project generates a sense of confusion and dealignment with the environment, to help the audience understand the experience of being uprooted, and the sense of isolation Jewish citizens have experienced from the rest of the world. In his post-war architectural designs Libeskind doesn’t just portray a story of devastation, he makes room to showcase Jewish life and prosperity, in order to understand the Jewish experience in its totality. The tumultuous reality of the Jewish citizens caused by antisemitism is a long tale that started before the events of the Third Reich and continues to flourish in today’s Berlin, this is the reason why this museum is so important; as the lessons that it intends to teach are still relevant.
Libeskind’s architectural work as a response to violence isn’t exclusive to the Second World War. His studio was assigned the World Trade Center Master Plan in New York, after the events of 9/11. In this project, the architect shows a very nuanced understanding of how to navigate this very sensitive topic. The dichotomy was whether or not to keep the site empty or rebuild it. Libeskind thought that what was built had to let us enter this ground while at the same time creating a quiet, meditative, and spiritual space. We needed a way to journey down 70 feet into the chasm, past the slurry wall, a procession with deliberation. Regardless of the revitalization going on aboveground, this part of the site had to be maintained to honour the dead.’ The area has a new meaning since the tragedy, and it’s the architect’s task to work with this new meaning, to allow space for grief while simultaneously delivering an atmosphere of hope and prosperity post-destruction, while dignifying the victims’ lives.
Libeskind’s work is a testament that post-war architectural designs are intricate decisions that navigate the response towards the collective trauma that violent acts produce. Whether it is by returning to post-war functions like Potsdamer Platz, accentuating the catastrophe like the intervention of the Dresden Military Museum, or creating space for grieving like the World Trade Center Master Plan; it is important to understand that architecture is able to permeate collective memory, and it can be utilized to educate on the conflict and its impact on society. It is due to this that architecture is a method of interpreting society, as those who design and dictate the architectural form, shape the public perspective and response towards conflict.
References:
Archello. (n.d.). Ground Zero Master Plan | Studio Daniel Libeskind. [online] Available at: https://archello.com/project/ground-zero-master-plan.
Studio Libeskind (2014). Jewish Museum Berlin – Libeskind. [online] Libeskind. Available at: https://libeskind.com/work/jewish-museum-berlin/.
A.C. Souhrada (2016). Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum – Berlin. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHlatz0bCUU.
