Berlin was a city steeped in history. The Jewish Memorial near Potsdamer Platz is at once both mass sculpture, and architecture of experience –- a three-dimensional thought process, maybe? Although the blocks of the memorial are on a perfect grid, there is still the sense of being lost, and moments of surprise. The ground rises up sharply; a corner reveals another person; people call out the names of the friends they’ve lost in all the turns. Something in the spatial sequence and the cool, impassive stone asks for remembrance. Without words, signs, directions, or marks, the memorial pulls people inward and asks for respect. Should buildings have a purpose like this? Should they influence emotion as well as experience?
No comments:
Post a Comment